The Washington herald., 1909-04-28

Swept with patriotic cheering. as elo-
quence was lavished upon the hero whose
name sums up the glory and the trag-
edy OF an epoch" a mighty audience,
largely composed Of veterans Of the civil
conflict. gathered in the Metropolitan
Memorial N z Church last evening 10
celebrate the eighty-seventh anniversary
OF the birth OF Ulysses Simpson Grant.
Flags waved. the G. A. P ritual was
carried out. bugle calls taking minds
backward to the grim days OF the Wilder
ness rang out. patriotic songs were sung.
and the memorial was a beautiful. i'm
pressive tribute In keeping with the char
acter Of him whom It was meant %
honor.
The exercises were held under the aus
pices OF the Department % the Potomac,
Grand Army OF the Republic, with Col
z. H Hol5rook, department commander.
In charge Of the patriotic ritual Lieut.
Gen. Nelson A Miles was presiding or
Ger. and the orator OF the evening was
Senator Jonathan Prentlss DOlllver, Of
Iowa
Pays Tribute TO Miles.
Senator Delivers eloquent tribute to
Grant was prefaced by his reference 70
Gen. Miles as the most renowned sol
der IN the world to-day" a sentiment
which aroused prolonged enthusiasm II
his venerable and bsttIe-scsTed audience
OF veterans.
1T Is the custom Of historians 70 con-
dense into a. single name thssaSa -
ments OF an epoch said th
1T IS in this way that Gen. Grant staTSds
out as the great character OF the civil
war. He saved the nation IN the day Of
its greatest agony-in the day when the
wisest OF men doubted whether it could
i've or.
Thomas Carlyle declared in 1880:
Americas battle is yer 70 be fought She
VIII have her own agony and her Own
victory. but on other terms than those
she IS aware Of The English prophet
lived 10 see the victory won on such
terms as God pleased. and had ne lived
a little longer. he would have seen the
canOns OF Westminster open the doors
OF that famous edihce to admit the silen;
soldier Of worid-circling fame.
1t was Gen. Sherman who said o.
Grant: He has seen more exaltati0n and
more humiliation than any other nan now
living. and has been absolutely unaffected
by either. II. after VicksbUrg. he had
told any living man ne believed he was
the one man picked 20 put down the re-
be!iior he would have been laughed out
Of II rny and have gone the way OF
al the rest IN his early career we End
many curious things. He did not think
enough OF the army 70 keep his place in
Il. and ne did not think enough OF lie tc
make q decent living for his family.
Clear Of Confusion.
God was keeping him clear OF al the
controversies Of the tine and the eonfu-
siOr OF tongues We know he voted fo7
Buchanan for President. and that his
convictions on the subject OF slavery were
vague He was an adulirer OF Stephen A
Douglas. But when the can 20 arms rsng
out. when Fort Sumter was fred upon
We know he left his grocery store i
Gslena without locking the front door
He was born for the conflict.
He came 70 the nation in a day wher
/ the debate OF the lawyers had becomt
a nuisance among them. and when th'
/ heroic age appeared in view. The mighty
/ host OF the Grand Army was organized
( Following upon that organization Grant;
career was more Inspiring than any tale
I OF medieval history Every act OF his
/ both military and civil. shows that ~
understood the philosophy OF our institu.
/ tons and the destiny Of the republic. II;
+ was peerless as a soldier and had 8
I supreme influence as q statesman.
Lincoln watched his career from tht
/ moment he won his first victories in tht
West After the battle Of Gettysburg
I when Meade made his great blunder o-
not following UP the Union victory the
/ President wrote two letters-One e
I Meade, full Of his mighty wrath: tht
/ other to Grant. ordering him 70 take
charge Of the Army OF the Potomac The
1 letter TO Meade was never sent. but that
to Grant was.
When Grant assumed command Of the
] Federal army moving on Richmond. We
see an end Of all the orders and counter
orders. the numerous communications fUl
OF confident boast ari army gossip. which
had formerly fallen thick and fast upOr
the President Grant had a fixed habit
Of not making a report until the day was
over. Lincoln trusted HIM absolutely
left the entire plan OF campaign IN bis
care.
IT was not until many months after
the campaign had opened that Lincoln