New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-09

Grant lost not an

cited had larce consequences Grant lost not an
instant in going straight to the Monocacy' SHIP
ping Washington, and putting Sheridan III oo"'-
mand of all the troops of four separate departments
operating in the Shenandoah Valley. linen io'
the first time the problem OF the war III ohaV ="
gion was grasped and handled.
This brings us to the curious reflection that '''e
President seems TO have done and sunered so,'e
other things Of no small importance, as 10 "niD'
oven the ample covers of this book seem 10 shn'
nm Of their own accord in the vary face OF our
liveliest curiosity We ore told that the sudden
stoppage of recruiting in the spring OF 1868 was
n great mistake. 1t was, indeed VINO .n'n
made il? And why? Again, when ne hearo c"a'
somebody had arrested General Stone oVefnish'
and put him into Fort Lafayette Lincoln sa'u ~
was glad ne had had nothing to do WIN IL. p"'
lust who had to do with it, and just why III.
President suffered his authority to De 80 use"
without his knowledge, and presumably against
his will. we are not yet to know. And at'eD
quarter of century one would really like 70 see
lifted one little corner of the veil thai hues VI"
acts of the Congressional group called The 'om-
mittee on the Conduct of the War" If their real
nurpose was to control the acts Of the Executive
this ought no longer to remain unknown II no''
this ought now to be made known Here Is OIL
inviting chapter for the historian
One kew to many puzzles like these the author,
certainly place in our hands when they SPEAK VI
Lincoln as having been opportunlst beiore 'ie
word opportuuism was invented The truth seems
70 be that his temperament rather led him 10 c'ei
Thought and logical analysis and patient waiting
than mpeled him to instant and vigorous a0'ion
With him the first thing was to reduce 'he nid''..
70 writing. He could show Mcclellan the rlght
wav TO follow up the enemy along the eastern
base of the Blue Ridge but he did not make MN
oo. He even added This is in no sense an
order. When the splendid outburst Just cl'eu
fell upon Grants ears, what followed on the IN
slant was action. Grant went. Coupled WIN
this regularity of temperament grown into haols
that the authors call "opportunsm," was also 'as
we think, feeling of great confidence In his
| obilitv IA control other men, especially the men
with whom affairs brought him into personal con-
tact If so, he was justified by experience lhis
is a quality by itself, and, if we are not alto
| pether wrong few men. have ever possessed ana
| exercised il in so remarkable degree
While he went on growing steadily, ana con-
tinued to the last to exhibit capacity Tor iur'her
growth. it is probable that no man was ever less
| changed by contact with other men. lie ooes
not seem to have been at the pains OF looking
| down on anybody or of looking up TO anyoouS'
This has the advantage of leaving more time for
the subject in hand. No leader the American
Nation has ever had has ever been so completely
! in touch with the great mass of the people, ana
none has been so easily or so thoroughly unuer-
stood by them Even when the mutual jealousy
Of the soldier and the politician was at It's I'VE
lest Lincoln was already far more popular IN the
armv which then meant the young men of the
| country. than he was or ever became among tne
! politicians The only class, as the authors 'eli
| us. by which he was never appreciated was coni-
nosed of men accustomed to judge others by
| nurelv conventional standard After which IL
brincs n curious sensation to read in the letters
! of Richard Henry Dana how, to him. Lincoln
seemed to busy himself with details rather than
with principles
II has long been the custom to speak OF Lincoln
as fortunate in his death; but the glamour Vi
martyrdom, though in past ages II may nave
served for a time to hide the defects OF the weak
mr. 70 distract attention from the vices OF the Dase
has never seriously modified the Judgment OF his
torv even as to characters like thee; the lame OF
| Lincoln shone too brightly to gain ulster Irom
| the flash of the assassin's pistol. and as TO the
time we think it most unfortunate that he should
| have been taken off in the fulness OF his power.
| His unmatched influence, his ripened experience,
his superb common-sense, his profound love OF
country. his clear perception Of conditions ana Oh
ends his proved knowledge of men, and the simple
Goodness of his heart all needed for the great
work of Peace But if he had failed? why
should he have failed No; had he but lived he
would not have failed.