The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-09-10
WON THE SOUTHERN HEART.
The Expressions of Respect and Sorrow
Over Grants Death That Come from the
South.

The Expressions of Respect and Sorrow
Over Grants Death That Come from the
South.
The expressions of respect and sor-
row over the death of Grant that come
from the South are genuine and universal
We could fill our columns over and over
again with them. They are not As pre-
tentious and profuse as the similar ex-
pressions exhibited in the North-frst,
because the people of the South, with
all their fire and passion, are not given
to the elaborate and theatrical exhibit
tons of feeling which prevail in the
North; and. second. because in one sec
ton Grant is gratefully recognized as 4
deliverer, and in the other as con-
queror. In the North the people owe
him everything; in the South the peo-
pie owe him nothing. He captured
their strongholdS; he smote and de-
Stroyed their armies; he broke their
power, humbled their pride and reduced
them to submission. But in the mo-
ment of his triumph and their defeat,
he was simple. transformations and
flourish of his sword over their van
pushed heads to signalize his strength
and to embitter their humiliation. He
claimed no semblauce of 3 Roman tri-
umph with a procession of his con-
quered victims following his chariot
wheels. He never posed before the
world as a cOnqueror. On the contrary,
he studiouSiy avoided every appearance
of Boosting. 1t was utterly repugnant
to him. Nothing could be more con-
ciliatory than the undramatic gentle
ness and modesty with which he re-
ceived the surrender of Lees army,
and. after feeding them from his own
commisSariat, dismissed them to their
home with all their property but their
guns.
1t is this true valor, none the less
chivalrouS and genuine for being I'M
demOnstrative. that won the Southern
heart, and that now, twenty years after
their bitter defeat evOkeS from the
Southern people warm and sincere eX-
pressinns of admiration for the man
who inflicted it. None knew better,
because none felt sharper the inGefen-
sible blunderS of Grants civil admins
tration-hiS dispersion of the LegiSla
lures of Georgia and Louisiana and his
forced subsection of the people of those
and other Southern STATES to a detested
rule of carpet baggers and negroes.
But all this is forgotten -pardoned to
the thoughtful generosity with which
he kept his sword out of sight in their
hour of defeat and gave them the hand
of 4 cOuntryman. 1T Is as the great
soldier" says the Atlanta C0nStitU-
tio1a-''brave, simple, generous and
magaanimous, that he will be best
remembered 1t is as the soldier,
even though his sword struck down her
cause, the South loves to remember
him. As the conquerOr of Lee, refus-
ing to take the sword of that great
leader, whose heart broke when he sur
rendered his army; as the thoughtful
victor feeding his starving enemies
from his own wagons; rs the high
minded man of honor, demanding the
integrity OF his parole at the hands of
the vindictive Secretary of War; as the
dauntleSS man, standing alone. but
determined, between the helpless South
and the angry North-he held, as he
deserved, in all his trials the deepest
and fullest sympathy of al our people.
When his life went out great name
passed into history, and great heart
was stilied forever
Surely, the North and the South are
one country and one people when they
can meet at the same tomb and pay
common tribute to the same departed
patriot st. Louis Republican.