The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-08-01
SATURDAY. AUG. 1, 1885.
Death of General Grant.

Grants death. This sad event has
been looked forward to and watched
for during period of many months,
and. although it has been generally
known for long time that his dis
ease would prove fatal, still the blow
to his family, friends and country,
was none the Less severe on that ac-
count.
A great man has fallen, and the
Nation weeps by his coffin. In this
hour of sadness and darkness, when
so many hearts are torn with anguish,
it is consoling to know that it is not
the North which mourns, nor the
South which laments over the dead
hero, but the united people of a re-
stored Union who mingle their tears,
showing their esteem for the dead
patriot and their sympathy for each
other in the great sorrow which has
come alike to all.
AS statesman Gen. Grant would,
perhaps, hardly be considered great
as greatness is generally understood
when taken in connection with states
men. But whilst this. may be and
perhaps is true, it is altogether prob.
able that the one thing which detrac-
ted more from his greatness, or rather
which prevented him from being
great in the sense above referred to,
was the fact that he was a man who
always stood firm and true to his
friends. He was never known to de.
sert friend because that friend made
an error or fell into trouble, and
whilst his unbounded confidence in
his friend may have prevented him
from being considered a great states.
man, it showed conclusively that he
was great in those qualities of heart
which are so rarely found in great
men. He was twice elected President
and his two administrations were
among the most eYentful in the his
tory of the country, and although
eventful, his party associates and
warmest admirers do not claim that
his administration was fauItIess.
Whilst his devotion to friends often
led him into grave errors and fire.
quently brought upon him the
severest criticism, still the success of
his administration compares very
favorably with any which had pre-.
ceded it.
AS a soldier Gen, Grant was pre-
eminently great. He rose from the
captaincy of company to the Gen
eralship of the army in an incredibly
short time. His military achieve.
ments and successes followed each
other in rapid succession. His career
as soldier is without a parallel in
the annals of war, and when we look
the whole field over we find there is
no chieftain of modern times who
equeals him. His greatness as a mill
tary commander, his wonderful fore.
sight in planning campaigns, and his
signal ability in executing his plans
must not be Judged entirely by his
success, but must be considered in
connection with the immense diff
culties which he overcame, the times
in which he lived and the peculiar
circumstances under which his cam
paigns were planned and executed,
The greatest, the grandest, the
browning glory of his military career,
the one thing in which he showed
himself to be great without parallel
that beside which all his other mill.
tary achievements sink almost into
insignificance, was his magnanimity
to his foes, when the great civil war
between the States was brought to a
close. All the mistakes of his mill
tary career, all the errors of his civil
administration, all the faults of his
life are. in the effulgent splendor of
this grand and glorious magnanimity
rendered invisible to mortal eyes.
In the walks of private life Gen.
Grant was greatly beloved by all with
whom he came in contact. He was
tender and affectionate In his domes-
tic relations, true to his friends, mag
unanimous to his foes, and generous
to fault and whether in the Presi-
dental chair or on the victorious field
of military glory, he was always the
true, quiet, dignitied, unassuming
man.
He was not only honored by his
countrymen, hut distinguished hon
ors were conferred upon him by kings,
princes and potentates offoreign coun-