Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-04-04
The Plain Old Soldier and His Won.
derful Life.

The Plain Old Soldier and His Won.
derful Life.
A REVIEW OF ONE OF THE GRANDEsr CHARAC-
TIERS OF HIsToRY-wHY THE PEOPLE LOVED
AND TRUSTED HIM.
The following interesting sketch was printed
by George Alfred Townsend last summer after
the announcement of Gen. Grants misfortunes
in business:
Grant, with poor suit of clothes and 5000 a
year salary, went to public meeting at Galena,
Ill, where the young men were ready to die for
their country and the old men ready to contrib
ute their savings, and somebody said: capt
Grant is with us; move that he preside at this
meeting" Grant was then about 80 years of
age. He had been in the Mexican war: had
been through West Point; had married a sister
of a fellow-cadet and officer; had been in vari-
Gus posts of the Union, from ST. Louis around to
Oregon and when his name was mentioned no
body in town knew there was a Capt. Grant.
There stepped up on the platform quiet pas
elVe, piain-faced man, with hardly any fine
flowing lines in his figure, and he proceeded to
tell that little meeting what a company was.
lie SAID company was composed of perhaps a
hundred men or less. that 1t was divided into
platoons; that it required to have a captain and
officers. The people in Galena though they
We're assembled from all parts of the country,
had considered 1T almost preposterous to Know
anything about war. They listened, however,
TO these remarks with satisfaction, and the
plain man in the blue overcoat doomed up in
their minds person of some consequence
They inquired who he was and 1t was said that
he was
SON OF OLD GRANT
who kept branch leather store in Ga1ena. One
or two remembered that his son had never had
much luck, although he enjoyed some oppOr-
tunities. At that time 1t was said that his
wife was assisting to wash the clothes of her
husband and her boys. She had taken up
her lot with the man she married, and it was as
sweet for her to labor for him Jacob to work
many years for Rachers favor. He stepped out
into that war; perhaps, feeling that it was to be
no holiday for him. The military service was
associated with all the disappointments in life
He had been in the Mexican war, had been in
the posts knew nearly all the leading officers of
the army, was acquaintedwith the roster of the
gressmen. He felt that great contest might be
impending, and that he had another chance in
life, and that chance was patriotic duty. His
personal affairs were no greater certainty il his
mind than
HIS PATRIOTIC AMBITION.
If q man is entirely uns elfish he is no good
to anybody. An upright selfishness is the pre-
sentative quality of the patriot. You will find
humbugs who have been balancing a steel pen
for thirty years to tell you that a man should
think of nothing when he goes into the service
of his country but her, meaning the aforesaid
country. This is humbug and the man who
writes it was never In the service of his country
II opportunities justify MAJ. in using all his
energies Tor his family, certainly war should
ennoble that same selfishness.
Grant had Congressman living in the same
town by the name of Washburne, man with
some good points of character and some mean
ones He is capable of a virtuous Indignation
against false public steward, and yet will fight
q man who questions his public proprieties.
Washburne never was as pure-hearted man
as Grant. In the midst of his public spirit there
was always predatory something that at last
got him down and lost him Grants confidence.
He will be known to fame chiefly as man who,
for time, was true to Grant. Grant was
TRUE TO EVERYBODY
whom he knew. He was true to his wife, true
to his passing friends, true to his new acquaint-
ances true to his own errors He was q mascu-
line spirit fond of mems pursuits If he wanted
to take little relief at the card table he did it
with all his might. Unsuspecting even of gam
bling, his joys and sorrows were such as only
an upright spirit can appreciate. Now, while
of his son and the rascality OF his sons friend it
is due to him to say that those who understand
him have never for one moment doubted him.
Errors of taste he has committed. 1t was un-
questlonably mistake for him to have gone
into Wall street after being President.
Yet are all our ex-Presidents to follow each
other like sheep in example and give US no re-
lief in their successive Biographies? You take
the children born ofyour body and one is relia-
Die. another Is passionate a third has genius,
fourth is loving, fifth is mean and deceitful. If
they were all alike what pleasure would you
nave In them? So with all ex-Presidents. Only
weak, cheap, picayune men expect them to be
measured with the same stick, and that stick
the critic himself Let us arise to the joy of
human life and variety. Grant and the Con-
gresham
WENT DOWN TO SPRINGFIELD,
the capital of Illinois, in order that Grant
should get commission and have a command
1fit had been George William Curtis going
down there for q commission he would have
committed suicide on the first or second day.
Human life was at play everywhere The gov
ernor was a weak, sensual yet patriotic man.
1t occurred to him at that time that the great
war had come for the purpose Ofre-electing him
governor: He was giving out his commissions
nOoly with the object of re-electing himself
Washburne he considered a selfish old Yankee.
who was measurably true to his party but
ernor out of his office and taking it II he could:
but as to Grant, he looked at him, observed his
Clothes, talked to him little, and said: Seer
talnly there Is nothing In this man to achieve
the great end of the war; which is to reflect me
governor, or put me In the United States
believing in anybody, plain and upright. will
Ing to wait, willing to be disappointed not par
ticularly thin-skinned, not very thick-skinned
ernor would fulfil his word after a while. The
governor wished that something would kill
mat fellow on. There was nothing dieable,
however, about the man. Dick Yates took a
look at him now and then On the sly, and de-
SPARED that Grant would ever go away. II
Grant had been like some of our editorial states
men he would have written to the papers saw
Ing that the governor of the state was unworthy
OF his postLthat he was liar, and had women
now and then, and took too many drinks. The
poor clerk and ex-captain meant to do good
service To his country, and not to begin It by
uoeilng people In power. With that respect for
authority which must continue to exist il we
are to have country and substantial society
ne merely thought that the governor was q
little procrastinating.
MUTINoUS REGIMENT.
After while the governor had regiment
returned on his hands, at the head Of which he
had put man patriotic for the high purpose of
rejecting Dick Yates. This fellow could do
nothing with the regiment. When you 20 to
war you have murderers in your COMPANY.
The next officer to yourself has killed three or
four men with a knife. No. 3 In the regiment
has abandoned his family and is q terrible ex-
ample. No. gambled away everything he
had. No. D Is a liar, and yet with all the cow
ard1ce OF a liar is good discipinarian and Off
Ger, and will Tight in time of battle. Grant had
10 turn around and face human nature and lead
fellow officers like that to death or glory If ne
had been moral reformer he would have writ
ten TO the papers that ii did not become q great
country 10 have such fellows wearing its chew
rons- Dick Yates said to himself: ''Th.s fellow
Grant whom Washburne has brought here
snail nave this mutinous regiment and hope
they will kill him in q day or two" Grant took
the regiment, marched it across the state, put
In arrest persons who misbehaved, gave his
confidence 10 bad men who for the moment
were doing their duty, and he for the moment
assisted 10 recover character and career among
those black sheep for the uses OF their TASTE
Unlike great many officers he did not keep
his eye ON the government at Washington. He
kept
ONE EYE AT LEAST
and sold