The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-05-29

WAR OF the revolution there Were-a1tel
Washington-Israel Putnam and Ma
thaniel Green, Henry Knox and Alex
ander Hamilton, Ethan Allen and JohT
Stark, Mad Anthony Wayne and Light
Horse Harry Lee, and Morgan and Mar
ion and Sumter, and l know not how
many more. In the war of 1S12-aftel
Jackson-there were William Henry
Harrison and Dick Johnson, and Scott
and Gaines, and the naval heroes, HUI
and Perry, and Decatur and Balm
bridge and Preble. In the Texas war
after HouSton-there were Travis ano
Crockett, and Milan and Bowie. In the
Mexican War-after Taylor and Scott
there Were a score or more worthy the
hero's. crown; and, when we come down
to the civil War-after Lincoln and
fGrant, Stonewall Jackson and Lee-the
number becomes legion. AS isolated he
roic pictures, Paul Jones makes a fine
and almost perfect figure upon the sea
and Daniel Boone upon the land. Was
not old Ben Franklin hero? Was not
Thomas Jefferson? Then there We're the
two Morrises, Robert and Gouverneur
and the two Adamses, John and Sam
none the less heroes because they did
not fight in battle, and likewise George
Mason and John Hancock, and William
Warren and Charles Carroll. And
what about Farragut and Worden?
1t is quite out of the question to par
ticularize. 1 dare say this hasty enum-
Grafton omits many names which ought
to appear upon any authorized roll of
American heroes. The hero without
fear and without reproach, the ideal
hero, exists only for the idolatrous, and
= then only in the land of dreams, or else
he comes down to us from a time
whereof the memory of man knoweth
nothing except upon tradition. The
greatest hero I ever knew was a wo-
man, and next to her, a child.
Thomas a. Edison: Abraham Lincoln
the clearest-cut American yet born.
Hon. John Wanamaker: benjamin
Harrison is my favorite American hero
for his all around equality to Glad
stone.
Dwight L. Moody: Lincoln.
1 General Benjamin F. Tracy, ex-secre-
Etary of the navy: Benjamin Franklin,
the man after whom I was named, and
whom, in a sense, 1 regard as my god
| father. Franklin practically assured
freedom to the embryo United States
when, on Feb. 6, 177S, he brought about
the treaty of Paris. His victories of
peace were no less signal than the war
victories of Washington. L have al
ways regarded it as a calamity that he
did not survive to become president; al
though, in the distinguished positions
which he did actually fill, he was of in
]
Seth Low, president of Columbia uni
versity: General Grant, because, in the
words of Dryden, he was "a daring pi-
| lot in adversely" Simple of nature and
stout of heart, Grant rose to The proud
position of commander-in-chief and
president by sheer merit. Luck had
nothing to do with his rise from the
humble rank of a retired lieutenant to
the highest honors in the gift of the
republic Whatever was his, he won by
his deserts alone. His singular modesty
was as admirable as his capacity for
leadership; and, taking him all in all,
he remains, to my thinking. the great
est American since Washington.
John Brisbane Walker, editor of the
Cosmopolitan: Abraham Lincoln, be-
cause he suffered and did more for the
country that any other man since
Washington. Also because he was the
author of that admirable saying: God
must love the common people, because
l. he made so many of them"
Rev. Charles II. Parkhurst, D. D., of
New York: Horace Greeley, for his
pure patriotism and vigorous endeavors
in the direction of social reform. He
ever refused to soil his hands with mere
political intrigue, and regarded the
success of his ambitions as of less i'm
portance that the success of his efforts
to do right in the face of. God and man.
Mayor Robert A. Van Wyck of New
York: Thomas Jefferson; because he
gave us the principles of true Ameri-
can Democracy.
William X. Vanderbilt Through Hon.
Chauncey NJ. Depew): Abraham Lin
coin; because believe that, had he ex-
changed epochs with Washington, he
would today be honored with the lat
ters title of Father of his Country"
Lincoln was the greatest American of
his generation.
Mayor Abram s. Hewitt of New
York: General Grant: because, like
Napoleon, he was the man of his day
and generation elevated from obscurity
to command. General Grant was
/ thorough man in the best and finest
sense of the word. l do not care what
his politics were. In the admiration
one feels for a great patriot of the past,
politics should have little place. Cen
eral Grant was the man who led the
forces of the Union to victory. AS such
he is my favorite character in Ameri-
can history, after George Washington.
DR.. George NJ. Shrady, the distin-
guished physician, editor of the Med
-ical Review: Nathan Hale; because
he gave up his life bravely and cheer
fully for his country. merely reSrettinS
that he did not have another life to
sacrifice in the same way. That was
pure patriotism, indeed. Hale was a
young man. with all the joys of long
life before him, but he put them aside
and went with undaunted soul TO his
death for his country's sake.
Rev. Edward Everett Hale: do not
speak of favorites as of people / love
or dislove. But, except Washington,
it is clear to me that the person who
has served the United States in the
formation of the nation most faithfully
was Benjamin Franklin.
AS to the people whom we really love,
while we honor them. ! should say that
Abraham Lincoln came to the front.
heard General Armstrong of
Hampton spoken of when he died as
the first citizen of America, and 1 am
disposed to think that this statement
was then true.
Henry Clews, the well-known Wall
street banker: William Henry Seward;
because he was, in my opinion, the
best equipped and most clear-sighted
statesman America has seen.
Hon. William c. Whitney: Thomas
Jefferson: because he wrote the dec
laration of independence and stood by
his principles.
Rev. Minot ]. Savage, D. D.: I re-
gard Abraham Lincoln as the greatest
American. perhaps excepting George
Washing ton-though ] am not quite !
sure of that. / admire him for his
brain, for his heart, for his moral char |
acter. for whatever goes to the MAX |
ing of man. I believe that the fur |
Their we get away from him. the taller |
and grander he will seem to us to be-
Rev. Lyman Abbott. d. D.. of Ply
mouth church, Brooklyn: Abraham |
Lincoln; because. after Washington. he
was the surest and bravest pilot thai