The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-07-30


& forgotten all the excellencies. IL
oerao1 e guilty of one bad act. $1,000
GOOD ones may be overlooked
We Judge Peter by his denial. forgetting
his courage and devotion 20 Christ and
his final death By the Masters side.
Many look at the bfsmishes and forget
he great and coed deeda. Every human
beng has blenishes. have no sympa-
thy with those people who are always
cooking at the blemashes. All human
beings have the common tmperfecf1ons
of the human race. Some live on those
imperfections, otheFs make themselves
conspicuous by lighting them. The
time 70 estimate Grant properly viii
come 10 the future
In his career was one long period OF
preparation from his birth TO the war.
The free, open air in his early western
life developed him free Of conventional
restraints, inviting freedom, individual
fty. He learned there, too. what labor
was, Whist it was 20 live comparatively
poor and 20 live hungry. He enjoyed
the early teachings Of 3 Christian homo.
At his parents house often came the cir.
cult preacher who was always welcome.
Until IL Grant lived . life
of freedom peculiar 70 the
west. Then at West Point . different
and military training was engraited
upon his early life. He was not bright
but dilligent; not genius, but an earn
est student. He was not &C the head OF
his class, neither was he at the foot
After the Mexican war, GrGnt, weary OF
garrison duty. resigned, and for seven
years lived as private citizen, minglinR
with men, learning the sympathies OF
the hearts and lives Of the COM
mon people During this time he
was candidate for county surveyor and
was surely disappointed at his failure
TO secure the Office. It Is related that in
st. Louis he met q party Of old comrades
from one OF whom he had borrowed Q
small sum of money years before.
Though sorelY pressed for means he In
sisted upon the payment which was IN
willingly received.
His career until the war was never
brilliant. HIS preferment was not due
to Influential friends. When the war
broke out the first tender
of his services brought no re-
and drilled soldiers at his own expense
till his funds ran out. He was not known
even to the congressman of his own dig
trict. Az military man Grant possess
ed peculiar qualities. He was rarely
off his guard, was cautious, had great
foresight. was always ready for emeTg-
enciee, was aggressive and nearly always
attacked the enemy unaWeres. His
plans were not temporary. He took In
the situation. He was not Q
soldier by choice, but by neces-
sttY. He was not blood thirsty,
but sought the complete and effectual
termination Of the war. He was the
most generous, the most magnanimous
to fallen foe.
The future historian must certainly
say that his administration as president
was remarkably successful" II is true
tire were certain blemishes. have
yet TO learn of one free from
blemishes. If you will read the current
history of WashIngtOn's time you will
learn that the epithets given him. the
slurs cast upon HIM, the v1tuperation
exceeded greatly the ISLANDERS heaped
upon Grant. Grants administration
had Its lmperfeClIons, but had 1t been
perfect we could have believed him not
human. He had oftentimes many
dilemmas from which, compelled 70
choose, he chose the one he believed as
sured the least evil. In matters OF pub
tic policy, the public debt management,
the reconstruction OF the south. the
establishment OF peace, he was
the pioneer of civil service reform. II
was during his administration that the
famous Geneva arbitration committee
sat and established the great precedent
which has shown nations how to settle
disputes without bloOdshed. While
many were crying for war with Eng
land, Grant stood firmly for arbitration.
Grant was not only q warrior, but q
peacemaker. His terms to Lee were
more generous than the foe expected. He
would not even take the fallen command
er's sword. ''Go home IN peace, /" said he.
At the close of his administration he
went abroad, leaving affairs into hands
he thought should best manage with
out his advice. The hOnOrs receiV-
ed from the worlds sOVereigns were un-
precedented. In Japan the mika0o gave
Grant his hand, an act the like of which
Japan had never known before. He sat
by Queen Victoria as an equal. On his
return from his trip around
the world he sought no
more political hOnOrs. He quietly
settled down as a private citizen, and In
his great simplicity and humbleness
was to be seen his true greatness. When
the Wall street disaster came upon him
through no fault of his own, be sold
everything, even his relics from the Old
world, and later labOred in q lltefary
way to paw off debts incurred through q
bad partner. Grant was always trIaeto
his friends; was bound to them as with
hoops of steel. He was tender
ever gentle and true. Charitable
and ChristiSnlike in many ways, Otter
doing deeds of Christian grace and chHE
Ity unknown TO the public. In his
great and noble life there are many
grand lessons to learn.