New-York tribune., 1907-12-18

Two ger
& Taylor Company
The reader IS rightly suspicious Of that FASH
&C., of character analysis which looks ALWAYS
~, sor1e Keynote trait and groups all the res,
shout Il. Yet there are exceptional personaIt-
,;es built somewhat On the heroic plan which
seem to possess Just that essential simplicity of
nature which one seeks for in vain elsewhere
Such personality is General Howard's The
central dominant quality Of it cannot be mis-
taken: il has controlled his whole career colored
all his thoughts In calling il piety we wouJd
mt be misunderstood This is not a pietv that
tickles for the letter OF the law and ignores the
spirit, but one that takes its origin in a pro-
found fear Of the Lord and an all inclusive love
for His childreI4-a pety that has not only asked
divine help before battle and In every other
crisis Of life, but has also borne glad testimony
10 the Master when unpopularfty, ridicule. per-
soraI hardship. even. might be involved
General Howard writes of his religious ex-
periences naturally and unreservediy as of his
education or his military duties. The great de-
cision" was made during his twenty-seventh
year on the last night of May 1851 At that
tine he was chief Of ordnance in the Seminole
Indian campaign in Florida
In that little Office, with my Bible and v1cars's
Life in my hands, found my way into very
ing Of sudden & relief frD1n that depression that had
great that it would be difficult to attempt in anv
way TO describe II The next morning everythins,
frigh1er the trees more hea9Iff1I end b SKY s Was
Of the birds were never before so sweet to nv as
A few days later he made public confession
Of his new faith by kneeling at the altar Of a
little Methodist church beside q hunchback
woman This act caused 2 sensation in III.
garrison.
Some of the officers said that ! had disgraced
J u hal hr,.
thsn snd, ID fact, ever after.
Returning to West Point that same year as
Instructor in mathematics, he organized what
ras known among the cadets as 'fIoward's
Little Prayer Meeting" an institution that took
permanent root, and is perpetuated at the pres
ent time IN the Academy Young Mems Chris
fian Association. -Four years later, just before
the Battle Of Bull Run. feeling for moment a
sense OF overcoming weakness, he lifted his
soul and his heart and cried, % God, enable
TO DO my duty From that time he
adds. the singular feeling left me and never
returned" As 4 matter Of principle he has
never taken liquor himself, and ne has striven
to keep others from it. To profanity and every
form OF irreverence he has been an inveterate
opponent In every victory for the Northern
srTny he sees the hand Of God; in every defeat.
e warning His first, spontaneous words Of
praise for a fallen comrade are, a brave, pure
minded man. who loved his Saviour" Every
home letter commends those who are dearest 10
him 10 GODS care and protection Certainly
this mans faith is the primary. alI-contTolling
impulse Of his life In reading his Autobiog-
raphy we are reading the record Of the Christian
soldier.
Instinctively one names New England the
producer Of such a nature: II is from that rug
ged soil that the stern, uncompronnising fibre Of
4 has most commonly been brought forth in the
past. Oliver Otis Howard born n Leeds.
Ne, in 1880. His early years were spent on the
farm; his education was begun in the district
school Although the home influences were not
conspicuously religious. he was sent regularly TO
church and Sabbath school. and required TO
learn by heart q large amount Of Scripture.
Among his schoolboy comrades he seems TO
have been normally belligerent; and once. after
an encounter with lad considerably older and
stronger than himself. his uncle said 20 him,
~Otis, glory in your spunk." Spunk OF a dif-
terent order-the ability to hold with bulldog
discrimination to principle OF conduct once
edopted-was clearly evinced by an incident
that occurred during his sixteenth year. In the
course OF their drive 10 Bowdoin for the prelim-
.nary examinations his academy roommate
urged him to stop at certain tavern for
drink ot whiskey.
Howard" SAID his companion, you are arabi-
tious you would like make something OF your
self in the future you DO net e1peSt Ct 70 @ 90 " YIN a
s7vered that ] did not see what the taxing OF
fe gave me The names Of several public men OF dis
2 fion t drink IL heDed fosd he asg to teT e greatness
ANSWERED that did not care TO be greaI ad and
that already On pledge to my M fne1aer r,are aed
- rsoTrti,FT = e. had suffered SO from
drink that he had hard work to secure his diploma
F5elnine himself through college by teaching
school during every winter vacation. Howard
- - a., .,5e f7nal term when the oppor-
tuuity came to him. quite Unexpectedly. of en-
te-i,r West Point. with that institution. as
cadet and instructor. he was-except for brief
.ntervaI-connected until 1861, at which time
through the influence Of James G. Blaine, the
young Sneaker Of the Maine House of Represen-
tatives he received the appointment OF colonei
Of the 3d Maine Regiment
II is, OF course, to be expected that the larger
Part Of the autobiography should be devoted 10
the four years OF Civil War. General Howarcs 9
part in this struggle was distinguished from
colonel Of q regiment he was advanced, step py
step. TO the rank Of major general commanding
the Army of the Tennessee Attached TO the
Army Of the Potomac until after the Battle OF
Gettysburg he fought successively under NC
Clellan. Burnside Hooker and Meade: and later
he was with Grant and Sherman at Lookout
Mountain. In the Atlanta campaign tafter the
ceath Of Mcpherson) ne was one OF Shernans
three commanders, and made with him inc
famous march TO the sea: and with Sherman ne
remained until the end Of April. 1850, IN North
Carolina, when. a fortnight after Lees surreh-
der al Appornattox. the terms of Johnston's
surrender, which closed the war, were hnaily
agreed upon General Howards accounts of the
Great battles in which be was engaged gam a
certain solidity and autlloritativeness from his
md lIraE