The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-04-28
GRANT AND LEE
LINKED IN WARM
PRAISE BY TAFT
Spirit of %Appomattox Formed the
BuIwark of Lasting Peace
and Union.
VERY GENIUS OF WAR"
REPRESENTED IN GRANT
Predicts Division of South and
Hopes for Strong Opposition
to q. O. P.

PHILADELPHIA, April 2s.-Presi-
dent Taft, guest of honor at the annual
"Grant Day dinner of the Union
League, last night, paid high tribute
to General Grant the soldier and
President of the United States.
Turning from his discussions OF the
virtues and high qualities of Grant,
President Taft talked on politics and
the political status of the so-ealled
SOLID South" In a good-humored way
be remarked that, without specific ref
erence to Republicanism or Democracy
in the South, it was his honest belief
that q genuine political opposition was
a good thing for the Republican party
if 1t Is to continue in control of tho
government, adding, with a CHEEKY
Laugh:
And a defeat at times would not
hurt it"
Concerning Grant he said:
But there are certain things with
respect to General Grant that today
COME back In reference to our passing
life. They said that Grant had not the
military genius that other generals dis
played In the war. To my mind his
mind and brain represented the very
genaus Of the war to suppress the re-
bH4lfpn. because 1t was his mind that
eraapsd the thought that until we had
fought II out with our brave opponents
and met them In the field and fought
them as soldiers, until we convinced
Them by our strength that the battle
was hopeless, we could not expect to
have a united country.
Spirit OF ~Appomattox.
what l wished particularly to dwell
upon tonight was the spirit of that
peace at Appomattox, represented on
the one hand by the magnanimity and
Observation-Disclosures of Grant and by the
self restraint and courage and far
sighted patriotism (for that 1t was) on
the part of Lee In bringing the strug-
gla to a finish. That spirit at APP
pomattox Is today, / trust, triumphant.
Between the two leaders 1t existed
when the terms of the surrender were
signed, but It was impossible under the
conditions thai the spirit should con-
troll and make Itself Immediately mani
fest between the two sections. h
conditions were such that that could
not be.
"The remnants of slavery, the dis
tressed condition of the South, and the
feelings that had been wrought be-
tween the two sections could not be
downed by the mere expression of two
such leaders as Grant and Lee. and 1T
was necessary, I suppose, that we
should go through that thirty or forty
years In order that the rent which was
made In the foundations of our eoun-
try and In our civilization should be
reunited In a common country, with a
common spirit.
Division OF South.
prosperity has come to the South.
Some changes, / fear, fre necessary in
fxed economic principles to promote
the business of the SAuth. feel GER
tain that the next decade or two
decades will bring about a change in
their political views, not necessarily to
qualify them for membership in the
Union League danghter), but such as
to At them for Independent action. and
at times to be willing. when oppor-
tunity offers. to vote for a different
candidate from him who is supported
by the solid South"