The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-04-28
TAFT'S TRIBUTE TO
GRANTS MEMORY
President Guest of Honor at
Dinner of Philadelphia
Union League Club.
SOLDIER president Is
GIVEN HIGHEST PRAISE
Man Who Never Lost Sight Of
Principles That Make for
Unity of Nation.

PHILADELPHIA, April 97.-Presi-
dent Taft today was the principal guest
at the Grant birthday dinner of the
Union League club in tins city, and paid
striking tribute to the soldicr-presi.
dent, incidentally he said defeat at
times would not hurt the Republican
party. Mr.. Taft was sharply criticised
year ago because of references to
Gen. Grant and he took advantage of
tonight s opportunity to express anew
his admiration for Gen. Grant as n
man. as a soldier and rs president.
Cen Horace Porter of New York and
President James +. Hope Of the Union
| League club were among the speakers
who preceded President Taft at dim
ncr
After making complimentary refer
cnces TO the Union Leagues patriotic
support of the union army during the
war; Mr.. Taft SAID:
Tribute to Grant.
cit is peculiarly fitting that this cluo
| each year should celebrate the birthday
| of that man who then was coming into
prominence and upon whom hung. it
would seem, the whole destinies Of this
nation.
''It is not for me, in The prescAee Of
a gentleman who knew him. who served
with him, who ran the line of life and
death with him. 10 dwell on mis- life, his
peculiar views, or attempt TO picture bis
character Mt length TO this company.
''But there are certain things with
respect 10 Gen. Grant that today come
back with reference TO our passing iife.
They said Grant had not the military
genius that other generals displayed in
| To md
brain represented the very genius Of
the war TO suppress the rebellion. be-
cause IL was his mind that grlspe1 the
thought that until we had fought it cut
with our brave opponents and met them
in the field and fought them as sol
dicrs. until we convinced them by our
strength that the battle was hopeless,
we could not expect to have n uUitel
country. And therefore, from the time
he began at Belmont until he accepted
sihe surrender of Lee AT Appomattox, he
fought not cities, not points OF strategy.
but he fought the enemy and ne fought
and fought and fought until he wore
out the opposition because only by
wearing them out could he hope to bring
about the condition in which there
should be complete peace.
Spirit of Grant and Lee.
"rhe spirit shown by Grant aud Lee
umpbant. Between The two leaders it
existed when the terms Of the surren-
der were signed. but it was Impossible
under the conditions that that spirit
should control and make itself inime-
diatclv manifest between the two see
tious. The conditions were such that
that could not be, But what ] mean
to point out Is that that spirit we DOW
re ioice iu. as we find between the two
sections no remaining bitterness, is a
spirit that as between the two great
commanders existed the day that they
shook hands and signed terms Of sur
render,
.;Tt is matter that ! have very
much at heart. | believe It is possible
To bring the two sections even closer
together We arc all in the same boat
i'm a more emphatic sense than we ever
were before in the history of the coun-
try mean business boat--and they of
the south. especially their business
men, are trembling in the balance OF
doubt rs 10 lust where they are polItl-
callv. / look forward into the next de-
cadc. not with the hope that the south
shall become Republican, for. staunch as
/ am in my support of the Republican
p3rty. 7 think good opposition Is nee
essarv TO make the Republican party, II
III is TO control the government. usciui
to the people, and n defeat at times
would not hurt it. What | am looking
forward 10 is 4 division III the parties
in the south 50 that there shall be toll
erance Of political opinion there. so that
I'm their state government and IN their
rational affairs. there shall he more
than one political crecd TO be sub
scribed 10 and supported
|. Immediately after the banquet the
! president left for Washington.