The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-20

and be known by him. and he was ever
and always the same kind. courteous. low
able gentleman. He voluntarily did me
personal kindnesses when l was boy
subaltern under him and loved him and
revere his memory.
Before the commencement Of the final
campaign of Vicksburg he called Sherman
and others OF his generals about him and
informed them that he purposed to put his
army across the river, south of Vicksburg,
cut loose from his base of supplies and
communication with the North, move into
the interior of Mississippi. and then at
tack Vicksburg from the high ground at
its rear. None approved his plan; end
Sherman. to put himself on record, wrote
and delivered to General Grant an official
letter protesting against the proposed
operation. General Grant disregarded the
opinions of his generals. the protest OF
Sherman and executed the movement,
fought the battles of Port Gibson, Ray
mond. Edwards Station. jackson. Cham
pion Hills. and Black River. and cooped
the Confederate army up in Vfcksburg
with its capture an absolute certainty
That was Grant the general. When the
success of the movement was assured IN
stead of forwarding this letter in the
regular way. to the Adjutant General of
the Army. the usual course, he handed it
to Sherman. and told him he had better
burn it. That was Grant the man. Down
i in Virginia his order was to fight 1t cut
on that Ine-forward by the left flank
That was Grant the general When Cen
eral Lee surrendered General Grant. on his
own motion. stipulated that the brave men
of that army should take with them to
their homes TO aid in cultivating their
fields the animals they had used in trying
to destroy him and his army.
Further. when President Johnson pro-
posed to arrest General Lee and try him
for treason on account of the part he had
taken in the rebellion, General Grant aoti-
fed the President that II he did SO he
General Grant, would resign his commits
sion in the army. That was Grant, the
man. Is it strange that all In this broad
land, North and South, in blue and in
grey. love him and join in person or In
spirit in these services here today? They
would not be Americans If they did not
His life is lesson, a hope, an inspira-
ton. Our country Is stronger, and the
world is better, and hope is brighter, that
he lived, and it is fitting and proper that
his statue shall forever honor the Capitol
of the country he did more than anyone
else to save.
Mr.. GrosvenOr's Speech.
Mr.. Grosvenor followed with discus
sion Of the times and conditions in and
under which General Grant made his repu-
| tation as soldier. He would live in his
tory when Wosley his critic. had been
relegated to the place he belonged. Re-
ferring to General Grants appointment to
the command of the Western army, Mr..
Grosyenor said:
HE took hold of that army. This is not
the time to discuss the men who were his
assistants. Grant never had an assistant
IN he nf hat farm
The plans of that army were his plans.
The troops west of the mountains and
southwest were moved and brought to-
gether and concentrated upon his own
plan and by his own orders. He had just
received disenthrallment from the War De-
partment. He had just got rid of the bane
full influence of some of the inheritances
that the old army had cast upon the new
army.
"Thirty-ive years have passed over our
heads since Grant achieved the culmina-
ton of his great fame a soldier. Dur
ing that time there have been great changes
in military tactics. in military organiza-
tions, in military supplies and munitions,
and all that appertains to the military OF
governments: but | venture 10 say that
among those who have come and gone.
among those who bave led armies in
Egypt. in Germany, in France. there has
been no man who was any pretence of
competition with Grant as soldier today:
there is not one of them who stands to-
day upon the record of the coming histo- |
rian with anything like the character OF
Grant as soldier.
He has been criticised somewhat by
one of the great generals Of Europe. great
in the amount of pay that he draws. great
in fis. rank that he holds. great in the
splendid decorations that he has; but l
ask my countrymen here today when we
are considering something Of Grant in the
light OF thirty five years. whether we may
not with a pride that is enjoyable con-
trast the career of Grant all his mistakes
If he ever made any-study his tactics.
study all that he ever did as a soldier
and he was the great soldier and centre OF
our operatious-compare them with the
most critical eye, with the best thing that
has been done by the British army In its
great campaign against the Beers and tell
me whether Grant does not shine like
meteor, while the criticisms Of coming
generations will ask how a great general
sent an unequipped, unorganized. unfed.
uncIothed. unprepared army into strange
country and divided it up into three col
umns and got them whipped in detail,
one by one.
Il think the strategy of Grant that cen
tired in the Wilderness and in front OF
Richmond the magnificent organization OF
the Army OF the Potomac will live as an
exemplar OF military strategy and perfec-
ton long after Wolseiey, his critic, long
after wolseley, the man who deprecated
him. long after Wolseley, the hero of Tel
FL Keber in Egypt and the planner of
the strategy of South Africa, will have been
RELOCATED to his proper position among the
great generals OF the world.
Grant was good politician. was good
statesman. and / am going to point out
very briefly a point in his career that !
think IL Is well for us to consider now.
Grant was in favor of giving everybody a
fair chance.
Grant proposed that the Southern peo
pie should start out without any load upon
them. They were to start even, they were
TO start undisfranchised. They were to
vote, they were to become members OF
great body polite and they were to work
out their salvation. not as enemies of this
country, but as friends. And no man did
more 10 lay the foundation upon which
equal rights have been extended to the
South than did that grim soldier, Grant. If
General Grant were alive today and could
speak from his magnificent resting place in
New York. in my judgment, and say it in
ali kindness and only as a suggestion, re-
Viewing in the minds eye only the things
which he did and said to the people of the
ScGth, and the potentality of his plans in
that direction, he would say to the people
of the South: BE careful how you enter
upon a condition to be made by you that
shall place in the census returns of the
eleven Southern States a registered body
of DISTINGUISHED and forever organized
enemy II is hard to work the other plan
and there are many drawbacks to 1t, and
the people of this country ought to be ex-
yhi bn