New-York tribune., 1885-07-24
of tho greatest rebellion

II does not appear that General uranus Z
) political knowledge or character had developed
very greatly during the progress OF the war.
/ He had not been profound student Ot public
affairs. His report on the condition OF the
4 South after the war was not an evidence OF
great political insight. But for the antagouism
7 of President johnson to the party OF the Union,
4 IL ia possible that General Grants political
development would have taken different
direction in some respects. But his closest
friends in public life had been stanch Repub-
licans. With their sympathy, and with the
( ending experience gained in tho controversy
& with Johnson, General Grant soon developed n
strong and clear attachment to Republican
PRINCIPLES. As he held against Lee every foot
of ground once occupied, so when he had once
8 arasped and made his own a Republican idea,
4 he held it thoroughly and absolutely, without
wavering or qualification, and to the end But
81 his conrse "a President was not one OF unmlxed
81 success. In choosing men for military needs
a and duties, he had been marvel0usly gifted
and had learned to rely absolutely upon his own
Judgment in his choice, and to trust with
unshakable confidence the men he had selected
81 In politcal life he had not the same unerring
keenness of discrimination. Sometimes he
q tjon his own jud gment, and had learned toE
B trust without reserve the men OF his choce' nc
$ was many times placed in false positions by his
errors of selection and by confidence misplaced,
and in matters of vital public policy found his
r high aims defeated by the unworthiness OF
: persons he had trusted But with rare and
q grand nobility of nature, he never sought toi
avoid responsibility for such mistakes, and
tn-An =
q resulting from the unworthincss of his chosen
b agents. A true soldier to the end, he reckoneu
as his own deed whatever he had done through
Others, however much they had deceived him
q 1t was this trait, noble in spirit, 80 natura
q in a soldier, and rare in public lie, when
n blinded multitudes 10 his merits as President.
Unmurmurng he shoudered the faults of every
3 man he had selected, and bore the brunt OF all.
Il Ii is to be added "a vital TACT In General
4 Grants political history, that he never acquired
the faculty of valuing men for their devotion to
q principles Thus he lost great safeguard
E Against error in selection. Nor was he always
ready to appreciate criticism in the light of the
1 principles by which he was guided. To him
q friend was friend, whether agreeing with him
q wholly or not, and foe foe. The admir-
a ing and even loving appreciation, which could
n vet combat him when he VAS deemed wrong III
b principle, he could hardly understand. Had he
n Judged men in public life more by their regard
S for ideas and less by their personal relations. he
would have been far more successful rs an Ex-
q ecutive and leader of men. But in his career as
President also. it fell to his lot TO save the
8 Nation by his own irmDess in duty. The
y first measure that he signed rs President
q pledged specie resumption, and from that ann
n he never swcrved hairs breadth. Ills veto oil
9 the imitation bill. though it had been advocated
by many of his warmcst friends, was the
grandcst act of his official life. Nor was he less
4 clear and strong in his attachment TO the
y principles of protection. The subtleties OF
q economic discussion never confused him to
his mind il was an ever-present duty TO defend
b American industry as TO defend the American
4 flag In DAYS that are coming, too. the Nation
will learn to honor President Grants aims IN re-
4 gard to the South. Here il that his selcc-
ton of unfit instruments cost him most. Be-
cause he chose some men who had little true
devotion to Republican principles. his whole
: policy was belittled and misunderstood by many
a at the North. and the history of the country was
n changed. Had he been able TO make clear to
n the public mind what he saw, and what he
8 wanted TO do could he have separated in the
public mind the honorable aims he pursued
4 from the conduct of some of the tools he chose,
J the country would have known him better, anil
4 would have spared itself task which it has yet
b to finish. In the light of later events, 1t must
h be said that he saw the Southern problem more
clearly than any of those who criticised him,
!. though he had not the gift to make his meaning
known to the people. Whatever he could do
r by his own personal endeayor to build up and
honor loyalty, and to defend American citizen
ship in every State, he did with fidelity.
b It was not wholly his fault that he had not the
a political training or the power always to select
the right agents to carry out his plans, and 80
= the plans themselves came to be msinterpreted
K through the acts of men who stood before the
4 world as his agents.
In the later years of his life, and particularly
= in business affairs, General Grant showed the
4 same inaccuracy in the judgment of men with re-
spcct to other than military duties, and the same
silent accomplishing and heroic endurance OF
b the burdens resulting from mistaken Judgment.
n He was easily deceived, and was the ready
prev of designing fatterers. Whoever wished
could gain his confidence by adulaton, and
could then turn him vehemently against
another by the llimsiest of misrepresentation.
= He was not gifted in business. He lacked the
r qualities which make men successful in getting
or in keeping money. He could save n Nation;-I
i he could not save himself or his family from
+ the knavery of Ward.
He has gone where reticcnce will no longer be
misunderstood. The faults of others, which
he shouldercd through life, fall from him at the
\ grave. He lives in the memory of millions, who
owe TO him their Nations safety, great sol
dier, a faithful public servant, devoted de-
fender of public faith a sincere patriot, noble