Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-04-27

but ii was not his to live to see COM
plete concord where discord had
fiourished. / wish he somehow might
know that in the more than a third
of a century since his one and only
surrender. the i~ndissoluble ties of
union have been more firmly riveted
and in the shared burdens and
triumphs of American progress. we
have indeed continued at peace at
home. Geographical sectionalism is
only a memory now. and Mason and
Dixon's line remains only a histori-
cal record, where an ambiguity in
the Federal Constitution was wiped
out, and the nation resumed the n
ward march on its destined way.
Seemingly, it was a long time in
which to r~e-establish a concord so
manifestly essential to the nations
greater achievements, but the under
standing of the magnificent Lee was
not universal throughout the South.
| the magnanimity of Grant was not
manifest through the North. Wounds
had to be healed. and partisan poll
tics temporarily proited more in ir-
ritation that in healing. But the
war with Spain consecrated North
and South to a common cause and
1 the SdGTllCtU anu DdllOl-n lut SClNN
ice in the World War revealed the
! common American soul. Grant, the
great nationalist, who appraised
union and nationality above all the
frightful cost and suffering, would
rejoice to acclaim the republic of
today.
II do not mean to say that every
where in our land we are all in COM
plete accord about fundamentals of
government, or the basic principles
upon which society is founded. But
the sectionalism of Grants and Lees
time has been effaced, and the geo.
graphical divisions which hindered
the formation of the union and later
threatened its disruption, have given
way to the far less menacing divi-
sions which have challenged all civ
ilization, and which make the fer
ment out of which all progress
comes. We are today incontestibly
one people, with a common purpose,
universal pride, nationwide conf
dence, and one flag. The conten-
lions which beset us are no ours
alone, they are the irritants to civil
ization throughout the world. They
are not to be ignored, but they have
never halted the human procession
and will not hinder the progress OF
llllS ITIlliN lOuiQtu itPdOi41s
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 il
three quarters of a century ago any
one should have sought here for TIM
military chieftan of a century. W.
have not a few, even today, vino
think small-town vision to be pitt
fully circumscribed. And yet thl'
little Clermont county furnished il
Ulysses S. Grant and Henry c. Cor
bin two of the thirteen leutenan'
generals who have been commits
stoned in all our history.
= Grant had even less of Hkeli
hood to eminence than his unprom'
Using and un~prophetic beginning
There was the suggestion of medic
!, Gritty in his development, and ever
the steadfastness Of his early man
hood was stamped with failure. Blu
there was the inheritance of quality
and he dwelt and grew rugged in th'
fr<edom OF democracy.
Even the reckoning opportunity
OF war left him seemingly unfavoreo
by fate. Politically he was ont Of
accord with the Master Martyr, who
became his commander in chief. Blu
he believed in union and the nation
supreme. He brought to the armed
service preparedness to command
sturdiness of purpose, patience ana
forbearance. great generosity of soul
and a confidence never to be shaken
The seizure of opportunity, more to
serve than to achieve, made him vic
tor. and the quiet man, CARRIED
in failure at Galena. marched to the
surprising heights of military glory,
4 kI na,nrnarfn0 in command and
magnanimous in his triumph. the
world saw the soldier and the man,
the soldier honored and the man be-
loved.
.Other military leaders hitherto
had mounted to lofty heights in the
annals of human history. 1t is use
less to but it is betting to
recall that General Grant was not
making conquest of territory or ex-
panding empire. He was only seek
ing to preserve. He did not night 10
enslave: he only battled TO sustain
Lincoln, whom God inspired to be-
stow freedom. He did not seek 10
punish or destroy; he was fighting
TO save and reunite. In his heart
were no drastic terms of surrender;
he craved the blessings of peace re-
stored.
MANY an incident of the war,
many a revelation of his STURDY
character showed that his face was
set on the N supreme achievement,
union and h preserved ark OF the
American covenant of liberty. Nc
hurting heart, no rivalry. no triumph
of other commanders. no promotion
of the aspiring or deserving. could
remove his gaze from the great enc
sought. He wrote Sherman, III
Grant-like simplicity and sincerity
that he would serve under him as
willingly as over him, to attain pre-
served union. Out of such conse-
1 Grafton, but of such unchanging de-
votion. came his signal victory.
He fought for a preserved union
and restored nation, and succeeding
generations are richer because Of his
example. One may guarantee the
security of this republic so long az
leaders among men put h coun-
| try's good above personal and po-