The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-05-05
WHOLE NO. 1888.

| In 1910 ne summed mp his pOltlcal
faith in the famous Des MOines letter
/ in which he showed that he knew
neither rank nor race, saving, let us
labor for the security of free thought.
| free speech, free press. pure morals.
| unfettered religious sentiments and
/ equal rights and privileges for all men,
/ irrespe tive OF nationality, color or re-
/ ligiOn.
He was many-sided man. and pos
| sessed of many conspicuous and some-
/ times contradictory characteristics, that
/ even TO those who seryel with h n
most Intimately in camp and cabinet,
he still remains something Of an enig-
ma. To form jlst estlm Its of the
man we must not only look at the re-
suits he accompli he'd, or the words he
wrote, but must stldy those personal
traits which often best explain his chief
merits. The salient points in his char
acter were absolute truth fulness. be-
coming modesty. superb courage. moral
and physical. inexhaus.ille patience,
unbOunded generosity to friends. mag
nanimity to foes, answering loyalty
ana matches foresight. He was slow
in choosing and in changing friends.
He never deserted a friend under fire.
bnt when unfaIthful friends hal once
forfeited his confidence they never re-
gained il. He hated only two classes
of men liars and towards. He never
could abide them AMI never could see
any use of their existence. He trOd the
rugged paths of front er life and passed
thrC ugh all the rough and tumble o.
the campaigns of two wars, was mo-e
severely tried than job himself, and
yet never in his life uttered an oath CT
imprecatiOl. He was a chosen son of
liberty, bat he lie ieved In liberty Sc
cured by law. and that the peoples
prosperity depends upon public tran.
guilty.
zone of his most conspicuous attri
butes was his foresight. His mental
power IN this resJect mas scarcely a
parallel. and to this gifs he largely
owed his matchless success. He never
wasted time in dwelling upon the
events o. the past. bat closed them out
from his thoughts and concentrated his
mind upon plans for the futare. His
farsiZhtedness manifested itse { in all
his preparations, both in his military
and civil career. ana his prediction of
events at times amounted almost to
prophecies.
AT the breaking out of hOstilities,
while many eminent aud experienced
men were declaring that the war would
last but few months and orators were
waving their white han ikerchiefs and
proelaiming that they were large
enough 10 wipe up all the blood which
would be shed in the coming struggle,
Grant announced his belief that the
war would continue for years aud that
preparations slould be commensurate
with its formidable proportions
when the enemy came out of Fl
DouelsOn to attack him no one could
divine the obj OF the movement. He
promptly o-aerei the haversacks of the
dead 10 be cza mined and finding that
they ve-e well filed said, men defend
ing fort don't carry three dlys' IA
tioIs when making charge unless
theT are tryiug to get away, and after
driving them back sent in word: =
propose 70 move Immediately upon
yOGr worzs.' As early as the capture
of Vicksburg. he expressed entire con-
fidence IN the belief that it was not a
military nece sity 20 deal harshly with
the enemy and that all possible len
iency sholid be shown u the southern
people. as they would soon again be-
come cur feliOT-c iun.rymen-
AT AppOmattox it was a nice qGes-
tiOn Of judgment as to what terms 20
accord 10 the opposing army. General
Grant. without consulting higher au-
thority. aui without hesitation. took
the re sponsibility of according leniens
treatment and avoiding all unneces sary
oIense.
"Wh President Johnson, soon after
the war, inau -urlted his campaign for
max NJ treason iious, and when in
dlctmenss We're brought III the federal
courts against Lee and O-her ex- confed-
crate officers. Grlnt declared his in
tentiOn 20 resign his CO m nj 5. on IN the
army If his prisoners were not pro-
tected- Ths result was the quashing
or the indictments and the creation of
q disposition on the part OF the sOIth
TO a., ept the results of the wa.
''As president. he showed in his first
inaugural that he fOresaw the financial
errors which were likely some day to
be advocated when he wrote: To pro-
tect the national honor, every dollar of
government indebtedness shOuld be
paid in gold unless otherwise expressly
stipu ate1 in the contract.
Let it be understood tina, no repudiatOr
of one farthing of our public debt will
be trusted il public life Twen'y
years ago he sail: AT some future
day the nations of the earth will agree
mon some sort Of congress which shall
take cogniZance OF international ques
iions of difficulties, and whoss decis-
ions will b. as binding as the deci ion
- the supreme court Is upon us" The
spirit of the age seems to be gradually
tending toward a fulhllment of that
tnat prediction.
Even his valor or the field OF car
mage was not superior TO the heroism
he displayed when in his fatal illness
he confronted the only enemy to whom
he ever surronde ed Ills old viii
power reas erted itself in his dstermin-
ation 10 complete his memoirs Daring z
a whole month Of physical torture ne
with one hand held death ut arm 5
length while " tn the other he penned
the most brilliant chapter in American
history
lit was II years since he left the
living here II Join the other living,
commonly called the dead, and the
laure! ON his Tow was intertwsned with
the cyprus. ii last words, tered
at the close OF his acOnizing illness,
were emineutly characteristic of his
patience and consideration for others /:
II hope no one will be distressed on
my account.
His coIntrymen have paid him q
tribute of grateful hearts that have
reared in monumental rock a sepulcheT
for his ashes; temple to his fame.
The fact that il has been built by the
voluntary contributions OF the people
will give our citizens an individual in
terest in preserving it. in honoiing it (;
it will stand throughout the ages upon
its conspicuous prOmonotory. this ideal
site. IL will overlook the metropolis
of the republic, which his efforts saved
from dismemberment; il VIII be re-
ficcted in the noble waters of the Hud-
son. upon which pass the arg0Sies of
commerce. so largely multiplied BY the
peace secured by his heroic deeds.
THE tolling OF passing bells will re-
place the echo of his hostile guns. II
was not necessary for his renown that
this memorial should be reared. A
nations prosperity is his true monu-
ment his name will stand immortal
when the granite has erumbled and
epitaphs have vanished. In the move
ment for the erection of this memorial.
il was not mis- reputation that Was at
stake. it was the reputation of his
cOuntrymen. Tney owed a sacred
duty, which they could not fail TO per-
form. They have reared his monument
20 a majestic height but if it lowered
above the eagles fight it would not
reach as high as the summit OF his
fame.