Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-04-23
Grant Twenty-Four Years Ago.

I%enty-i0dr years ago yesterday, prll
10, Fort Sumter surrendered, and the
great Civil War began. Six days later,
and four days after President Lincoln's
proclamation calling for troops, U. s.
Grant wrote a letter from Galena to his
father-in-law, Mr.. Dent, of st. Louis, the
publication of which on the anniversary
of the fall of Fort Sumter is a peculiar
ly important and timely contribution to
history. 1t was written by a Democrat
to Democrat, at "a time when Democrat
ic Governars in border States were in
sultingly replying to the Presidents
proclamation, and refusing troops for
what they called "an abolition war;" or
''the coercion of sister States" The lam
guage of the Mugwumps of that day
may be proftably contrasted with the
private letter of the true patriot, who
little dreamed then how large was to be
his part in the suppression of the rebel
lion.
Other men were Democrats first, and
afterward more or less loyal. q. S.
Grant was loyal first, and afterward
more or less Democrat. 81 know it is
hard" he said, "for men to apparently
work with the Republican party" and it
was easy for him to find excuses; he and
his wife bad been, and their relatives
were, residents of border slave State.
But even at this early day he declared,
"Now is the time, particularly in the
border States, for meu to prove their
love of country" He saw, as few then
did, that the war involved "the doom of
slavery" and that it had previously ex-
listed and could continue to exist only
by virtue of such protection as the Union
gave it. Great statesmen of that day
were laboring in peace conferences and
in untiring negotiations to save the
Union with slavery, but this plain sol>
dier and business man saw instantly
that slavery must go down in any case.
Slngularly clear, too, was his perception
of the popular feeling. At a time when
many statesmen were doubling whether
the Norib would bear the burdens of
war. and hold out to the end, Gen. Grant
wrote: at is all miStaka about the
Northern pocket being so sensitive. In
times like the present, no people are
more ready to give their own time, or
"of their abundant means" That the
had-been the aggressors he
saw clearly, and also that Virginia had
richly deserved the terrible scourging
which it finally received before an army
led by Grant terminated the rebellion on
Virginia battle fields.
This letter comes in time to correct
many impressions as to the career of the
great soldier and eX-President. 1t has
been commonly thought that he entered
the service as soldier rather than as
patriot, with not very clearly defined
political opinions, but with clear idea
that it was his duty as soldier to de,
fend the flag of his country, and that his
political convictions were mainly form
ed by intercourse with others and by the
progress of events in later life. His let
ter of 1861, on the contrary, proves that
be had most clearly defined convictions,
in regard to the question of slavery, the
right and wrong of the struggle. and the
aggressive spirit of the slave power,
even before he had offered his services
to his country. He was mentally larg+
er and broader man, prior to the war,
than the Nation has been prone to sup
pose, and it is easy to see how, begin
ming to work with the Republican par
ty," only as matter Of duty, he soon
found its convictions wholly in accord
with his own. Shortly after this letter
was written, he began that active life
which has resulted 50 grandly for his
country and so goriously for himself
n. Y. Tribune, April IA.