The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1906-01-11

A Southern View of Grant.
No man in the Southern Confeder-
acy had clearer insight into the
causes and probable effects of the
quarrel between the States than did
Alexander II. Stephens-"Little
Alex."-who became the vice presi-
dent Of the Confederacy under Jeffer-
son Davis. When the crisis came he
was strongly against secession, and
Lincoln was urged to make him Sec
retary of War in the hope that his
State, Georgia, would thus be induced
to remain loyal. After the war, says
n writer in the Independent, he We
hemcntly rebuked his Southern col
leagues who were bitter against
Grant. Hearing one Of them call him
"boorlsh" and Ignorant" he stopped
the talk and said:
ut is a great mistake to underesti-
mate an opponent That was.our mis-
take during the war. 1t would be
worse than folly to continue this blum
dering view of man who has tho
inclination to be our friend and the
power to do us much good. General
Grant is one of the few great men
this country has produced"
Later he told them the story Of his
first meeting with the victorious
Union commander, in the field before
Petersburg, when, determined to end
the war, Stephens headed u commit
tee which sought to treat for pence
They expected to find in Grant
drunken giant, delighting in his pow
er, resplendent in gaudy trappings.
I'VE were passed through the
Union lines promptly" he said, "and
arrived near Grants headquarters
after dark. Everywhere we met re-
| spectful courtesy, no more. We were
| passed up through n formidable line
| of sentrles and at last were surprised,
being at the very place where the
| general was to be, to find there no
guard at all. A log cabin was point
ed out to us as General Grants house.
I'VE walked there and found no or
derly at the door, SO knocked, to in
troduce ourselves. The door was
opened by a gentleman in civilian
clothes. He was of medium height.
He held an oil lamp in his left hand,
which he lifted above his head in or
der to throw the light out. He rested
his right hand on the door as he OPEN
ed 1t, saying, What is your wish, gen.
tlemenY
1--WE are seeking General Grant
said I. I
~ am General Grant he replied.
Walk in
This was our second surprise. The
next was the unaffected warmth and
simplicity Of his reception. He placed
the lamp upon the table and himself
hustled about to find chairs. He
stirred up the wood fire and listened
to the account I gave him of what we
hoped to accomplish. We were with
him an hour. He showed from the
first the greatest pleasure, and prom
ised with cordiality to cooperate with
us in our endeavor.
when it came time for us to retire
he insisted on accompanying us to our
quarters himself, and taking his hat.
eagerly led us down the hill to the
river, greeting every sentinel with the
low-spoken words, The commanding
general
"On the steamboat he selected the
best rooms for us, and bade us a
kindly goodnight. The next day he
came running down the bank like a
boy, waving a dispatch. He came
aboard at once and said, Good news
Lincoln approves, and will send COM
missioners to meet you But Stanton
interviewed, and our mission was
fruitless.
II studied Grant carefully while we
were with him. He was always a
quiet, unobtrusive gentleman. AL
though he was then the commander
of an army of more than million
men at the very pinnacle Of the great
est military success of modern times,
soldier of the FIRST rank, he was ae
unassuming with US as though he had
been n mere captain. The proof of his
greatness was his readiness to abdi.
cate this position of splendid power
in order TO serve his country by bring
ing a peaceful solution. The impress.
sion he made upon me was of loyal
simplicity, true kindness OF heart and
nobleness of nature. He was in every
| spnse n true man"