The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-13
Ger eral Grant.

Communicated
Some one has SAID Republics are migrate
full" This idea probably originated in the
fact that republics have no titler and orders
to confer nor vast coniscaled landed estates
to give away. But republics confer more
lasting tributes 10 those who serve them
we'll than any titles or orders. England
made Wellesley a Duke, Knight OF the
Garter and millionaire, but America EN-.
bslmed Washington and Lincoln in its
heart Of hearts, and there they will remain
the idols of the people while the United
States continues to be a republic. But of late
years there hes sprung up class of patriots
who are not content with the devotion and
idolstry of $4,000, coo Of people, and to be
transmitted In history as the saviors of 3
nation, nor are they content to have added
thereto all the honors and emoluments that
q free people can give; but, having exhausted
these, and after having millions given to
them by admiripg individuals, they have
the effrontery to demand payment in money
again and again, for services which can not
be computed in dollars and cents, and
which, if they could, have been paid for
long ago. These preliminary remarks no
one will have any difficulty in applying TO
General Grant. After having con-
feTred on him every honor that
grateful people had at their
disposal, and after having received from the
Nation and individuals more millions than
any other man ever received from nation
for services rendered, this man comes again
before the people, and asks rs a matter OF
right that he be placed on the retired list as
General, with an income of some SIS, OO9 a
year, IS long as be lives. From the temper
in which this question is treated by the Re-
publican papers, one would suppose that
there is bat one side to it, and that the PEG.
pie were all in favor of it and that the SOL
diers were clamOrous for il. But this is not
true. Grant was never the fsvorite GeneraI
ameng the soldiers, and the people have from
a grateful sense Of duty, conferred on him
highest honors they have in their keep
ing, and as much money as would satisfy
any reasonably modest man, and they are
rapidly becoming disguised at this persist.
ent effort OF Grants to force more money
ont of the public Treasury and into his
pocket for il is needless to say that be him
sell IS at the bottom OF this movement TO re-
tire him as General a short review of his
csreer may not be uninteresting, and may
serve TO treshen the minds of people in re-
gard to some things that they may have for.
gotten, Or that may bat dimly rest il their
memory. / DO not prefer 10 cay anything
about bis connection with the whisky
ring, CT Black Friday, or any OF
these disreputsble acts that are
not matters Of history. But there are two
sc.s OF his administration while President
81 Wi loo fr,h
OF selhshness and disregard of the interests
ard welfare OF the brave soldiers who made
him what he is unparalleled In civilized or
barbarous history. | refer 10 his signing the
ceiebIsted salary grab bill, whereby he
doubled his own salary and dated that back
two years, snd near the same time vetoed
The hill TO equslize the bounty of soldiers.
As l before said, he never was the fsvorlte
General with the soldiers, and this act
aienated from him many who had been
his friends before. And connected with
this movement to retire him are many
things which look like the boldest kind OF
sbysteTiHg. do not say that Grant is doing
that shystering, but il must be transparent
to every one that he knows it is being done,
and he says not word to prevent it To
illustrate For months the papers have
been filed with accounts of his aoisct
poverty. "Abiect poverty" were the words
used by one influential paper. And on that
all the changes have been rung from beggary
up 10 corn bread and buttermilk three times
a day. Grant could not be ignorant that
these things were being said, aud these i'm
pressions were going out to the people, and
yet We now learn from indubitahle authority
that he has an income of $4,000
a year. and that the invest
ment is rapidly sppreciating IN value.
Again, dsy or SO before the firm of Grant
4 Ward collapsed Grant borrowed of Van
derbilt $50, 600, and the next day after the
collapse Grant decided TO Vanderbilt all his
real estate TO secure the debt. But Wander
bilt refused TO accept of the deeds. He would
not deprive Grant OF home; he would
rather forgive the debt, etc, etc. sd nau-
seam. And the country rang with the Iiber-
atty Of Vanderbilt. Rut this was not the