The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-08-12

AGAINST what seemed an lmmovable bar
rier, when death and destruction if not
humiliation, seemed to await them, a
council of war was held. The com
manding general Grant asked each of
ficer if he had any advice to give, begin
ming with the lowest in rank up to th Q
highest. In the face of what was before
them and the ordeal of the day past, they
pretty much all said they had no advice.
After each had been asked, Grant wrote
hastily on a piece of paper, his order,
marcel 6y the left flank an the morning, at
Daylight. That instance gives us an in
sight into his character, showing his cool
ness, his courage, his resoluteness, his
promptness and tenacity of purpose.
When others were appalled, and wavering,
he was firm and determined. That say
ing, after he had entered upon that noted
campaign, "That he would fight it out on
that line if it took all Summer, has pass
ed into history. His powers of endurance,
his concentration, his tenacity CT purpose,
is forcibly reflected by this expression.
All of his success has been obtained by
force of his own character. Some one has
said in speaking of great men, that some
are born great, some achieve greatness
and some have greatness thrust upon
them. In that category we instantly and
instinctively know where to place General
Grant. AT birth he was not favored with
the adventitious help of wealth and social
position. No title, rank, dignity or great
ness, were his by birth. You are familiar
with his struggles in early childhood, the
hardships and what seem to us the un-
favorable surroundings of boyhood.-
These, however, were but the rivetings
that made his character complete, and
gave that manly and courageous bearing
and nobleness of soul, that charac terized
the man under all circumstances He was
man of great reflective
powers. His mind did not run upon the
small talk and trivial things of the day.
Instead of play he was accustomed to sit
apart from his school fellows, in earnest
in silent meditation, He
has been called the silent man. lie never
believed or practised the idea that Ian
guage was made to conceal thought. He
was called the silent man, yet among his
family and friends, he was the most af-
fectionate, open-hearted and companions
BILE of men.
If he was taciturn and reflective yet his
state papers, his orders aud his speeches
show that he had fine command of Ian
guage, and you always knew that the
language used meant just what it said.
That it did not conceal his thoughts, but
rather gave expression to the true and
genuine image of his own ideas. His was
not like the babbling brook, that arrests
the attention of all within its sound, but
rather like the still deep current of the
majestic river, that sweeps by silently yet
irresistably.
As we now look back upon the history
of our nation there is glorious triumyi-
rate of great names that rise up invol-
untarilry in our minds as the three pre-
eminently great men of our country,
Washington, Lincoln and Grant. And
to those three great names will the Ameri-
can people always point with pride, not
only for what they were themselves, but
also for what they achieved in the cause
of humanity, freedom and nationality.
Their success, their achievements were
not the result of blind chance, but were
the outcome of their genius, in labor, in
action and thought, grasping the situa-
ton and with earnest thought and men-
tai toll, with pen and sword, achieving
those results that have given us nation,
the most honored and favored of the
earth.
We cannot now see anything but dis
aster to our nation, had it not been for
the aid of Gen. Grant in our time OF
peril and need. But there are cases when
disasters are blessings in disguise. The
sober second thought of our southern
brethren, is that if they had been sue
cessful in establishing their southern con
federacy, 1t would have been disastrous
to them better defeat with slavery abol
ished and forming an integral part o.
our American Union, this great govern
ment, than victory with secession.
General Grant the latter part of hi
life had an ambition to become bust
ness man, successful fnancier, fo
which his generosity untitled him; so con
fiding man that he was, he fell into thu
hands of the wall street sharpers wht
stripped him of his fortune. When thi
was swept away, it stimulated him t.
write those annals, without which tn,
history of this country would be incom
plete. The accomplishment of that pur
pose is the blessing, and great blessing
it is to the American people,.
Peace hath its victories as well as war
When we see great man battling he
roically and manfully against that ter
riable malady, writing and debating hi
book, and enduring the torments of ex
cruciating pain, yet calm, comforting hi
trust in his God, he exhibited trul,
moral and christian courage, that draws
very largely upon our sympathetic ma
ture.
While to day the people of the civil
zed world are paying grateful tribute tc
tho memory of Gen. Grant, it is fitting
that we in our own humble sphere SHOULD
also mourn and commemorate the dead
That we should turn aside from on
avocations and homes and assemble il
our own christian temples, and return
thanks to Almighty God, the giver of al
good, for the gift of this man to leat
and save our country, to thank him fo
the example Of that life, which is s,
much to American Citizenship, to show
us by his example it's possibilities. It il
fitting that we who have been benefited
by his labors and example, should re
collect and love to recall his many vir
tues. We love and honor him as war
rior. We love and honor HIM as maj
of peace. He looked upon war as steri
necessity, as means to an end, that be
yond its bloody road lay the gentle path
of peace.
You remember his terse expression nov
history, "Let as haze peace.' And now
let us resolve to cherish his memory ant
initiate his virtues. Let us point will
pride to the great and brilliant comman
der Of our armies, the wise and sagaci
GUS President, the devoted husband and
father of the domestic circle, and th,
answering friend. He needs no storiet
urn or marble bust to perpetuate hi
name among the people, for his name i
written in the annals of our country. Il
is written on the hearts of 5000, 900 o
slaves that Lincoln's pen and Grants val
lent sword made free. 1t is writer
upon the hearts of all who love unitet
country, and our glorious heritage o
freedom.