The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-23

In September McClure's.
 HITCHFORKED into the presidency N by the passion of the Americans x for military glory, Grant, being totally without political experience, of course failed. The only political quality which he had was resolution. which he once at least opposed, under good ad- vice, to dishonest and mischievous legis- lation. He had a fatal notion that sup porting public delinquents of his own party was standing by comrades under fire Between this rough soldier and such a man as Charles Sumner. with his high stepping culture and lofty self-esteem, antipathy was sure to be strong. Some one, to please Grant, was decrying Sum ner to him. saying that Sumner was 8 free-thinker and did not even believe In the Bible. well" said Grant. 'I sup pose he didn't write it." Wellington. be- tween whom and Grant there was some resemblance, also once in his life said a good thing. When he appeared at the court of the Restoration, the marshals The King apologized to him for their rudeness. 'Nimporte, sire, c'est lenr hab- itude." was wellington's reply.
 L met Grant and Mrs. Grant some years afterward at a garden party at Lambeth palace. A curiously rustic couple they looked In that assemblage of fashion. Grant was then touring un- der the auspices of politicians who want ed a third term for him and thought 1t might be secured by presenting him to the worlds homage. No snowman could have had a worse lion. Stanley, who showed Grant over Westminster Abbey, said that of all men of mark whom he had met, Grant was the most boorish. Grant was no doubt unappreciative of antiquities, and Stanley had no oppor- tunity of diving into the character of the man.
 I also some years afterward at Phila- dephia made the acquaintance of Meade. who appeared to me a high-minded sol dier and thorough gentleman. I could we'll believe that he had done good ser vice in restoring the tone of the army of the Potomac when 1t had been run down under Hooker. Of Meades gen. eralshp I am of course incompetent to form judgment. It may be that. after the repulse of Lees attack at Gettys- burg. he ought to have ordered his line to advance. Had he attacked Lee in the position which Lee afterward took up he might have lost all that he had won at Gettysburg. so great had become the superiority of the defense over the at- tack. He was very candid in saying that at Gettysburg Lee had thrown away his chances and that had he maneuvered instead of rushing against strong po- sition, the result would not have been so sure. He said not a word against Grant, but showed, I thought, that he did not admire the strategy of attrition.
 Lee has been pronounced great strat- egist by those whose judgment cannot be disputed, though only by an American writer has he been put above Marlbor- ough. He can scarcely be said to have encountered an opponent worthy of him before Gettysburg. His two offensive movements were unsuccessful; the first ending with Antietam, the second with Gettysburg. But he was constrained to make them by the nature of the war, which was monster siege of the south by the north. Lee salled in hopes of shaking off the besieger, gathering sup plies, and at the same time calling forth political sympathy and support at the north. It seems to be admitted that he did a desperate thing at Gettysburg in ordering the advance of hise infantry over more than half a mile of open ground against a formidable position with a powerful artillery. He had done something of the same kind at Malvern Heights with the same disastrous re- suit. General Lee seems to have fought not against the Union nor for slavery; but simply as a liegeman of his state. His character evidently was fine, and well would 1t have been both for south and north If in reconstruction his voice could have been heard.
 The name of Gen. Benjamin Butler, whose guest I was at the camp. had been execrated because he was sup posed. as commandant of New Orleans. to have put forth a proclamation threatening to give up the women of that city to the license of his soldiery. The charge was unfounded. Butler was commanding the federal garrison of a great city with a population noted for