St. Landry democrat., 1885-08-08
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regnlar Correspondent
July 81, 1885.

JULY ~, 1850.
The public buildings of Washington
are draped in mourning literal miles of
black cambria are wound around the
marble columns and festooned from the
windows of public edifces. A small
number of private residences and q
number of saloons are also hung in black.
Perfunctory sorrow is lavish in express
sion, and the Department presided over
by the Secretary of the Interior, the
Rebel Lamar" excells all others in
tastefulness and elaboration of fune-
real decoration.
There is hackneyed Latin maxim
"Nu nortuis misi bonuS.n If the last
word were VeritGs instead of b0nuS
(good) the maxim would be good in
deed. A life is good only for its lesson
and its benifcence. Death cannot
change the account. Gushing journal
ism is not history.
AS general, Grant was successful.
Of the simple truth that two bayonets
are stronger than one, and that pow
erful, well equipped, and constantly
recruited army will overcome a
weak starving, and diminishing army, he
awaited himself to greater extent than
did any other general of the late war.
He was at the fore front when the
wearisome, CHASTITY struggle closed, and
he bore himself magnanimously to-
wards the fallen. He will ever have
the praise of military success, and he
deserves moreover such admiration as
is given to the not uncommon phenom-
enon of kind heart.
Gen. Grants faults, failures and mis-
fortunes were not of the heart, but on
account of his weak head. Of all
greatness military greatness is gained
with least expense of intellect. The
glory of the warrior is the most vulgar
Of all glories, the most accidental, the
easiest won and lost. Military success
is in overcoming physical obstacles, and
in it neither genius or a high order of
intellect is required, but simply d SEN
sible application of dynamic forces.
That military greatness is the great
ness which has always had the loudest
vulgar acclaim proves nothing. The
author of the Poisoned Gum Drop or
the Candy Woman's Revenge has more
readers than Bacon or Shakespeare.
Gen. Grants mental weakness be-
came more apparent when the smoke of
battle no longer obscured and idealized
him. After the war be became the
tool Of corrupted and debauched par
ty, and later, as President, he allowed a
clique Of selfish, vulgar and even dis
honest men to use him for the further
ance of their am bition and their greed.
The Presidency of Grant was the most
disgraceful in our National annals, one
OF his last official acts was to smooth
the way for the conspiracy and the
Iusurpation which deprived popular
suffrage OF the greatest victory il had
ever achieved in the election of Tilden,
Later Gen. Grant showed desire to
be elected for third term to the Pres
| idency, and finally, he became the easy
dupe and tool, the partner, / will not
say the accomplice of a charlatan and
swindler who is now in Jail. The grave
closes his earthly account, but it can nc
more obscure his failings than his fame
Grant he was brave, stubborn fighter
firm friend, an indulgent father il
must also be conceded that he was {
weak, unconstitutional, laundering
statesman, so poor manager of the
National household that he handed i
over corrupted and debauched to ont
who had no right to receive it. Admit
also that he displayed so little energy
and intelligence in the management o.
| his private affairs that he could scarce
1 ~ make a living before the war, AMI
that later he squandered and wrecked
the splendid fortune given him by ad
miring friends.
Doubtless these criticisms will graft
harshly on super-sensitive ears at thi
time, but really some antidote to thu
Niagara of e1egiac newspaper rhapsod.
seems not out of place, and I will con
clude with my text, revised edition
MI moytai8 nisi gefitas."