The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-23

Ing rider or ms day. Inc Afst sCatVAaz Ia
Grants class was Gen. Franklin, who
never seemed to succeed as soldier; the
first scholar in Sherman's class was Gen.
Hebert. of Louisiana, an obscure Confed-
crate brigadier. These facts illustrate how
small clue high military scholarship to
success in war. Gen. Sherman. who pro-
tested against the Vicksburg campaign,
says: Not only did Grant plan
the campaign, decide upon It's execution
in the face of unanimous opposition, but be
wrote ont with his own hand all the de-
tails of the work Of esch commander down
10 the smallest matters" This disposes
of the sneer of little General Sir Garnet
wolseley, who is never weary of depre-
ciating Grant as mere pig-headed
pounder. who had no capacity for the intel
lectual work of tactics and grand strategy.
The sneers of this little English martinez
recall the fact that Dean Swift laughed at
Marlborough, voltaire at Frederick the
Great, Heine ridiculed Wellington and
Carlyle spoke of George Washington with
contempt, and the world places WolseIey.
who rates the man who won Donelson,
yicksburg and Chattanooga, who was 3
safe and prudent President during eight
years, with Swift who could see nothing
but ''luck" in Blenheim and Families;
with Heine who saw nothing but dull,
stupid, wooden-headed, bulldog valor in
Wellington at Waterloo. In fact, Heine
viewed Wellington very much as Halstead
did Grant and Lincoln.
Chauncey Depew, fluent, but rather
superficial historical critic, in his recent
Grafton at the dedication of the Galena
monument 10 Grant. incorrectly describes
his career as "the paradox Of history" be-
cause with ali his great capacity for war he
made before the war, after ten years
of army life, but an Indifferent farmer,
business man or merchant. Grant was
neither better nor worse in civic life
after resigning from the army than
the rest of the West Pointers who
had served as long before seeking
civil life. Ont of sixty graduates in civil
life there were but four who were not as
obscure and unsuccessful as Grant. Sher-
man was a more complete failure, for he
had been held up by powerful friends of
wealth and influence for ten years. To
men with genius for war peace brings no
message, SO Grant obscure at 80, was no
more the paradox Of history than Crom-
well at over 40. IsCharles the First had
not been tyrant and forced revolution;
If Napoleon had not found revolution to
his hand and Grant rebellion, these men
would have remained obscure, because war,
not peace. was their hour of opportunity.
In the summer of 1854 Senator Wade,
Winter Davis, r. II. Dana, Greeley, Chase,
and many other eminent Republican
leaders, described Lincoln as peculiarly
sincere, pure, patriotic. safe rather than
sagacious man, and supported him cor
daily as the only safe thing to do, while
apparently unconscious of his intellectual
greatness. How changed is all this today,
when Lincoln towers up with Washington
as man of vast understanding as well as
unsullied purity of patriotism. 1t is some
thing so with Grant. His fame is growing
every year.
In his early military career in this state
Grant was obliged to resign from the army
in 1853 because of intemperance, but it is
true that he generally rose above this in
trinity and bore himself with dignity and
self-restraint during the war, and his
subsequent career. There were two occa-
sions, once after Donelson, and once dur
ing the siege of Vicksburg, when Grant
yielded to indulgence. but on both occa-
sions he was recalled to himself by stern
letter Of remonstrance from his friend
and chief of staff, General Rawlins.
Doubtless Grants early intemperance
blighted his army prospects, injured
him for civic success until the
magnitude of the opportunity of the war,
and the stress of his tremendous response
bility developed in him the ambition and
the strength to trample his infirmity fin
ally under his feet. q lis meek and yet
manly submission toVRawlins' stern re-
buke was characteristic of simple
hearted, just, magnanimous man, over
whose martial virtues always shone the
mild but controlling light of
humane spirit, which CLEANS forth in the
last lines that he ever wrote on earth,
TO thank his doctor for having prolonged
his life until he had been greatly cheered
by manifestations of sincere good will and
sympathy from ''people of all religions
and of no religion" as he quantity phrased
it. He was patient of toll in the duties of
war and peace, and he was to the last
serene amid the alarms of impending
death. His grim soldierly career has kept
his country from tenderly idealizing him
as we have Lincoln, but they were both
large and noble natures; both naturally
humane gentlemen in soul, speech and
action, who suffered for the state and
saved it.