Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-05-23
Wise on HerOism.
BOTH GRANT AND LEE WERE GREAT
LEADERS,.

a special from Philadelphia says :
The scvcnty-third anniversary of
General Grants birth was COM
mcmOratcd by banquet at the
| Union league tonight, at which
over two hundred citizens of Phila-
delphia and many distinguished
men from other cities, honored the
memory Of the great general.
Mayor Charles Warwick presided.
! EN-COngresSman John S. Wise, of
Virginia, responding to the Toast
Scli-Sacrificing Heroism of the Rank
and file of the Armies of the Union
and the late COnfederacy," said:
No leader ever acquired greatness
in command of towards any mUre
than his monument can be built
upon quicksand.
Every name of a military hero
which stands conspicuous in human
admiration is mounted on the apex
Of mass of unknown names,
whose aggregate endeavor was no
less than his whose fame burns bril-
liantly from the summit like a star.
Before the characters of Grant or
Lee could catch the eye of civilized
humanity-before they could stand
in the upper ether of military fame
to be observed thencef0rth forever
as great generals the structure upon
which they mounted above the null
titude was reared by immortal valor
and self-sacrilice of the private SOL
diers they commanded. Grants
name goes down to history as the
embodiment of the idea of the fear
less assault. 1t is so because the un-
hesitating courage of his soldiers
emboldened him to onslaughts which
would have been reckless had ho
commanded less valiant soldiery.
The name Of Lee will be preserved
typical Of the idea Of the long suf-
fering and unflinching endurance.
1t is so because fate cast his lot at
the head of an army of private SOL
diers, who naked and half-starved,
fought on and on, until he, i'm pity,
bade them yield, and they, weeping
and still willing to wage the une-
quail contest, succumbed at last, only
on his command, to the power Of
overwhelming numbers and re-
sources.
Both Grant and Lee in many
ways prove their qualities of leader
ship, but it is no disparagement of
their greatness to say that i'm COM
mand of men, such as they had,
there was the opportunity for
pigmy to become paiadin.
The confederate soldier fought his
fight so we'll that from that hour to
his surrender, his never-tailing stead
fri x,lI
Grant.
The union soldier bore himself so
magnanim0usly in victory that the
humblest soldier who followed him,
whenever the pledges of Appomat-
toX seemed imperiled, counted
upon him as confidently to see those
pledges kept inviOlatc as if he still
stood armed for their defense.
If the time ever comes, and God
grant that it may never come, when
the stars and stipeS shall once more
dance in the sunlight of battle, the
soldiers of Pennsylvania and Nir-
ginia will be side by side as they
were when the regiments of Cad
walder, of Pennsylvania, and Crop
per, Of Virginia, camped together
HIS WIT SAVED HIM.-Al-
though it is familiar saying that an
lrishman is spoIling for fight, still
there is one kind Of fighting that
even the brave sons Of Erin are
sometimes averse-that is dueling.
The following story we'll illustrates
this fact.
a certain Irishman, having been
challenged to fight a duel, accepted
the conditions after much persuasion
on the part of his friends, who felt
confident OfhiS success. His antagO-
mist, lame man, walked on crutches.
When the place for the shooting
had been reached, the lame mans
seconds asked that he be allowed to
lean against a milestone which hap.
pened to be there. The privilege
was allowed, and the lame man took
his stand.
The Irishman and his seconds
drew off to the distance agreed up
on-one hundred feet. Here Pats
courage suddenly failed him, and he
shouted to the lame man:
"I've small favor to ask Of ye,
s0r."
What is it ?" asked the cripple.
Pat answered:
I" told ye thot ye might lean agin
the milepost, and now | would like
the privilege of leaning agin the
next one"
The laughter which followed
spoiled everybody's desire for fight,
and the whole party went home with
out shot being fired.