The National tribune., 1885-07-30
OUR DEAD CoMRADE.
o, fallen at length

SOfN DEAD
o, fallen at length
That tower of strength,
That stood foursquare to all the winds that blew.
-Tennyson.
Miracle-workipg Death has taken from us
our greatest citizen, and given us instead a
hero who, SO long as history shall record the
deeds of men and the glory Of Nations, will
stand in the front rank of the "illustrious
few who were not born to die"
In life Gen. Grant>was the shining mark
for storm of detraction, villifcation and
calumny, such as has been hurled at few
men. Its measure was only equaled by the
greatness of his character and achievements.
His wonderful military successes were de-
preciated to the level of the fortuitous hap
penings of blind chance; his motives were
foully aspersed, and his majestic simplicity
of character was laboredly denounced as a
manifestation of phenomenal dulness of
intellect
He was fortunate in living long enough to
see the clouds exhaled by partisan rancor
and personal animosity dispersed by the
clear light of better knowledge of his mo
tives and deeds Painful as the last few
months must have been, yet they had great
compensation for the sufferer. Though every
day registered another step in Deaths ire
sistible progress, yet also each day brought
fresh proofs of how the people were awak-
ing to proper recognition of the greatness
of the man who was passing away. He who
had conquered every foe that confronted him
on the field of battle, had now conquered
every opponent arrayed against him in other
walks of life Everywhere bitter enemies
were turned to ardent friends; detractors
were transformed to eulogists, and where
there had been carping depreciation and abb
solute denial of praise was now only COM
petition of panegyrie. After all, did he not
die as his best friends could have wished
him to?
Now that he is dead we have awakened
to clear perception of the fact that in him
we had man whose stature is not dwarfed
by comparison with the great men of any
age or country. William, the Silent was
was not his superior in the calm fortitude
with which every vicissitude of war was
confronted. The Dukes of Marlboro and
Wellington were not such leaders of men Us
he proved himself to be- Frederick the
Great did not surpass him in strength of
character and in unquailing resolution on
the field of battle, the great Napoleon him.
self did not move immense masses of men
through the mazes of strategicl combina-
ton, or handle them ip the shock of battle
with more brilliance and unfailing success.
He had weaknesses, but they were generous
faults, and sink into utter nsigni6cancew
contrasted with the colossal blemishes in the
characters of other great commanders. Think
of the sordid greed and the duplicity Of the
Duke of Marlboro; of Wellington's rapacity,
selishness, and coarse vices; of Frederick the
Greats falsehood and selfish INSCRIPTIONS
ness; of the mass of repulsive traits which
made the first Napoleon moral monster.
Then think of this supplemented, kindly
hearted man-true to his friends, true to his
family, true to every lesson of morality that
he learned at his mothers knee-a man who
thought of himself and his advancement
last and whose first thought was always
for his country, and his friends.
It will add to our pride in this greatest OF
modern men to remember constantly how
entirely he was one Of us. His lineage was
distinctively American, and he belonged, his
whole life long, to the plain and homely,
common people. He was essentially pro-
duct of our own country and its institutions
without admixture or aid from any foreign
civilization or training.
THE BURIAL PLACE OF GEN. GRANT.
Evoonf IN fho faxu ,,oouJn M