The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-11
INGALLS, On GRANT
Master of Speech Sizes Up
the Master of Silence.
NONE EVER DID so MUCH
Of Whom So Little Could
Have Been Predicted.
NONE EVER DID so MUCH

~~~@-~~--- N~--~N--0
| tory.
No man ever did SO much of whom so
| little could have been predicted.
At the outbreak of the civil war he had
come nearly to middle life, having failed
in every undertaking. and was sunk in
| HOPELESS poverty and obscurty.
He was destitute of those personal traits
and qualities which attract and charm and
make their possessor popular and be-
! loved.
Taciturn. diffident. and out of counte-
| nance with the world, ne had few &C
quaintances, fewer friends, and no infiuen-
| tai associates among the civil and military
! leaders OF his time.
There was not county in the state Of
Illinois that did not contain in 1861 some
inhabitant who might have been more
reasonably expected to have been COM
mandder-in-chief of the armies of tine
United States and twice its President
than this humble, diligent employe Of the
village store at Galena, Ulysses Simpson
Grant.
But in -four years that detected subordin-
ate,- upon whom fortune seemed TO have
greater armies than Caesar, had fought
more battles than Napoleon, and inscribed
his name among the foremost warriors OF
the world.
In personal intercourse he was some
times so commonplace and prosaic that it
was quite impossible TO conceive of him a
celebrity. He apparently placed no such
estimation on himself. He betrayed no ex-
altation over his victories. He was not
stirred by any passion for glory. He
seemed devoid Of imagination. He was in
capable of apostrophising the Sun of Aus
terlitz, like Napoleon, or personifying the
forty centuries that looked down from the
summit Of the Pyramids. He was rather
the imperturbable incarnation of plain,
vigorous common sense, that would plan
campaigns and fight battles as if they
were the ordinary occupations of daily life.
He is popularity supposed to have been
vacant and dull in conversation, but while
at times irresponsible, again he was Ebert,
vivacious and almost inspired.
Toward the end Of his second term as
President there was dinner at the White
House The Electoral Commission was
sitting to beside the disputed succession
between TiIden and Hays. 1t was a dark
and ominous time. The most threatening
since the Appomattox. Revolution was
imminent Henry Watterson had just is
sued his proclamation calling for one hun
bred thousand unarmed Kentuckians to
assemble at Washington, January 8, to
watch the count The subsding passions
of the war, the frenzies of reconstruction
tan fba oil
was heavy with portents.
After dinner the guests strolled into the
library for coffee and cigars. Conversation
turned to the situation and its perils. It's
tone was depressed. The President said
nothing, exhibited TO interest, did not
even seem to listen but smoked with delio
crate stolid.ty. In a pause, Burnside turn
ed to him and said: "Well, General. what
do you Thinks there going to be any
trouble?"
After a perceptIble interval Grant ap-
peared to emerge from reverie. His fea-
lures were transformed, and with voice
and manner as if he were at the head OF
million men. and in suppressed tone Of in
describable intensity. he said:
NO, there will be no trouble. But it has
been one rule of my life to be always
ready
As uttered, It was the most immense.
Impressive and pregnant sentence 10 which
I ever listened.
The talk instantly turned to other
themes. and the President became chatty,
voluble and reminiscent. He referred to
the agonizing sick headache from which he
suffered the night before the surrender.
and how il left him, on the receipt OF
Lees note, as suddenly as the shutting %
a iack-kfe." He said ne never saw Gen
eraf Lee but once after the close Of the
war. He called at the Executive Mansion
as he was passing through on his way 10
New York on some railroad transaction for
the State Of Virginia. Ia the course Of the
converse ton Lee said ne could hardly
understand why he was sent on the mis-
son. because ne knew absolutely nothing
about railroads. Grant stated ne replied
jocIlarly. that they together had cQnsld-
cradle 10 do with railroads in Virginia, TOT
a number Of years. but Lee never smiled.
which the President thought eyinced
lack Of ..the saving Of sense Of h1mor.
Toward midnight some one stared
discussion as to the most desirable period
If lfe-infancy. with rs helpless uneon-
s-,uozness childhood, with its innocent
endowment; youth with its passions; mar
hood. w-th its scHlevements. age, with lis
rep1se. some preferred one and some an
other. Grant had relapsad into silence
again. / gan appealed 70 f'rn f7r his opiH-
ION. He peudered moment and replied:
..xvef. 50 fa- a. I an concerned, ] sa7nl9
Ike 70 be born again" Tais seemed very
--ever way 90 saying that ne had enjoyed
life all tae way through Logan re-orted
taat ne knew u 70 man who stood IN
greater need ~ being born again, and thsn
yse all went home
These vague reesI}ecttoaS f0ated d.ulsy
from tines dark backward and abyss -
stood yesterday oy the uucompieted Teaes-
-. On xhIca tbe hero!c equestrian statue
- Tozaa s ro stand In Ioaa Circle TFo
bronze qanels Ia ire granite base gsarpetu-
ate incidents la tne career = the Great
Volunteer. zaou Grant descTloe1 as tae
n ~ troaa.seorne man IN camp s18 tae
NOS. aarirz sesdie- 10 aattls saat bad ever
rea7 arder hs canuaz1 he wsa gBe IN
esrnstsaa = Ee-ca. ~ was p.t energy
oe-aufaaA His rHE1artE E-ss sutgrsstle
ana lis c-eu.1 lEa1-ss imns1-e. AZ re
slsec.Tes We-e ssasraseFe- Ha re ~a@
rsssaracze-.ze3 ~ uzs7reraaAle intensity at
,are y hatred - .ssrsge anger ~ .azce
ara u-ez7t- as.e reseatrnauf q NEeas
10 aH s1s5ers, he Eas eoIFs4e ra1asr
man a csra-nsrser. he I'd Ehsrs aag ca
- 10 f3a8~. WIN wavsa= ha-r s55 sasa-
~ zx8Ed ard sazaE eye as wus eae
saar-ssrs5r . asELie. ard casfrsa.ss -1sta-
ss-azz and I4oeaz ans sa.s otaer great