The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1885-07-30

now 'uouln may Do S"h!IoNV1 "P ~
victory"
Fortunate man in life and death!
Tho greatest of earth have waited
for the centuries to do them justice
in works of history, bronze, or
marble, while many o. them have had
their consecrating coronation through
crowns OF thorns, or at the blazing
faggot; GRANT received the full meas
ure before his hairs were gray. Idol
izsd by his people and surleited with
adulation at the hands of citizen and
foreigner, he saw life in its sweetest
and fame at its highest. Few men
have won and retained such hold
on the general admiration, or the
gratitude of those especially served.
And that for this he possessed great
force of character and many elements
of excellence, let his remarkable ca
reer attest. But that he WAS what his
enthusiastic admirers urge, and what
JEFFERSON called HAMILTON, the
COLOSSUS Of the times" is not to be
admitted. He founded no system, nor
introduced or elaborated any acces-
series to any existing one, but merely
executed, thoroughly, it is true, what
was set for him to do. Hence, with
but little originality he was mighty
factor for practical administration.
The battlefield was his most lustrous
record; and there he struck to- success
without counting the cost, for his
sword Was never vr,GVhod with ivy,
and he was as minister of the I'M
priestly Mars. II he was taciturn
then, or even brutal, rs many have
charged, lot the complainant show
first, that war itself is not worse than
brutality. In his manner and make
up he was much akin to CATO, as dos
cribed by PLUTARcH: CHS counten-
ance in childhood disclosed
an innexible temper, resolute in
his purposes TO go clear through what.
soeyer he undertook. 1t was difficult
to excite him to laughter, and his face
rarely relaxed to a smile. He was
slow to learn, but what he did learn
was as though burned and branded
on his mind" lie had ballast rather
than canvas, stolidity rather than
brightness or keenness. Chance had
much to do with his good fortunes, and
it so often dropped in on him at the
right moment, and, thus he seemed
like a child of destiny. He was one of
those fayorites that "hsve greatness
thrust upon them," or who achieve it
in the lucky lottery of times whirli-
gig. And even this applies by prefer
encs to his military life. Outside OF
that sphere his career was curiously
checkered, and frequently a failure.
He was soldier by education as we'll
as inclination, and statesman by &C.
cidsnt; Democrat in belief as he once
confessed to DENT and For
NEY, he became a Republican
through circumstance. a Western
man by birth, hs was an Eastern
man from interest. AS "a tanner in H.
linois, he was not the equal of ANDREW
JACKSON, the saddler, in North G arc
lima. As hauler of wood in st. Louis
he was more Of failure than ANDREW
JOHNSON, the tailor, in Tennessee. As
a farmer he knew as much of lucerne
and potatoes as TALLYRAND did of in
tegrity. AS q commercial character
the country has had cause to deplore
his unfortunate fiesco. AS politician
he was wholly without sagacity, and
permitted blunder and slaughter
in the "third term" effort that the
merest ty1o ought TO have foreseen
and prohibited.
But he had many qualities that
20 to make up greatness, when
the age and conditions require
them. He had psrtinacity and pluck
perseverance,, staying qualities. Like
GENERAL TAYLOR, he would fight on,
although he was really whipped. He
was more of tho battering ram than
the flashing soimetar. Tho same I'M
pulses that kept him at his
post of duty through all made
him unfsl.orlngly true to
hin friends forever. And liFe
allsuch men he was self-centered, not