The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-06-05

Six of our presidents have acquired Of
flee through military channels. Wash
ington, Jackson, Harrison, Taylor, Pierce
and Grant 1t is astonishing how sud
denly and rapidly an unknown man can
advance to the highest pinnacle through
the fortunes of war, whether they be
accidental or meritoriOus. Here before
me are sixteen large volumes of Apple
toms Cyclopedia, published in 1861, and
the name of Ulysses Grant is not in
them. and yet within the brief space of
eight years he was made president Of tho
United States. Had there been no war
who doubt that Grant would have
ended his life unhOnOred and unknown
i'm his brothers lanyard at Galena. More
probably he would be still living, for tan
yards are healthy places and do not breed
cancers. A few months ago Dewey was
unknown outside of a limited naval cir
Gle, but now his fame is worldwide.
What commentary upon the science OF
government. A great man like Daniel
becomes q polar star of craftsmanship
acquiring by slow but sure processes the
respect and confidence of all nations, but
is displaced from power to make room
for a man who knows nothing but how
to fight The wonder is that we are still
a nation and have government. But
fortunately these military heroes are
generally men of mind and morals and
have been educated to have regard for the
supremacy of civil law. Our military
presidents made good presidents. Old
Hickory was arbitrary and fearless, but
he was unselfsh and had the good Of the
country at heart. Grant had more con-
Al, al. Nf rkn fftCs
and of the southern people than Stanton
had or Andy Johnson.
But the late civil war has passed into
history and the one we are now engaged
in will have to be called something else.
1t is continually spreading and no one
can fOretell what it will grow to. or
course it has got to keep on until after
the next presidential election-that is
our politics, and Spain has her politics.
too, and must preserve her dynasty. And
so it is politics on both sides. The starv
ing Cubans were in it at the beginning,
but they are not in it now. The Mon.
roe doctrine didn't apply to Cuba. but II
seems that it does to the Philippines.
We don't know whittier we are drifting,
but must fall into line and exclaim, with
Decatur: MY cOuntry-right or wrong
my country" That sounds well If
course, but not so well as Davy Crock
ett's motto: BE sure you are right, thcu
go ahead What we want is peace on
earth and good will among men. / was
down at Unadilla the other day-a sweet
little village about fifty miles below
Macon-and there / met an ex-majOr Of
the federal army He had but one eye,
and strange to say, had found the man
who shot out the other at the battle of
Franklin. He has been living in South
Georgia for twenty-five years and says
they are the best people he has ever
found-the kindest, frankest and most
hosptabe when / was first sent down
here, said he, 81 was somewhat dubious
about my safety and was cautious and
rcticent, but soon got over it. / have
Travelled over this region for the Stand
ard Oil Company as purchasing agent
for twenty-five years, and am content
to spend the rest of my life here in GeOr-
gia Not long after | settled in McRae
| met a man whose face seemed familiar.
1t haunted me and perplexed me every
time | met him. One day we got to talk
ing about the war and he asked me
where | lost my eye. At the battle of
Franklin, | said. For a minute he look
ed at me very earnestly, and said what
part of the field and whose command. l
told him and added it was in a hand to
hand engagement with some Georgia
troops. That was our command, he said.
We fought right there and it was hand
to hand and l shot federal soldier in
the eye and we saw him fall and we
rushed over him. Now this is no fancy,
but fact We have discussed it over
and over, and strange as it may seem,
/ have found my foe and he is one Of
my best friends. Sometimes when |
am asked which side l fought on l say
| don't know, for surely | wouldn't have
tried to kill such good, whole-sOuled
people as these | have mingled with for
the last twenty-five years. Maybe it
was some other war l was in. / said that
to the Fitzgerald folks not long ago, and
they laughed and one of them spoke up
ana said maybe it was the old revOlu-
ton you was in and some Britisher
punched your eye out" Well like that
man and so does everybody who knows
him. He has no family but is rearing
and educating three nieces down here in
Georgia. They are good people who dare
to come down here from the north and
settle among us. They keep on coming
and my fear is the good society up there
will soon be broken up. / tell you, my
brethren, there are good people in every
country-kind people, who would rather
do you favor than injure you. The
great traveller, Livingstone, wrote that
many years ago. and it is the truth. Our
boy, Carl, who has been living i'm Mexico
for two years, writes that the Spaniards
whose more intimate acquaintance he
has made are just as nice people as he
ever found anywhere "Of course" he
says, "they are for their country just
like we Americans are for ours, but we
don't quarrel nor discuss the war to any
disagreeable extent" BILL ARP.