The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1885-10-31

saR. The bfoodiha n var haicbsd the
eRg and an eagle eame forth,
II 10 impossible 70 fesch the iuli meas.
nfs Of nranFs military genius nnlll ws
survey the greatness u the most ssifa.
ordinary war Of modern days, or II mar
be said of any age latO this sulphur.
ous storm oi war Grant entered almast
unknown, II was with diniculiy that No
could obtain a command, Once
set forward, Donelson, shiloh, Yleks.
burg, Chattanooga, The Wilderness,
tpotlsylVanla, Petersburg, Appomilox,
these wsro hia footsteps. In four
ysafs he had risen without political favor
from the bottom 10 tho very highest com.
mand, not second 10 any living com.
mandor 10 all the world. Ills plans we're
large, bis unjsoouraged will was patient
10 obfuraey. lie was not fighting Tor
reputation, nor for tho display Of gem
eralshlp, nor for future Presidency.
Ife had bu, one motive, Intense AZ llfs
ltself--thc subjngatlon Of the rebellion
aud tho restoration Of the broken Union.
lie embodied the feelings OF the common
people, lilo was their perfect rep.
rcsentatlye. The war was wagcd for
the maintenance Of the Union, the sup
preston OF armed resistance and at
length for the eradication OF slavery.
Ilo never wavored, turned aside or
dalliod. lie waded through blood 10 the
horses brides In all this career no
never lost courage or equanlmlly. Witha
million mon for whose movements he
was responsible, he yet carried
tranquil mind, neither depressed by
dlsastcrs nor elatod by success,
gentle OF heart, familiar with all, never
Boosting, always modest. Grant came Of
simple force OF being, which allied his
genius 10 tho great elemental forces OF
nature. Silent inylnciblc, irresistible,
when his work was done, aud tho
defeat OF the Confederate armies was
final, this dreadful man Of blood,
was tender toward his late advorsaries
as a woman toward hei son. lie i'm.
posed no humiliating conditions, ho
spared the feelings OF his antagonlstsj
sent home tho dlsbanded Southern men
with food aud with horses for working
their crops, and when d rcyengcful spirit
In the Executive Chair showed itself and
threatened the chief Southern General,
Grant, with a holy indignation, Inter-
posed himself and compelled his supe-
rior TO rellnquish his rash purpose.
There have been men--therc arc yet,
for stupidity is long g.llved-who re-
garded Grant as only man OF
luck, aud surely hel9 was. II was not
luck though 10 have had conferred upon
him such an ancestry. Such q body,
such disposition, such greatness OF
soul, such unalloyed patriotism, such
military gcnuls, and such an indoml,able
will. For four years aud more this man
performed every function Of strategy
In grand war, which JominI attributed
TO Napoleon aud Napoleon and Napier
to Wellington. Whether Grant could
have conducted a successful retreat will
never be known. lilo was never do.
feated.
Grant has been severely criticised for
the waste OF life. War IL not created
for the purpose OF life, but by a noble
Tandlps ri blood to save The common.
achieved would have been cheaply
gained at double the expense.
When Grant came 10 the Army Of the
Potomac he reversed tho methods OF all
who had preceded him Brsycr soldiers
never were, and valiant commanders;
but other Generals had not learned tho
art OF fighting with deadly Intent. Peace
Is very good for peace, but war Is organ.
lied rage. II means destruction, or II
means nothing. At tho battle Of the
Wilderness Grant stripped Its comnls.
sary train OF Its guards TO OIL gap In
| sl..t tf..A II hat al AL IN fsd
with for exposing his army TO the loss of
all Its provisions, his reply wasi
"whcn this army Is whipped II will not
want any provisions.
All summer, ali the autumn, all tho
winter, all the spring and early summer
again no hammered Lee with blow on
blow, until at Appomattox the gfeat but
not greatest Southern General went TO
the ground. Grant was q great fighter,
but not fighter only. His mind took In
tho whole field OF wsr--as wide and COM
plex as any that ever Napoleon knew.
lie combined In bis plans the operations
OF three armies, aud for the first time In
the war the whole OF the Union forces
were acting In concert. The fame OF his
Generals was as dear 10 him as was his
own.
When Lincoln was dead, vlcc.Prcsi.
dent johnson became President, man
well fitted for carrying on a fight, but
not skilled Inf peace. With morbid
sense Of justice he determined that the
leaders OF the rebellion should bo made
TO suffer as examples. las II the death
OF all tho ffslborn, the dcsoIation ol
every Southern home, the impoverished
| condition aud bankruptcy Of every citi.
zen were not example enough. lie or.
dcred Lee 10 be arrested. Grant refused.
when johnson would have employed
the army 10 effect bis purpose, Grant,
with quick aud noble rebellion, refused
obedience u bis superior, and, arranging
TO take from hls hands all military con.
troll, repressed the Presidents Wild
temper aud savage purpose OF dishohor'
. Ing justice.
Having brought the long and dis
astrous war 10 close, In his own heart,
} arant would have chosen TO have rested
/ upon his laufels aud lived q retired life.
II was not 10 bs permitted. lie wa,
called 70 the Presidency by universal as.
. claim, and II fell 10 him TO conduct I
campaign OF reconstruction, even more
burdensome than the war. IL would
seem impossible to combine In one emil
ncnt civil and military genius. To I
I certain extent they have elements ID
common, but the predominant elemen
| Ia war Ia organized iorccj In civil Eoycrn
, ment, influence. Craftsmanship Il
/ less brilliant than generalshIp, bu
. requires q different and higher mora
and intellectual genius. God 10 frugal IN
. creating great men-men great enough
J TO hold In emlnencs the elements Of I
: great General snI Of q great rnlsr.
/. Washington was eminent in s.atesmtn-
|. ship, but then he was not great fiencr.
!. all At any rate, he had no opportunity "a
!. develop the fact In the resdjustmen,
4 Of the political relations Of the South,
Q Grant was wise, generous and maznai-
Z nous In bis career ss . man; he was
/ without wee, with an absolute hatred ol
e lies and lneradIesbls Iowa Of truth
Q Of perfect loyalty 10 friend
|. ship; neither envious Of others
/ nor selfish for himself. With a zea
!, for the public good unfeigned. he hs'
( left to memory only such weakness a
4 connect him with humanity. and sucl
9 virtues 90 will rank him with heroes
/ For the hour sympathy rolled a.
= wave, over all our land. I, closed III
! last furrow Of war. II extlngulshe'
: the last prejudIce, II sfieed th
r last vestiee OF hatred; an
. cursed be The hand that shsl
!. | k.t.. th~., h.rk Ioan.or ..d ftur t,.