St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-05-29
Blaine's Portraits.
THADpEUs STEVENS.


leader, who assumed his place by COM
mon consent, was Thaddeus Stevens, a
man of strong peculiarities of character,
able, trained and fearless Born in
Vermont and educated at Dartmouth,
he had passed all his adult years in
Pennsylvania, and was thoroughly
identified with the state which he had
served with distinction both in her own
Legislature and in congress. He had
the reputation of being somewhat un-
scrupulOus as to political methods,
somewhat careless in personal conduct,
somewhat lax in personal morals but
to the one great object of his life, the
destruction of slavery aud the eleva-
tiOn of the slave, he was supremely de-
voted. From the pursuit of that object
nothing could defect him. Upon no
phase of it would he listen to compro-
mise. Any man who was truly anti
slavery was his friend. Whoever es-
poused the cause and proved faithless
in ever so small degree, became his
enemy, inevitably and irreconcilably.
Toward his own race he seemed often
to be misanthropic. He was learned in
the law, and for third of Il century
had held high rank at the bar of a state
distinguished for great lawyers. He
was disposed to he taciturn. A brilliant
talker, he did not relish idle and aim
less conversation. He was much given
to reading, study and reflection, and
to the retirement which enabled him TO
crafty his tastes. AS was said of Mr..
Emerson, Mr.. Stevens loved solitude
and understood its uses.
Upon all political questions Mr.. Ste
vens was an authority. He spoke with
ease and readiness, using IA style some
what resembling the crisp, clear sen
tentiousness of Dean Swift. Seldom,
even in the most careless moment, did
Il sentence escape his lips that would
not bear the test of grammatical and
rhetorical cri icism. He possessed the
keenest wit, and was unmercitul in its
use toward those whom he did not like.
He illustrated i'll concrete form the
difference between wit and humOr. He
did not indulge in the latter. lie did
not enjoy a laugh. When his sharp
sallies would set the entire house in
upIoar, he was as impassive, his visage
as solemn. as if he were prOnOuncing Il
funeral Oration. His memory of facts,
dates and and figures was exact, and
chapter and page for reference. He was
fond of young men, invited their society
encouraged and generously aided them.
He was easily moved by distress of
others. He was kind, charitable, Law
ish of his money in the relief of poverty.
He had characteristics which seemed
contradictory, but which combined to
to make one of the memorable figures
in the parliamentary history of the
United States, a man who had the
courage to meet any opponent, and
who was never overmatched in in
tellectual conflict.
U. 5. GRANT.
Gen. Grants active service in the
field closed with the surrender of Lee.
All the commanders of confederate
forces followed the example of their
general chief, and before the end of
the month the armed enemies of the
Union had practically ceased to exist.
The fame of Gen. Grant was full. He
had entered the service with no facti-
tiOus advantage, and his promotion,
from the first to the last, had been based
on merit alone-withOut the aid of pO-
litical influence, without the interposi-
ton of personal friends. Criticism of
military skill is but idle chatter i'll the
face of an unbroken career of victory.
Gen. Grants campaigns we're varied in
their requirements, and, but for the fer
tilitv of his resources and his unbend-
ing will, might often have ended in
disaster. Courage is as contagious rs
fear, and Gen. Grant possessed in the
highest degree that faculty which Is
essential to all great commanders,-the
faculty of imparting throughout the
rank and file of his army the same de-
termination to win with which he was
himself always inspired. One peculiar
ity of Gen. Grants military career was
his constant readiness to fight. He
wished for no long periods of prepara
tiOns, lost no opportunity which
prOmptness could turn to advantage.
He always accepted, without cavil OF
question, the position to which he
might be assigned. He never troubled
the war department with requests or
complaints, and when injustice was in
fiicted upon him he submitted silently,
and did soldiers duty. Few men in
any service would have acquiesced SO
quietly as did Gen. Grant, when at the
close of the remarkable campaign be-
ginning at Fort Henry and ending at
Shiloh, he found himself superseded by
Gen. Halleck, and assigned to a subor-
dinate command in an army whose
glory was inseparably associated with
his own name. Self-cOntrol is the first
requisite for him who aims to control
others. In that Indispensable form of
mental discipline Geo. Grant exhibited
perfection. When he was appointed
lieutenant general, and placed in com
mand of all the armies of the Union, he
exercised military control over great
er number of men than has any general
since the Invention of fire. arms. In the
campaigns of 1864 and 1865 the armies
of the Union contained in the aggre-
gate not less than million of men.
The movements of all the vast forces
kept i'll harmony by his comprehensive
mind, and in the grand cOnsummatiOn
which insured union and liberty, his
name became inseparably associated
with the true glory of his country.
w. T. SHERMAN.
The character and ability of Gen.
Sherman were not fully appreciated
until the second year of the war. He
had not aimed to startle the country
at the outset of his military career
with any of the brilliant performances
attempted by many officers who were
heard of for a day and never afterward.
With the true instinct and discipline
of a soldier, he faithfully and skilfully
did the work assigned to him, and he
gained steadily, rapidly, and enduring
ly Oh the confidence and admiration OF
the people. He shared in the success
ful campaigns of General Grant in
the Southwest, and earned his way to
the great command with which he was
, now intrusted-a command which in