Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-08-14

E8l0, Inc same olO STORY, tO-mOrrOS
: we will re-cross the river and 60 bac
to our old camp" The next mornin
they were summoned into line, an
stood waiting with dull expectanc
the familiar order to retreat. But in
stead of that the command ran al
along the line, Forward" Instantl
the soldiers grasped their guns NOR
firmly. felt the rush Of new inspira
ton, thrilled in every nerve and muscl
with new energy, heart and voice kin
died into enthusiasm and confidence
without single misgiving. they glad
ly followed their great leader to dealt
or to victory. Blu. it would be
work of supererogation to dwell q
length, or in detail, upon either tn
military or civil life of Gen. Grant. l
all lies as fresh as the morning dew
) in the memories of his survivin,
grateful countrymen. Permit me Il
draw a single lesson from his life, ant
close with a brief summary of hi
character. when the time is rife TO
a master mind and guiding spirit. ht
is always forthcoming. Somehow
mans extremity is Gods opportunity
when all in righteous cause is giveI
up for lost, aud stupid indifference
born of despair, is settling down like
a pail of death upon the people, thei
II is that the brave heart, the know
ing soul, the inspiring leader leap
forth from the unknown. and shaking
off the death-like apathy of the people
reoryanizes their defeated and divided
forces, and filling them with hope ant
courage, leads them on, through peri
and sacrifice, to victory and final sue
cess. 1t has always has been SO both
in political and ecclesiastical history.
A Wallace and Bruce in Scotland
A Washington and Lincoln in Ameri.
ca. A Paul aud Luther in the church.
and Grant in the final death-struggle
between the forces of freedom and
slavery. Gods choice of men to dc
the master work of this world is not
as mans choice. Men look to their
superiors, the great, the mighty, the
titled. But God, as rule, passes by
all such and going down to the bottom
of society, selects his grandest work
men from among the base and lowly.
Men look to their rulers, statesmen
and heroes to redress their wrongs
and maintain their rights, but God
chooses the weak things of this world
TO confound the mighty, and out OF
the mouth of babes and stockings Or
dams strength aud wisdom. The
humble cottage becomes shrine of
devotion to the admiring multitudes,
through all generations, when the
lordly palace has crumbled into dust
and its naughty occupant forgotten as
watch in the night. Thus science,
art, literature. mechanics, government
and the church owe most of their
progress and brilliant achievements to
men who were raised up from the
humblest and obscurest walks in life.
Christ, the peasant and carpenter of
Nazareth; Paul, the tent maker; Lu-
Their. the beggar monk; Shakespeare
the wool-comber and poacher; Crom-
well, the farmer; Washington, the sur
veyor; Lincoln, the rail-splitter; Gar
field, the tattered canal boatman, and
Grant, the silent tanner and leather
dealer of Galena. Thus God would
keep fresh in our minds the lesson we
are so apt TO forget, that it is not by
might or power, but by my Spirit.
saith the Lord of Hosts. He would
teach US that He is the chief maker of
history and The most potent factor in
the final settlement of the stupendous
questions that agitate the minds and
vex the hearts of humanity. He
would save us from hero-worship-th
worship of force as it is represented
IN nature, or in intellectual greatness,
or in wealth, or in yalor. He would
save US from the paralyzing worship
of Fate as he is portrayed to us in much
of the science aud writing of the day,
a blind and impersonai god, driving
ru,hlessiy along in his chariot of iron,
drawn by material forces, scattering
his benefits among the favored few,
and crushing, with relentless speed,
the wretched many beneath his pom
derous wheels. In the undying light
that fingers along the wake of Gen.
Grants marvellous career, let us go
back with renewed confidence to the
personal God of nature, of men and
of battles. 1t is not only true, but
there is warmth and joy and power
in it. Let us trust in Him with the
sweet simplicity and perfect faith of
Let us rest on the tossing
pillows of His daily providence, as the
unfrightened babe reposes on the
bosom off its mother, while |
The storm RACES fierce and wild with
put. God is and God reigns, these
little words are the impregnable bull
warks of nations, and the regenerat-
ng ideas of depraved and wretched
Gen. Grant was man of unusual
breadth and strength of intellect.
This means more than mere courage,
endurance and inlexibility of purpose,
Qualities with which both friend and
oe so literally and truly ehdow him.
Even bis most ardent eulogists are
lpt to keep the intellectual element in
lis character i'm the background.
/ is common saving that Grant was
,reat only as soldier. While his
nemies and detractors. and those en-
ious of his over-mastering fame, have
yer tried to make the world believe !
hat he was mere accident, a mill
airy butcher and laundering states
nan, concealiug his profound ignor-
nee beneath an assumed silence {
nd taciturnity of DISPOSE
ion. Nothing could be farther {
rom the truth. His whole s, lendid 1
areer was built upon his intellectual ,
over. Ii was this that gave wisdom 4
, his plans, decision to bis will, cool I
ess to his action, and nerved his arm '
18th the necessary vigOr to pluck 0
towns of victory and fame from the '
ighest rinnacles of possibility, with r
hich 10 adorn aud immorialize his Q
rows. His intellect found expression fl
action, just as other mems find it in Ii
ords aud with pen. He wrote d
,ems with his sword-epics of sw- il
1 grandeur, and lyrics of weird and d
ormful melody. He delivered ora h