Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-08-10

merely IA cone eusrlns the enemy. s4fing The
union and restoring peace sith1n oar bor-
derS bal IL saving - The world Tor Stlu fur
theF trial, and lei u hcEe permanent and eil-
during example. free popular government
Box With al bis ulutary genius Grant ~as
elninently . man Of peace. Flushed sIth
the triumph Which follows sucoess other
great chieftalns bays been carried away
With the ambition for further conqUests-
Examples OF thi- sl1Tlt,8nclent and uoderni
have been far TOO Numerous for the Neli-be-
M Of mankind. Ia the Instances of our
tao great Generals. s7hlngtoA aud
Grant We have boeD slngUlArls fortunate
Great IN war they were greater IA that self
command aud lofty patriotism, which led
them tO turn quietly tO the paths Of peace.
When Ne consider that lincoln had fallen;
that Ne had great army Of veteran soldiers
and many generals eager. able, experienced
and that Grant ~as nOw kimOrt the idol Of
his country men. and pause to reflect what
might have been II he haS been imbued with
the spifit of Napoleon, . Caesar, or al
Alexander, We obtain a view Of his character
more loft3 and inspiring than that gwen us
by his military achievements. Called twice
10 MI the position of chief executive of this
nation at time when the difficult problems
of the Reconstruction of the South were
arousing party aniInOsities 10 high pitch,
he was often placed IN most trying and diff
cult positions, but he held the reans of Gov
eminent with nrm hand while
uniformly manifesting a strong desire
for peace and fraternal feeling be
tween the sections. The history
of an administration ought not 10 be written
for AT least quarter of century after lts
close Measures are adopted which cannot
bring forth immediate results; trees are
planted which do not bring forth fruit ia d
year, and 80 party feeling incident 10 po-
lItical campaigns usually enyelops the close
of an administration IN clouds of adverse
criticism. censtire and reproach. So poitl-
cal history should not be hurriedly written.
IL is too early yet 10 pass upon tho admins
tratiOns of Gen. Grant, but have no doubt
a large majority of the American people to
day believe that he was an able, wise and a
pure Chief Magistrate. And now. after a
life time, the greater portion of which was
spent in the service of his country that ma
terial portion of his being which WAS means
whereby he was enabled To accomplish his
great ends, but which being worn out III the
service could no longer be effective, is this
day 10 be committed To the tomb. Ii Is a
local tomb in the suburbs of the
great metropolis of the nation be
fought for and saved II IL a
narrow tomb only large enough To CLAIM q
family perhaps, but in all that is high, broad
and deep, all that il tender yet lofty of the
respect and affections of his countrymen
It's pOftstir open 80 "iuc tn W iecciNc al 'h'
| grateful tributes of all the united millions
| between the shores of the loud sounding
| seas. Grant the soldier. Grant the states
| man, Grant the citizen, Grant the preservel
! of his country's unity, Grant, who never
| before yielded To an adversary, has fallen al
last before the inexorable power which ha'
| never vet failed to claim its own. Surrounded
| by all that sweetens life, yet softens the great
change, he departed forever from among US
At the close he who had mingled in strife tn,
most intense of his time, and who always
''stood four-square to every wind that blew,
| found ''all his ways, ways of pleasaDtness,
and all his paths, "paths of peace" To-day
| he Is laid to rest in the suburbs of the grea
| city by the side of the beautiful and historic
| river, to await the bugle call at the resurrec
| tion morning.