The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1885-08-08
GENERAL GRANT.
lManstield Lao Hcrula.l

| By an incXOrabie law Of nature
which no combinations or skill can cir.
cumvent, one Of the most prominent
men of the country has passed away.
General Ulysses Simpson Grant died Il:
Mt. McGregor in the State of New
York, on the 23rd inst, of cancer Of the
tongue. He has answered his last roll
call on earth, and is now resting in the
| bivouac of the dead.
Gen. Grant acquired no distinction
in public life or in private pursuits,
! antecedent to the late war; indeed,
for some years prior to 1861, he was
very obscure, and did not possess
even the moral or social standing which
the ordinary citizen naturally enjoys.
During the war, however position
was forced upon him, though unearneG.
When the Federal cohorts had failed
to break the phalanx of Southern steel
or cover the intrepid spirit of Southern
courage and chivaIry; when comman-
der after commander had been retired
and anxiety and apprehension per-
vaded the minds Of the President and
his cabinet, he was placed in command
of the army and there remained until
the Confederacy collapsed.
II success is the true measure Of
merit, then General Grant was per-
haps tho greatest chieftain and states
man that ever reflected honor upon his
country, but while the proverb is
generally accepted as true, we have
never believed it, for what would then
become of Lee; Leonidas and Napoleon
and host of other heroes who posses
sed wonderful skill and genius but
whose careers finally terminated in
failure:
General Grants military success was
not so much the result Of ability, as it
was the power of numbers. n man of
ordinary qualities, it seems to us, with
vast resources of men and material and
reinforcements constantly ready at his
call could eventually subduc any army
small in number, and having no
auxiliarics besides pluck and endur-
ance.
Since his death n universal wall of
sorrow has gone up from the North
and messages of sympathy have in
countless numbers been conveyed to
his family. And in tho South, too,
public Institutions, cotton exchanges,
and mass meetings have passed and
forwarded resolutions expressing the
deepest sorrow and prnnnnncing clO-
quent praises.
1t is all very we'll and natural, per-
haps, that the Northern people should
honor the dead hero; and some por-
tions of the South unite in similar
expressions, but it occurs to us, that the
people of our own State, while admir-
ing the fOrtitunc with which he bore
his suflcrings, and feeling a deep SYM
pathy for the stricken household.
should Withhold such fulsomc panegy-
RIGS as have filled the papers through
out the land. Gen. Grant possessed
some positively good qualities which
Wa must all admire. He was honest,
magnanimous and brave; and tho
exercise Of those qualities condoncd to
some extent his sins of omission and
commission. Louisianians however,
can never forget that their political
rights were impalcd by his tyrannical
spear, and that for q long time by his
position and influence our State sovcr-
eighty was destroyed. "Ho has crossed
the river and is resting under the
shade of the trees" May mcrciful
Providence deal gently with him, and
may our anin,ositics bc buried in his
tomb.
caldwell (Ln.) Watchmandj
This favored child of the Northern
part ofthe Uaion, died ut Mt. McGrEg-
or, n. Y, at s o'clock on July 23rd,
1885. For four or five months past his
death has been expected. Ucno doubt
has suffered extreme torture from the
painful at1liction (cancer of the throat
All that medical skill could do was
done for him; but all to no purpose, he
yielded to the dread malady, and paid
his last debt. His sickness seems to
have drawn veil over those days of
the past-those days of reconstruction
which inflicted so much humiliation,
sorrow and pain upon the South. The
expressions Of sympathy by tho people
Of the South indicate it.
lie is said to have been Il greet
general. He was twice made Prcsi
dent. And at one time was rich. All
honor and glory that this earth can
give was his. Though, even then in
those hours of his pride and power he
never offered hand to raise up Il
fallen and helpless foe. They raised
themselves, and to day arc speaking
his culogies. We are not attempting
to pluck the laurels which cncircle his