Omaha daily bee., 1896-05-31

lie under their best beloved. the Rock
OF Chickamauga, Thomas. They 'plucked
victory from the jaws of defeat at Winches-
ter and sent Early 'whirling UP the valley
under Sheridan.
They drove the enemy through Georgia
to Atlanta, gate city of the south, and
marched to the sea with Sherman. They
fought the first ironclad and served the
guns Of the Monitor with telling effect under
Worden, and passed the forts at New Or
leans, and damned the torpedoes' Of Mobile
Bay, with Farragut. BY victory at Ant'etam
they saved the capital of the nation, and
meeting the rebellion at it's high water mark
at Gettysburg, interposed a barrier it was
never to pass.
To parrate their achievements under the
great chieftain whose emo I'VE honor here
today would be to tell the history of the war
indeed, Of two wars. The tale of the ca
reer Of this renowned soldier leads along a
glittering line from Palo Alto to Vicks-
burg, Monterey to the Wilderness, from
Mexico to Appomattox.
SOME OF HIS ACHIEVEMENTS.
Ibid time permit, how we would like to
dwell upon it and tell Of Grant at Fort
Donelson, proposing to move Immediately
upon the enemy's works and giving new and
impressive meaning to the cabalistio initials
Of his name U. S. by demanding the I'M
cond tional surrender of the rebel, General
Buckner. i would be glad to describe him
dh 4 SAW Hltl Ut tHc tTlhl peTlOu OI Nls
career at Shiloh. when, not knowing he was
whipped on the first day, he gathered the
scattered fragments of his army, and, join
ing to them the fresh troops of Buell.,
renewed the fight with vigor in the gray
dawn OF the second day. won the battle and
held the great rivers whose united cur
rents were to take the channel of the
Father of Waters and flow unvexed to the
sea-
How attractive the story of the siege Of
Vtcksburg and the surrender of the Army
of Pemberton on the 4th of July, adding
new luster to Independence day. OF the
leader, standing on the works about Chatta-
nooga, directing Hooker in his assault on
lofty Lockout Mountain, Sherman In he
fierce attack on Tunnel Hill and Thomas to
charge and take frowning Mission Ridge,
bristling with cannon, / fain would speak,
fighting 1t out on that line in the dread
full battles in the wilderness, at bloody Cold
HarboT and in the trenches of Petersburg.
What self-contained endeavor! What per-
sistent determination Inexorable as fate,
he pressed on to the end and it came, in
form as it should, browning all, the point Of
elimination Of all our hopes, the termination
OF all our fears, the acme Of success-Appo-
mattox.
THE story OF the surrender of General
Lee and his army of gallant veterans, with
It's display of manly generosity, apprecia-
tive forbearance, deep realization Of con-
diticns and keen insight iuto the future by
General Grant will ever remain as one Of
the brightest pages of American history.
SOLDIERS AS RULERS.
"Since the world began the mil tary chief
tain has become the civil ruler. The man
on horseback rides naturally to the front. The
qualities that make the commander befit the
ruler. Courage, determination, quickness Of
thought, celebrity Of movement, presence Of
mind, knowledge of men, good judgment
and common eense are attributes alike OF
both military and civil leadership. Jul ius
Caesar riding at the head of his conquering
legions trod the path that led him to the
throne of Rome, the mistress of the world.
Oliver Cromwell, leading his Roundheads,
won by right the position OF lord protector of
England. The young Corsican soldier who
carried the eagles of France so triumphantly
through Italy and who fought under the eye
of forty centuries In Egypt showed the same
sagacity, activity and vigor in his admins
tration of civil affairs and made the Emperor
Napoleon as great as General Bonaparte.
America has followed in the lead of
Rome, England and France. Washington,
first In war, became first in peace after the
revolution. Jackson passed from New Or
leans to the white house. after the war Of
1912. The Mexican war made Taylor presi-
dent. The rebellion suppressed, 1t was the
happening Of the natural that General Grant,
It's chief figure. should be called to take the
ntlHl OF Stal6. Inc ueHdHQ came because OF
the trust in him.
at Is we'll put in that excellent history
of the time. written by a great statesman
James G. Blaine, The people felt that be-
sides the great qualities he had displayed In
war. he was peculiarly fitted to lead In re-
storing peace and the reign Of law
Newer was high place so richly deserved
or so little desired by the recipient. II was
not easy to obtain consent from the modest
soldier but the letter OF acceptance came in
words short, terse and direct. The generous
and tender leader Of victorious armies, who
gave terms SO favorable at the surrender OF
Lees broken columns, saw the country rent
and torn with the animosities Of civil strife.
Let us have peace he said. The warrior
had become the paciicator. Let us have
peace The destroyer had become the
builder. Let us have peace The hand
touch. Let us have peace The military
eader was to become the civil ruler. The
appeal rang throughout the land.
MADE THE NATION WHOLE.
1.-THE rancor and hate, bred Of the war.
began to subside; sectional differences to dis
appear and II IL to this noble dead, beyond
any other man. that we owe the fact that
we are today a country reunited In spirit.
and, in fact, with north and south riyaling
each other in good will and fraternity.
IF there was In the military career of
General Grant that which excites our ad-
miration, there was much In his actions as
,ivil ruler that commands our sincere respect
and h~eartiest commentator. Forcibly. but
considerably, he carried out the measures OF
reconstruction. He made OF the broken
parts one cemented whole, and rising from
the ashes OF war, the nation came, with such
majesty and power. as to force the wonder
and Difference Of the world. The aggressive
determination OF his foreign policy. II evil
denced in this day, might provoke from s)me
less national in their instincts the charge
of Jlngoism.'
Ills far-seeing mind saw the military
and commercial importance of ship canal
communication between the two great seas
and he urged the building Of the interoceanic
canal.
He saw the coming battle among the
great powers for commercial supremacy and.
looking upon the map OF the world, he found
our outposts, the Islands that stand like
along our coasts and in the Carib-
bean sea. controlling the approach TO the
great river that drains our continent, par
celed out among European powers and our
republic without a foothold, or coaling sta
tion, upon any one Of them. He urged the
annexation OF San Domingo and the congress
blphdefed woefully whom It did not act In
sSG15S With his sussssti2a. We would b.