Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-10-08

peculiar vice OF men VINO nave risen Ike
him from humble antecedents to a lofty en-
inence. He had none of the strut OF the
First Napoleon, as It was revealed in his
private letters, his turgid addresses to the
ARMIES of France, and HE sgotisticaI as.
sumption that he was a man of destiny;
and none OF the bOsstfulness with
which Caesar announced his victor
les in Asia Minor to the Roman
senate, ever manifested itself in the speech
or writings Of the victorious leader Of our
armies. Greatness was never more uncon-
scious of itself than it was in him. In the
flush and heat OF victory, amer a long and
desperate struggle for It, when the blood Is
up and the nerves are tense, the equilibrium
of the calmest and steailest men Is apt to be
disturbed, and ebullitions of their extreme
satisfaction with themselves are not severe
ly censurable. But the t-iumphs OF Grant
from Belmont to Appomattox never de-
stroyed his balance, or affected the habitual
moderation of his utterance or demeanor.
There IS nothing Of the braggart in any of
his official reports or dispatches, there Is no
arrogance, no regard for dramatic effect no
parade of himself They are plain and sim
pie statements Of fact without any waste of
words or rhetorical display, and might have
been prepared by any competent and unIm-
FASHIONED onlooker The obvious and uni
form purpose of all of them is to give the
auLuOEllltS at W dbuluRlOn II LalLnIul an aC-
curate account of the stu alton at the front,
and nothing more Even with the confeder-
acy at his feet, as final testimony OF his skill
and prowess as a military ehieftaIn, he was
not betrayed into anything like exultation
and stopped the iubilant firing OF a salute in
his command as soon as the sound OF the
cannon reached his ears. The glltterInz
uniform of the conquered leader of the con-
federate armies contrasted strangely with
the plain and much worn habiliments OF the
conqueror; but Grant was more intent upon
the result OF the conf renee between them
than his own appearance IN Il And It was
not the result Of the surrender OF the con-
fedeFate aemies and final cessation of hos
Utilities upon the north or upon partisan pol
tiles tina, occupied his mind. In that su-
prone moment he ceased to be the leader OF
the union army only, and thought and a~ted
with broad and enlightened stntesmanship
and patriotism for the whole reunited coun-
try. He thought Of the feelings and sensi-
billties of the vanquished, and OF making the
road towards patriotic citizenship easy for
them He thought of the waste
lands and impoverished communities
of the south, which were again under the
old nag. and quickened seturning sense of
obligation TO IL ~ restoring to every con-
federateo soldier the horse or mule which
had belonged to him, and might be used
again in making and garnerlng the crops on
hulGn ne anu MS HOu u ueDenu Tor
their sustenance He thought more Of Civ
ing an impulse , the pursuits of peace and
Industry amongst a disOrRanized peoplc of
aiding them in the maintenance Of them
selves, of bringing them back into social as
well as political relations With the rest of
the country, than upon hts own part and lot
in the accomplishment of these salutary
enAA
fhe great confederate general was shown
that respect that generous natures Away
accord to misfortune bravely borne, aAd
proved by his conduct and beaFlsg the truth
OF the remark, that the REsatest reverses are
most easlly sustained by dignity that be-
longs ia them He AMI those who fought
under him with unsurpassed courage were
touched by the victor's delicate consIdera.
ton for their feelings and welfare
Grants magnanimous nature Waa fnoapa-
bic OF anything else In the struggle that
ended In final eapttulation he was never
actuated by the spirit Of revenge or hate, or
By sught else than a high sense OF patriotic
duty. Wrong as they were, and as they will
ever be rated by impartial history. he did
not question the sincerity of the great mass
of those who were opposed to US IT
should like to see impartial history written"
he also said ''Such history Will do full
cr,dt to the courage, endurance and
soIdierIy ability OF the American citiz IN,
no matt what section OF the country he
halls from, or in what ranks Re. tod9ht.1
The failure Of the southern people was
not due to- any lack Of courage
Or PERSISTENCE, OF leadership In the
field. hut Is was the inevitable result of their
havingsundertaken an impossible task. Il e
n=tural that men who were eaDable OF sneh