The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-01-21


rously acknowledged his great-hearted-
ness in the hour of triumph, its most
fervid and most sincere supporters.
Maxey of Texas, Jones and Gibson of
Louisiana, and George of Mississippi
testified to the sincerity of the full ac-
ceptance by the southern people of the
surrender at Appomattox, and to their
appreciation of the magnanimity and
generosity of the victorious general.
The people of the South and the peo-
pie of the country ask for the passage
of this measure, and the senators SYM
pathized with their desire to testify to
their appreciation of General Grants
services. AT the call of the people he
gave up his military commission and
accepted the presidency of the nation.
He has been treated as if he had volun-
tarily resigned the office of general for
position of personal honor or enrich
ment. The commonest regard for JUS
tice and honor should have returned
him, on the expiration of his term of
office as president, to the military rank
which he had been asked to resign to
serve the nation in civil capacity, or
the nation should have bestowed upon
him some equivalent for the permanent
honor and advantage which it had asked
him to forego for temporary trust of
heaviest responsibility and infinite labor
and care. To have appointed him to the
retired list of the army was the least,
probably the most grateful, mark of
honor the nation could pay to the great
general who had successfully COM
manded the mightiest armies of the
world. 1t was the slightest acknowl-
edgment a reunited people could make
for services of inestimable value and
importance. Neither in this nor in
any other way has the government
made reparation to the savior of the
Union. For years congress has bag
gled over this matter. He has never
received from the government one pro-
motion which he had not trebly earned,
not one dollar which was not paltry
recompense for distinguished services.
Its course toward the national hero has
become the national disgrace. The
history of monarchies is full of sting
ing rebukes of the studied and persist
ent indifference of the American re-
public to the claims upon its gratitude
of its greatest, most magnanimous and
most modest general. His place is on
the army rolls in glorious comradeship
with Sherman and the brotherhood of
soldiers who followed him from DOnel-
son to Appomattox, and deemed it high
honor to own him for their leader.
Why should the subordinate be recog-
nized and maintained by the nation,
but his chief, obeying the mandate of
the people, be therefor denied the en-
| joyment of his official rank; left to shift
for himself or to the generosity of patri-
otto and appreciative private citizen
ship? The people, we believe, without
distinction of party, are indignant; they
are feeling sense of personal outrage,
at this denial of the simplest justice to
General Grant. If the people could get
at this matter directly they would see
that an act of common right was speed
lily done; they would go further and
leave no room for the taunt that Eng
land rewards with titles and wealth the
man who won Waterloo or him who
bombarded Alexandria, while America
not only withholds special tributes of
honor from the general who subdued
the great rebellion, but denies to him
also the enjoyment of his hard-earned
military rank. The house should put
partisanship under its feet and pass the
Edmunds bill without longer delay or
further unseemly discussion. We trust
it will, but we regret to see DISPOSE
ton cropping out to put the matter by
till another congress meets, that to a
democratic administration may go the
credit of doing belated justice to Gen
eral Grant. Political tock-jobbers may
strive to work mp corner in the mat
ter of restoring his military rank and
privileges to the hero of Appomattox in
order to return them by the hand of a
democratic president and thus illustrate
democratic magnanimity," but no
just and honorable man will vote to put
off, for the purpose of political specula-
ton, an act of retributive justice al
ready long and grievously deferred. BY
concurring now and unanimously in a
measure of national right and duty, a
measure which has become by force OF
circumstances entirely non-political, the
democracy may fairly claim to have
done manly and generous act; but tc
save General Grant to adorn party
triumph, in the spirit if not after the
manner of ancient conquerors, will moi
greatly gid with patriotic virtue the
record of men who, ELUSIVE enough to-
day, were hardly radiant with devotion
to the cause of nationality, in the darl
|, t;mac whan Grant was earning tha ra n