The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1891-10-16

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WnAfeVt
~ <L<A nook and corner o
~ the habltable globe
1kH TA~tEcre exists an inteli
gent interest In Oh,
| strength and pcpetui
1 ~ Of our Institutions
/ the name and fame q
| ~ - the iIiustrious soldier
who was nc once
| Walter Q. Gresham their product and
their preserver. nave preceded aught that
may now be said OF him. In this
| audience. Mt the metropolis Of the state
in whose borders the war found him poor
ana obscure, and gave him an opportunity
Tor career. are many who knew him inti-
public or private life that are unknown 70
them. But without dwelling indiscrimi-
nately on the mass OF biographical details,
there are some OF them which are entitled 20
our special attention and will bear frequent
repetition, because they serve 70 illustrate
personal characteristics which made him. in
many respects. an ideal citizen Of our dem
coratic republic. and are worthy Of our con
slant emulation.
Even critic so captious and exacting as
the late Matthew Arnold q discovered much In
Grants modest suppression of his own par
ticipancy In the historical events OF which
ne gives an account In his official reports Of
them. and y his autobiography. He was re-
markably free from that vanity and conceit
which have been the weakness OF many
great minds. and which seem 60 be the
peculiar vice 81 men who have risen. like
him. from humble antecedents to a LOFTY
emInence.
IN the flush and heat OF victory. after a
long and desperate struggle for II. when the
blood - up and the nerves are tense. the
equilibrium OF the calinest and steadiest
men - apt TO be disturbed. and ebullitiOns
OF their extreme satisfaction with them
triumphs OF Grant from Belmont to An.
pomattox never destroyed his balance Or
Affected she habitual moderation OF his ut
ternnce or demcanOr.
There IL nothing OF the braggart in any OF
his official reports or dispatches. there II o
arrogance. no regard for dramatic effect,
simple statements Of fact without any waste
Of words or rhetorical display. and might
have been prepared by any competent and
uniform purpose Of all Of them Is to give the
authorities at Washington faithful and &C.
curate account Of the situation at the front
eracv a. Nj ssst :. ' An. NIL ., ams co ~ ~
skill and prowess ~ military chieftain. he
was not betrayed into anything like exulta-
eon, and stopped the tubilant firing Of a ga
lutte IN his command as soon as the sound or
the cannon reached his ears.
In that supreme moment he ceased to be
the leader 20 the Union army only. and
thought and acted with broad and cnlfght-
cned craftsmanship and patriotism for the
whole reunited country. He thought OF the
feelings and -ensibiiities Of the vanqushcd.
and OF making the road toward patriotic
citizenship easy for them. He thought Of
the waste lands and Impoverished com
munities 81 the south, which were again
Ing sense 81 obligation to II. by restoring to
every confederate soldier the horse or mule
which had belonged to him. and might be
used again In making and garncrng the
crops on which he and his family would de-
pend for sustenance.
The great confederate general was shown
the respect thar generous natures always
accord 10 misfortune bravely borne. md
proved BY his conduct and bearing the truth
OF the remark that the greatest reverses are
longs 10 them. He and those who fought
under him. with unsurpassed courage. were
touched BY the victor's delicate considera- i
tion for their feelings and welfare. /
Grants magnaniinous nature was incapa-
BILE OF anything else. In the struggle that
ended in final capitalization. he WAS never
acsuated BY the spirit q revenge Or hate. or |
duty. Wrong a. they were. and a. they will |
ever be rated BY impartial history, he "did
not question the sincerity of the great mass
should like 70 SOS impartial history writ.
ten" he also said. Such history Will do |
full credit 90 the courage. endurance and |
matter what section OF the country no halls
from, or In what ranks he fought"
Tho suppression or enacement OF ones
sell - not always, and invariably. highly
modest estimate Of ones
powers may be quite Justified BY the facts
An underestimate Of ones powers may be
and while he never d welt upon. or thought |
about their greatness. or MEASURED or com
pared them with the abilities Of others, he |
what might be accomplished BY
them, and what was beyond their reach
He was never misied BY rating himself too
which he entered upon the engagement 1T
rapidly disappeared as his powers |
were tested In subsequent campaigns and |
battles
A. he became conscious OF his powers he
relied with mistaken confidence upon his |
own judgment He held few II any councils |
Df war. He succeeded In great emergencies
by his native strength Of will and intellect,
aud his resoiutc persistence where men 81
more learning and better versed In military |
science, but with less natural capacity,
would have failed. what they are obliged
TO learn, he seemed TO know intuitively. lie
elementary maxIms q war.
the 0utgrowth OF conditions radically dif-
ferent from those which confronted him.
Ne vas equal 70 any command or cmer-
Obstacles which seemed insurmountabie |
20 others only served 20 inspire him with
90 overcome them. Peril
his Intellect" He saw facts and situations
ence 70 them a. realitIss. Napoicon's |
Iriiiians. but Il he had been en-.
lowed with judgment ~ strong ami
uncrr,ns he would never have Won.
He never lost tho frults ~ victory through
lnactivity: The nnal movcmSnt ON vicks- |
burg was begun ~ time when many patri.
otic people In che north we're losing conn. /
dence In tho ability OF the government 10
suppress the rebellion by arms, and some II
chem we're ready 90 terminate the noW or
blood, and the lavish expenditure OF money,
By compromise. Voluntary eniistments hnd
nearly ceased. Delay was never more dan |
gerous: and no realized that 4 speedy cap
turc VI the strongly fortified city and
the opening Of the MississippI river
we're essential 20 federal success. He
boldly placed the great river behind him
while y was N posses sion OF the enemy |
Doth above and below him, and with SIgor
and skill which have never been surpassed
~ the Ereaf soldiers ~ any age or country
Nc threw hts army against Tho divided forces
y r,vmDerton, confusing and defeating them