The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-27

| ments were brought In the Federal courts
| against Lee and other ex-Confederate
| officers, Grant foresaw that IL such a
| course were pursued it would be interpreted
| as q gross breach Of faith and violation
| OF the terms given in the paroles that il
| would lead to exciting trials, which would
! last for years; be a constant source of
| irritation, and probably compel the Gov
/ eminent to hold the Southern States for
| q long time as conquered territories, while
| he believed that every effort should be
| made to bring them back into the Federal
| Union His judgment was SO clear upon
| this subject that he declared his intention
| to resign his commission in the Army If
| his prisoners were not protected. The
| result was the quashing OF the indictments
| andthe creation of disposition on the part
| Ofthe South to accept the results OF the var.
| AS President he showed in his first in
| augural that he foresaw the financial
| errors which were likely some day TO be
advocated when he wrote ITO protect
| the national honor, every dollar Of Govern
rnent Indebtedness should be paid in gold,
unless other wise expressly stipulated IN
the contract Let il be understood
that no rcpudiatOr Of one fartbing of our
public debt will be trusted in public life"
Twenty years ago he said: AT some fli-
ture day the nations OF the earth will agree
upon some sort of Congress which shall
take cognizance OF international questions
of difficulty, and whose decisions Will he
as binding as the decision of the Supreme
Court is upon us" The spirit of the age
seems to be gradually tending toward a
fGlrillment of that prediction
ri in, hi aI ba
took vigorous measures to have competent
surveys made for an inteTOceanic canal,
believing that it was essential in connect
ing our extensive Atlantic and Pacific
coasts by a shorter water route His fore
sight told him that { was impossible TO de-
fend such canal in case Of war unless
we had a cOHmOdiOus naval station in the
Gulf of Mexico He realized the fact that
other nations held Possession Of fortified
islands from Bermuda TO the West Indies.
he believed that we would some day build
a competent navy, ana that we would be
greatly embarrassed by not having even
a Coaliug station on any Of the islands in
the Gulf. He therefore negotiated a treaty
for securing possession of san Domingo,
with its agnificent Bay Of SANTANA, which
would afford a h8rEor for the largest "
afloat. The treaty gave US, virtually with
out cost, an island occupying a command
ing position, rich in many products neces-
sary To this country. ana with so sparse
a population that there We're only seven
Inhabitants to the square mile The Senate
defeated the treaty by depriving il Of the
necessary two-thirds vote upon the question
fits ratification. Now. twenty-seven years
thereafter, when we have an iToncIad navy
and have begun an iuteroceanic ca nal anil
have recently been threatened With
grave compiled lions in Cuba, Venezuela.
and elsewhere, there are few patriotic
American citizens who do not IEgret that
at that important crisis the Presidents
policy did not prevail.
In defining the qualities of public men
il has been said that the politician luOks
forward 10 his next election the statesman
looks forward to the next generation
Measured by this definition. Grant mani
Tested the highest order of craftsmanship
He was naturally Of a hopeful DISPOSE
ZION and cheerful mind and entered heart
lily into social gayeties, but there were
periods in his life when his hedrtstrinCs
We're attuned TO strains of sadness. H
underwent physical hardships and mental
tortures which would have crushed a
character less heroic. Like other con
spiCuOus leaders. it was his fate to suffer
the bitter experience of detractiOn, mis-
representation and betrayal 1t may b.,
said Of him as was said az a predecessor,
There were times when twenty men APP
piled for the same office, and after he
had reached a selection he found that he
lad made nineteen enemies and one in
CRATE" He was assaulted more bitterly
than any one who ever sat in the chair
Of state. save Washington. He was brought
to realize that "Reproach is a conConi- |
tant to greatness, as satire and inveCtiv1 |
were an essential part Of Roman tTi- |
umph.' and to learn that in publiclife' All |
hours wound, the last one kills Envy |
and malice made him at times the target |
for their poisoned shafts, but their frag
ments fell at his feet as shattered as the |
regulations Of those who aimed them, |
and cven' the wrath Of his enemies may |
now be counted in his praise.
Gen. Grant was a man who seemed to |
be created especially to meet great emer-
gencies. 1t was the very magnitude of |
the task which called forth the powers that |
mastered it. Whether leading an attack |
in Mexico, debating the terms of surrender |
to countless thousands in the war of the |
rebellion, suddenly assuming vast RESPONSE |
bility In great crises both in peace AMI In |
war, writing state papers as President /
which We're 10 have a lasting bearing |
upon the policy of the Government, travel
ling through older lands and mingling with |
the descendants of u line of kings who |
rose and stood uncovered in his presence
he was always equal to the occasion and |
acquitted himself with a success that
geS the admiration of the world. In
trivial matters he was an ordinary man;
n mOnentous affairs be lowered as giant.
As Johnson said of Milton, He could how
a Colossus from the rocks, he could not
carve faces on cherry stones"
Even his valOr on the field of carnage
was not superior to the heroiSm he dis
played when in his fatal illness he CON
'ronted the only enemy to whom he ever
;urren dered. His old will power reasserted
Itself in his determination TO complete his
memoirs. During whole months of physi- |
al torture he with one hand held death at
arms length, while with the other he
)enned the most brilliant chapter in
American history.
1t is twelve years since he left the living
here to join the other living, commonly
called the dead, and the laurel on his
)row was interwined with the cypress
His last words uttered at the close of his |
lgonZing illness. Were eminently char |