Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-24

command, and | know, from personal
intercourse with him, that he was a
man Of vigorous intellect, and, although
generally reticent, when occasion re-
qulred him to give. expression to his
opinions he did so with great clearness
and force.
The impression which | have formed
OF his character is that he was a true
patriot and man whose purposes were
upright. That he committed many er-
Iors and had many faults will hardly be
denied. But his faults and errors were
not the offspring of bad motives. He
was a man of truthful and confding
nature. lie was devoted in his attach
ment to his friends. He was. us is
known to the public, eonviyial in his
habits. This nfirmity threw him into
association with many who were un-
worthy of the trust he reposed in them,
and abused his confidence to advance
their personal and selfish ends.
| have reason to believe that his can
didacy for third presidential term was
not the dictate Of his own Judgment,
but the suggestion of so-called friends,
who hoped through him to gain or re.
tain office and power and influence.
Most of his other errors may be traced
to similar causes. This will explain
why he made so many unfortunate po-
litical appointments and why he adhered
so tenaclously to them when their ua-
worthlness was patent to every one but
himself.
That General Grant will always oc-
cupy conspicuous position in the his
tory of our civil war will not be ques-
toned by any fair-minded man. 10
one could have accomplished what ne
achieved unless he possessed merit Of a
high order. Circumstances NAV have
aided and favored him in an unusual
degree, but when we remember that nc
volunteered as private in the army
of the United States in a time Of ex-
treme peril, and that by diligence and
talent he won his way through all the
intermediate grades, and over the heads
Of able and jealous rivals, to the posi-
tion Of COmmander-in-Chief of the Ar
mics Of the United States during the
war. and when peace was restored, TO
the presidency Of the United Sta.es
We are forced to the conclusion TIA. ne
must have possessed wonderful .. gcrs
Of intellect and will thus T. have
brought this most powerful ard iitc.li-
gent nation Of the world under .he al.
most magical spell Of his influence
But cOncediDg all this 20 be true, If /
were to venture to anticipate the judg-
ment Of pOsterity, would say that |
do not think that General Grant AZ a
soldier will be assigned a position with
the CAESARS or Hannibal, of the ancents.
nor with the Marlboroughs, Washing
tons, or Napoleons Of modern times.
As a statesman, his rank will be still
lower, and the Muse OF History, as she
records the annals Of his administra-
tion. while she may defend the integrity
OF motives, will feel constrained to
throw the mantle Of charity over many
Of his deeds
But with all his errors and short
comings, Virginia will ever cherish a
Kind remembrance of General Grant.
He was kind to her in time Of her
greatest need, and she can never forget
the courage and constancy with which
he maintained the inyiolability of the
parole which he had granted to Gen
eral Robert f. Lee and his army.
GENERAL BRADLEY T. JOHNSON.
1t seems to me that the fame of Gen
eral Grant as a great soldier will not
grow IN history as tile conditions uudvl
which his successes were achieved be-
come appreciated and understood. He
could not have conducted his campaign
Of 1864 or 1868 against the great army
that Lee led in the seyen-days' battles
or second Manassas, in 1862, or in
Pennsylvania in 1868. He had in an
eminent degree that high courage that
/. enabled him to make extraordinary
sacrifices of life and material, and per-
severance which carried him on un.
daunted by any difficulty or opposition,
but he had unlimited resources against
an exhausted opponent. His soldiers
had improved and were better in morals
and in training than the men command
ed by Mcclellan, Burnside, Hooker, or
Meade. The campaign Of 1854 against
Richmond might have been short
ened and made decisive by moving an
efficient force on Richmond from the
south side of James river instead of the
utterly incapable operations Of Butler,
whom Beauregard bottled up at Ber-
muda Hundreds. With all the lights
Of time and information, | do not be-
leye that General Grant will rank with
the great generals of history. lie
had great qualities, he had courage,
fortitude. fidelity to his ideas, con-
fdence in himself but he had
not genius. His conduct towards
the paroled Confederate soldiers was
chiyalrous, and will place him high on
the roll Of honorable men. | know
personally that when the indictment
against Lee was found at Norfolk, on
the instigation Of Andrew Johnson,
who was thirsting for blood, or at the
very least for conviction and an exam
pie, Grant asserted himself with prodi-
gious force. lie insisted that not only
the national honor was pledged by him.
as commander-in-c chief of an army in the
field. but that the honor of that army.
and of every soldier in it, and his own
personal honor, were involved in the
perfect maintenance of the faith Of this
parole, and he made an issue with the
President approximating to the resigna-
ton of his commission if Lee was mo-
Tested. lie gave me personally letter
to Mr.. johnson taking substantially
that ground on the occasion of my ar
rest on an indictment for treason. |
have never allowed myself, therefore,
to speak or write anything derogatOry
to General Grants honor, for as far as
we are concerned he behaved as be-
came man Of the highest honor. He
failed as a civil administrator on ac-
count Of the mititdRRess " Ito use
Herbert Spencer's word. Of his train
l. IL