New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1896-05-13

| 7 > = 49, = = 2
and to avoid the great scandals that have
brought so much reproach upon Ameri-
can legislation. St. Paul Dispatch
Grants Place in History.
There are gratifying signs Of areviyal
of public interest in the character and
! services of Gen. Grant. His death was
succeeded by an apparent indifference in
that respect. and it looked as if he might
fail to be accorded his proper place in
history. He did not seem to have Sc
cured the hold upon popular respect and
gratitude that he deserved, and that was
essential to the perpetuation of his fame
in its due relation to that of other great
men of his period. Many monuments in
his honor were projected, but only a few
of them we're constructed, and his name
did not appear to be as dear to the coun-
try as the country had been to him. But
the splendid record of his achievements
remained, and the national sense of JUS
tice, of pride, and Of patriotism is now
re turning toward it again with right ap-;
probation. The supreme personality Of
the war will always be Lincoln, unques-
tionably, but Grant should tower almost
as high, and there is reason to believe that
this fact is beginning to be recognized in
way, that implies increased distinction
for him, both as soldier and as states
man. He can now be viewed with the
advantage of perspective, andit is very
certain that the more his career is stud
led the better claims he will be seen to
have upon our admiration and affection.
The experts and theorists have labored
assiduously to disparage Grants military
ability, and to make 1T appear that his
successes were simply series of lucky
escapes from defeat. They have not been
willing to concede that he ever planned
a campaign or fought battle in a way
that entitled him to rank with first class
commanders. But the fact stands that
he gained victories, if he did not always
observe the technical requirements of
the books. He did not believe in vast
ing time and missing occasions IN order to
follow scientific maxims and precedents.
1t was not his idea that he ha been sent
out to vindicate certain theories with re-
gard to alignments and intrenchments
and bases of supply, but to show the en-
envy that there was @ God in Israel, so
to speak. He aimed constantly to reach
definite ends by the shortest available
means, without stopping to consider the
opinions of Caesar and other celebrated
warriors of the past. In short, he was
a commander with a mind of his own,
and way of causing triumph to happen
wherever he went. It was by his persis-
tent and effective form OF fighting that
the Confederate armies were finally sub
dued; and history is bound to say that he
knew what he was about, or such re-
suit would not have ensued.
This great soldiers political services
were equally conspicuous and relatively
beneficial to the country. The business
was new to him and filled with difficult
ties peculiar to the time, but he brought
to bear upon it the same practical sagac-
ity and resolute self-re]iance that had
characterized his military operations,
and thus solved all important problems
to the satisfaction of the people and for
the promotion of their best interests.
He made some mistakes, to be sure, but
they were incidental and comparatively
trivial. In all matters of a vital nature,
he displayed the highest craftsmanship,
which is to say that he saw what was
right and did it with courage and tidell-
ty. His veto of the initiation bill, against
the advice of some of his most trusted
friends and the pressure of strong pub
l'c sentiment, was worth as much to the
nation as any victory that he ever won
on the field of battle; and the influence
that he exerted in favor of the resump-
ton of specie payments was not less pa.
triotic and advantageous. These and
similar civil services invest his name
with exceptional honor, and put him il
the list Of great Presidents. Washing
tor stands first among our illustrloul
men; Lincoln is indisputably the second
and the next place belongs to Grant.
{ St. Louis Globe Democrat
New Ulm Cycle News.