The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-05-01

The objective point in his miiitai~
organization was the highest eli
cheney Of the individual soldier
He knew the value of patriotic de
votion fed of free and safe indiv
idual initiative on the ranks. Hi
sense of justice was clear anC
balanced, quick and stern. He wa
never known to be excited anC
never heard to use an oath. II,
tolerated no nonsense; he accept
ed no lame excuse; he regarded
no rank. Grant proved to be ;
stlategist. Yet his battles wert
won by straight, hard fighting. He
: took the initiative and forced the
issue. Nothing appalled, him.
1t home, a thousand miles
from danger, the weaklings quail
ed and the poltroons called him
butcher. Nothing could BE-
more outrageous. There was not
a coarse or gross thing in his
character. No man was even
moved by q spirit more gentle OF
directed by feeling more tender
He hated war
The inside character of Grant is
revealed in the close Of the war
even clearer than in it's conduct.
He had taken for the guide of his
personal conduct the motto
Treat Your friend so that if he
becomes your enemy he can do
you no harm, and treat your
enemy so that he may become
your friend without humiliation
He acted upon it in all the events
of his military career.
When the glad hour Of sulrend-
er came he yielded al that IL chiv-
aJrous and generous soul could
make peace real, and Il have m
give. He did what he could 10
have industry and prosperity fol-
low in the footsteps of peace.
Of patriotic exultation. the Re-
Doubtless the. fame of Ulysses
S. Grant will for all time rest
n1'nnly upon his military acmevc-
ments. Great as these achieve
ments were, however, they are
very far from constituting the
sum OF his service to the country.
He was twice nominated to tho
presidency without diss antiEg
voice in the national convention,
and twice elected by overwhelm-
ing popular maiorities. No exc
cutive ever stood for the dignity
and integrity of the Union more
steadfastly than he, or did it in
more troublesome times.
There was new aggresSiveness
in the routine of administration
The star route thieves We're pun
ished. Irresponsive clans, which
met new conditions and much
provocation with unlawful and
murderous methods, We're hunted
down. The moonshine distille1es
were destroyed The government
mails and the government engin-
GERS began to go freely on their
way. Reconstruction Of the dis
mantled governments in the insuI-
rectionary states went forward.
Happily the immaterial things
in administration, the things
which cause the most conmmotion
because all can talk about them,
are in time forgotten. The great
things undertaken by a steady
soul and a free hand remain ana
become greater. President Grant
helped on popular education, the
excellent scientific work Of the
government is largely traceablc to
his sympathetic feeling; he inaug-
uIated humane and natural
treatment of the Indians; he was
the first president to stand FOR re-
form in appointments, promotion
on the basis of merit, and protec-
ton in the civil service. The fif-
teenth amendment, giving citizen
ship, regardless of color, the logi-
cad sequence of our political the
cries and of emancipation, became
a part of the constitution in his
first term.
While legal rehabilitation was
going forward, the outlines of
new Union We're shaped and the
spirit of the new Union was tenn
pered by the sense and the sym
pathy of the President The chief
instrument of war became the
main reliance of peace.
A concrete example, will illus
trate. Just after General Grant
became president, at the heyday
of patriotic exultation, the Ere
publican members of the Senate
determined in conference to erect
in the city of Washington a more
memorial of the triumph
of the Union than had been
dreamed of before. The intention
was to represent all the forces of
the nation, the Congress, the
regular and volunteer armies, the
navy, the auxiliary organization,
and all the rest, which had COM
blned to overthrow the rebellion,
in costly and enduring group OF
statuary which should signify the
fact to future generations. 1t
was easily settled in the party
caucus that the figure of General
Grant should typify the regular
army in this group. Then COM
mittee was appointed to wait up
on the President and ask his CO.
operation in the enterprise and his
advise as to other figures which
might be included. During the
interview, the impatience of the
President was scarcely concealed
while the plan was being unfold
ID to him. As soon as it was laid
bare, he said with much feeling,
that the scheme was in his judg-
ment a bad one, that he had no
claim upon his countrymen be-
yond that OF all other men and
women who had done what they