Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-05-02

Had he survived, General Grant
would DE Is years old April ~, 1895.
He died in August Of 1855, and was
then but a little more than 81 wears
old. 1t was an appropriate thing for
The Northwestern Christian Advocate
20 print in its latest issue a paper of
personal recGllections" of General
Grant by Bishop John T. Newman of
the Methodist Episcopal church, who
was for years the friend and pastor
OF the famous soldier and president
From Bishop NeWmans essay the
following extracts are taken:
through my long acquaintance with
Grant | had opportunities to Judge of
his moral character. Life in the camp
has proved ruinous to the morals of
the greatest warriors. The excitement
OF a life devoted to arms, the scenes
of excess and plumber to which a sol
der is exposed, the absence of the re-
straints Of nome and church, tend to
the worst Of passions and 10 the cor
ruptiOn of the best morals
After five years in camp and field
he returned to his fireside without a
stain upon his character Among the
ancient and modern warriors it were
difficult to find his superior in moral
elevation. Given to no excess himself,
he sternly rebuked it in others. He,
who could speak to every one accord
ing to his station, and could be the de-
Iightful companion of kings and
queens, of statesmen and chosen
friends, never took the name of his
creator in vain, and an impure story
never polluted his lips. He assured
me, as his pastor, that were be dis
posed to swear he would be compelled
to pause to frame the sentence.
Such was the purity Of his thought
life that he has been seen to blush and
Withdraw from the c0mpanionShip of
those who had presumed to relate a
salacious story in his presence. ON
one occasion an officer of high rank
ran into his presence and said: Are
there amy ladies here? | have story
Ito tell;' when Grant replied: There
are no ladies here, but there are gen
tlemen."
Gratitude was one of the nobest
emotions Of his soul His words were
few, but pregnant With grateful rec
ognition. To one who had been a
friend in need he declared Il am
glad to say that, while there is much
unblushing WickedneSS in the world,
yet there is Il compensation of grand
eur of soul. In my case | have not
found that republics are ungra teful,
nor are the people" And so he had
expressed himself in his speech in New
York in 1880: Il am not one of those
who cry Out against the republic and
charge it With being ungrateful. | am
sure that rs regards the American peo-
Pile, MS a nation and individuals, | have
every reason under the sun. if any per-
son really has, to be satisfied with the
treatment of me-" When restored to
the army as general, aud retired on
full pay. lie was deeply touched, and.
taking the wife of his youth by the
hand, he read the telegram which an
nounced the fact. while more eloquent
than words tears Of gratitude to the
Nation moiStened those cheeks never
blanched with fear.
Grants ModeSty.
1t is difficult to be victorious and not
be proud. Military success leaves in
the mind exquisite pleasure, which fills
and absorbS uhe thoughts The con
qucror aScribes to himself superiority
of capacity and force; he crowns him
self With his own hands; he DEGREES to
himself a secret triumph; he regards
as his own the laurelS others helped
to gather, and when he renders to God
public thanks he mingleS his vanity
with his dcyotionS. But read Grants
orders read the reports Of his vic
tories; read the memoirs of his life;
how he praised his great sub0rdinateS
and the army and navy that did the
lighting. And not once in all the four
luStra since the strife was over, in the
decade since he retired from his chair
OF state with Il name great in bOtn
hemiSphcres, was he ever heard to
speak of his deeds of yalor or the sue
cess Of his administrator His motto
was: Let another praise thee and
not thine own lips" 1t was a mistake
to suppose that Grant was a stole, m
sensible alike to pain and pleasure, iu-
different to public opinion or careless
about the honor of his rights He
loved the praise Of men when the re-
ward of honorable action. He was a
sensitive. high-spirited, manly man,
who had the will and courage to con-
tend TO the last for what was his due.
He was a man with all the passions
and appetiteS of human nature; and
to make him other than a well-poised,
self mastered man would be an injus-
tice to his memory. But he was wiser
than many of his contemporaries. in
that he would not suffer himself to be
unnamed by popular applause, or
the exercise of power, or the
possession of wealth, or crushed by
misfortune. or disheartened by suffer-
ing. In this he was greater than the
great. He loved life, and enjoyed it;
he loved children, and caresSed them;
he loved his family and found therein
his chief delight. He had no taste for
music. but he had melody in his heart.
He despised pretense and show, but
admired the real and beautiful
Grant in His Home.
AS his friend and pastor through
many years, had the privilege to OBJ.
serve Grant in the quiet of his home
where he was the sweetest and hap
piest of men; where mutual and recip
rocal love of the welded life was ever
present. Husband and wife were the
happy supplement- of each other, theil