The Portland daily press., 1891-06-04

Of the public men Of the time, OWNED tina
superb patriotism which inspired millions
to leave the farm and family. their bushes
and their homes to save the Union. Will
statesmen Of all parties were temporizin
and compromising with the slave power, thi
silent thinker. In the rear ranks Of the pee
pie, pierced with undimmed eyes the vel
which had clouded the vision Of the natioi
for hundred years. His calm judgmen
comprehended the forces in the conflict, ant
that their collision would break and pulyer
ize the shackles Of the slave. When takinl
on hill within short range Of Fort Donel
son, he said, Don't be afraid, gentlemen
Pillow, who commands there, never fired a
anything" His assault would have beel
rashness, except that he knew Pillow anC
Floyd, and they both ran away and left thl
his assistants had failed or despaired. h,
turned the worst OF disasters into one the O.
most significant of triumphs.
His plans did not contemplate defeat. Tn,
movement he always made was advance
The order he always gave was forward
Pittsburgh Landing would not carry ava,
one-third OF his force, Grant said, 'tf tina
becomes necessary. they will hold all ther
are left" His Vicksburg campaign, wa
against all the teachings of the milltar
schools and the unanimous opinions OF hi
council Of war. A veteran strategist crieI
In indignant remonstrance. you will Gu
loose from your base Of supplies, and that Il
contrary to all rules" Grant answered, ''un
less we capture Vicksburgh. the North will
cut off our supplies" and the sorely bereayed
and disheartened people were transported
with Joy and hope by the Fourth of July
message, "Vicksburgh has surrendered" The
Western Armies never knew their resistless
power, until they felt the hand Of this
master. No better or brayer body Of soldiers
ever marched or fought than the Army OF
the Potomac, 1t lost battles through bad
generalship, and Generals by camp jeal.
ousies and Capitol intrigues. Thousands OF
its heroes fell In frultless fights, but 1t never
wavered In its superb confidence and cour-
age. At last 1t found leader worthy Of IT,
self, and after scores OF bloody victories
ended the rebellion under Grant. We are
not yet far enough from the passions Of the
civil strife to do full justice to the genius OF
the General who commanded the rebel army.
England's greatest living general, Lord
Woolesley, who served with him, assigns
him foremost place among the commanders
Of modern times. He possessed beyond most
Of his people, and he was the idol Of his
army. In estimating the results and award
ing the credit Of the last campaign Of the
war. we must remember that General Lee
had defeated or baffled every opponent for
three years, and that after contest unpar-
dll6itu III u6opoEdt6 fdtOIs lIiBublul CdLudSo
and matchless strategy, he surrendered his
sword to Grant.
The number of men who have led their
generation and whose fame will grow With
time Is very few In any nation. Their un-
approachable position has been reached be-
cause no one else could have done their
work. They appear only In those crises
when the life or future Of their Country is at
stake. The United States are surprisingly
rich In having possessed three such exalted
Intelligences In their first century, Washing
ton, Lincoln and Grant. The fahter Of his
States and defenders of the Liberties Of the
people, as prominently the chief In both
war and peace. 1t Is the judgment OF his
contemporaries and Of posterity, that none
other OF the soldiers or statesmen of the
Revolution could have won the war for In
dependence, as commander OF the armies, or
consolidated jealous and warning colonies
into nation, as First President Of the Re-
public. In our second revolution. the ad-
ministration of the government, and the con-
duct Of the war, equally required supreme
ability and special adaptation for the emer-
gency: For the one was found Abraham
Lincoln and for the other Ulysses s. Grant.
As we look back through the clarified atmos-
phere of a quarter of a century of peace.
Congresses and Cabinets, with their petty
strites and wretched intrigues, are obsc1red
by the wisdom and work OF tfe Martyr Pres
ident. He was man of the people and al
ways In touch with them. He strengthened
the wayering, lifted up the faint hearted and
inspired the strong.
From him came the unialteIing patriotism
the depleted army and filed the exhausted
treasury. Lincoln's faith and power pro-
tected Grant from the cabals Of the camp,
fiom the hostility of the Secretary Of War,
from the politicians In Congress and from
his constant and extreme peril, the horror Of
fbn AZ ~ aafh NJ arfo NUh tnh
sacrificed thousands Of lives In battle and
assault for immediate results. But time has
demon strated that this course was wiser In
tactics and more merciful to the men than
Fabian policy and larger losses from diseases
and exposure: Without this impregnable
friend, Grants career would, ON many occa-
sions, have abruptly closed. Without the
general in supreme command, upon whose
genius he staked his administration and to
whose skill he entrusted the fate Of the Re-
public, there might have been added to the
list Of illustrious patriots who have fallen
victims to the unreasoning rage Of a defeated
and demoralized people. the name OF Abra-
ham Lincoln.
The most signal services rendered by Grant
TO his country were at Appomatox. and In
his contest with President johnson. The
passions aroused by the Civil War were most
Infiamed when the Confederaey collapsed.
Grief and vengeance are bad counselors.
OHe serene intellect was possessed Of an
Intuition which was second TO prophecy, and
was clothed with power. de saw through
the vindictive suggestions OF the hour, that
the seeded states must be admitted to the
Union, and their people vested with all the
rights Of American citizenship, and all the
privileges Of state government, or the war
had been fought In vain. He sternly re-
pressed the expressions OF Joy by his troops
rs the vanquished enemy marched by, with
bis famous order. THE war Is over, the
rebels are our countrymen again, and the
best sign of rejoicing after the victory will
be to abstain from all demonstrations In the
field" He gave to the Confederates their
horses and belongings and told them to 90
home. cultivate their farms, and repair the
ravages Of war. He assured all, from Lee to
the private soldier, that they would be safe
and unmolested so long as they observed
their paroles.
To enter Richmond. the capital Of the Con-
whose spires had been In sight OF
the besiegers so long, would have been
temptation for weaker man: But
his mind was not on spectacular display or
triumphal marches over Inundated Toes. IL
was bent upon peace and pacihcation.
know Of no scene in our history so dramatic
as the meeting between Lincoln and Grant
at the White House three days after the sur
render at Appomat0x. The President, who
bad so Loyalty sustained the General, and the
General, who had so magnifcently Respond
ed to the confidence of the President, met
for the last time In their lives. Grant re-
turned with deep emotion, the fraternal
grasp Of the only man In the country who
fully understood and was In complete accord
with the policy OF reconciliation and rep0se.
The work of the warrior was done, and the
labor Of the statesman begun. Yesterday 1t
was destruction, tomorrow 1t must be re-
That night the bullet OF the
assassin ended the life of our greatest Presl-
dent since Washington, and postponed the
settlement Of sectional difficulties and the
of the Union for many years. 1t
gave the country the unfortunate Admins
trati0n of Andrew johnson. with its early
frenzy for revenge and determination to
try and execute all the rebel lead
ers, and its later effort to win their favor by
giving them their states without pledges for
the Unionist or the Freedman, and the gov
ernment without evidences Of repentance or
hostages for loyalty. The one sent conster-
nation through the South and helped undo
the work at Appomatox, and the other un-
duly elated the controlling powers In the
rebel states, and necessitated measures
which produced deploraDle results. Grant
stood with his honor and his fame between
the raging Executive and the Confederate
Generals. and prevented reopening CT the
war stood with drawn sword between the
Chief Magistrate and a revolutionary Con-
greSs, and stayed another rebellion.
There have been many Presidents Oh the
United States and the roll will be INDEFINITE.
ly extended. We have had a number OF
brilliant soldiers, but only one great ueneral'
The hOnors of civil life could add nothing to