Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1922-04-27

behind, to receive the paroles
of his troops. to let every man
OF the Confederate Army who
claimed 10 own horse or mule
take the animal TO his home.
Lee remarked again that this
would have happy effect.
I'm making such conditions. +
thus recognizing the vast difficultie
of consolidating the peace VOL
through. years of suffering and pri
walton, there spoke the great, tru
heart of the man who could see int
the future and realize its problems
MANY years later, when his If
was ebbing, and he struggled to thu
end Of his memoirs, all the American
people knew OF his brave fight, anC
the inevitable outcome, and the maj
of magnanimlty found himself th'
recipient OF genuinely nationwide
sympathy. His acknowledgment II
the closing paragraph OF his excep
tional book reveals the soul of g
great life. Concerning these kindly
expressions he wrote, at the very
conclusion OF his memoirs:
81 am not egotist enough 10
suppose all this significance
should be given because l was
the object of II. But the war
between the States was a very
bloody and a very costly war.
one side or the other had to
yield principles they deemed
dearer than rife before 1t could
be brought to an end. / COM
handed the whole of the mighty
host engaged on the victorious
side. I was. no matter
whether deservedly so or not,
representative of that side or
the controversy. 1t is a signifi-
cant and gratifying fact that
Confederates should have join
ed heartily in this spontaneous
move. l hope the good feeling
inaugurated may continue 10 inc
end.
"He saw union follow disunion'
hut IL was not his TO live to see COM
nlete concord where dlscord had
aourlshed. 1 wish he somehow might
fnow that In the more than a thlrd
of a century since his one ana ohiy
surrender, the indissoluble ties OF
pnlon have been more firmly riveted'
md IN the shared burdens and
iriumphs OF American progress we
have indeed continued at peace at
home. Geographical sectionailsm Is
only a memory now. and Mason ana
Dixon's line remains only histor-
lcal record, where an ambiguity IN
the Federal Constitution was wiped
ont. and the Nation resumed the
onward march on its destined way.
Seemingly, It was long time In
which to re-establish a concord so
essential TO the Ma
lions greater achievements, but the
OF the magnificent
Lee was not universal throughout
the South. the magnanimity OF
Grant was not manifest throughout
the North. Wounds had to be healed,
and partisan politics temporarily
pronted more in irritation than in
healing. But the war with Spain
consecrated North and South to a
common cause, and the sacrifice and
nation wide service in the World
War revealed the common American
soul. Grant. the great nationalist
who appraised union and national
ity above all the frlghtful cost and
suffering. would rejoice to acclaim
the Republic OF today.
Il do not mean to say that every
where in our land we are all In
complete accord about funda-
mentals of government or the basic
principles upon which society is
founded. But the sectionalism OF
Grants and Lees time has been et-
faced, and the geographical divi-
sions which hindered the formation
OF the Union, and later threatened
It's disruption, have given way to
the far less menacing divisions
which have challenged all civiliza-
ton. and which make the ferment
out Of which all progress comes. we
are today incontestably one people
with a common purpose, universal
pride. nationwide confidence. and
one flag. The contentious which be-
set us are not ours alone. they are
the irritants to civilization through
out the world. They are not to be
ignored, but they have never halt
ed the human procession. and VIII
not hinder the progress Of this firm
~ founded Republic.
Grant was himself the supreme
example OF American opportunity
Standing before his humble birth
place, amid the surroundings Of his
obscure boyhood life. one doubts II
of century ago any
Dne should have sought here for the
military chieftain OF a century. We
nave not few, even today. who |
hink small-town vision to be pitt |
'ully clrcumscribed. And yet this
title Clermont county furnished In
Ulysses S. Grant and Henry c. Cor
lin two OF the thirteen lieutenant
GENERALS who have been commission
ID in all our history.
Grant had even less of likeli-
hood to eminence than his unprom-
sing and unprophetic beginning.
There was the suggestion OF medi-
ocrity in his development, and even
the steadfastness of his early man
hood was stamped with failure. But
there was the inheritance of quality,
and he dwelt and grew rugged in
the freedom of democracy.
Even the reckoning opportunity
of war left him seemingly unfavored
by fate. Politically he was out OF
accord with the Master Martyr who
became his commander-in-chie
But he believed in Union and the
Nation supreme. He brought TO the
armed service preparedness 10 com
mand. sturdiness of purpose. pa
thence and forbearance, great gen
crosby of soul. and a confidence |
never to be shaken. The seizure of