The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-04-22

Centennial celebration of Birth of
Gen. U. S. Grant Leads "UncIe Joe"
to Tell of Personal RecoIlections of
.1Silent Sodier"-Had No Sense of
the Dramatic, No Enthusia sm or
Passion, and No Hysterical Develop
ment of Any Kind.
The hundredth anniversary of the
birth of General Grant will be cele-
brated on April q. The recognition
this event will get in Washington will
be the unveling of a memorial at
the foot of the capitol on the west
side, work en- which was commenced
years ago.
To the great majority of Americans
Grant is merely what they have
learned and read of him from the
printed page. The men alive today
who knew Grant when he was at the
forefront of those making American
history are few. Prominent among
this dwindling number is Uncle Joe'
Cannon, Oldest member @Of the house
of representatives in years and in
point of service. Mr.. Cannon's first
hand recollections of General Grant
are as fresh as if he had parted from
the famous soldier but a week ago
Grant forced recognition of his abil-
ity as military genius, according to
Mr.. Cannon. There was nothing flashy,
nothing dramatic in General Grant. 1T
is a deplorable fact, but true, that
brother officers in the Union armies
did their utmost to give credit for vic
tories and military feats to others,
often to themselves when success &C
tually was due to the ability and
brains of Grant.
I'm April, 1861, this man presided at
a union meeting in small Illinois
town, unknown even to majority of
his neighbors," Mr. Cannon points out
I'm April 1866, he presided at that
famous union meeting at AppomattoX,
when armed resistance to the union
ended. He had not come to this sue
cess and distinction through political
favoritism or favorable publicity, I'M
less we accept General Braggs cpl
gram on Grover Cleveland, I'VE love |
him for the enemies he has made
What Mr.. Cannon calls the ''politi- |
y
erals all opposed Grant, and envied |
him. But in spite of their criticism
and abuse he compelled recognition of
his military ability until Lincoln, be-
fore he had ever seen Grant, made
the recently unknown soldier cennan-
der of all the northern forces.
Grant Had No Enthusiasms.
General Grant was a perfectly nor
NAL man. says the Illinois political
veteran HE had neither enthusiasm
nor passion, and no hysterical devel-
opment of any kind. He had no sense
of the dramatic and failed to do those
things Which instantly appeal to the
public eye He was SO calm under all
circumstances that he seems TO have
communicated some Of his unexcitable
nature to those about him, even to the
horse he rode. Who ever heard of
Grant on prancng, rearing war
horse? Why, even the artists who
are ever looking for the dramatic and
picturesque have always pictured
Grant sitting quietly on horse stand
ing on four feet, as quietly as though
lust unhitcled from the plow.'
MI. cannon Tecdlleu WINS
burg General Grant sent Logan to take
formal possession of the city when
Pemberton surrendered On the his
torical occasion at Appomattox Gen
eral Grant refused to appear other
wise than he usually did and wore
his ordinary service uniform Grant
saw no dramatic climax in this occa-
sion. AS soon as it was over he hur-
ried back to Washington to arrange
for disbanding the armies under his
command, and sending the soldiers
to their homes.
.sThis same indifference to dramatic
demonstrations and situations FOL
lowed him through life" Mr.. Cannon
recalls 81 recOllect in reading in the
papers of his trip around the world,
how he met the crowned heads, states
men. and plain people with the same
simple manner. He surprised the Ger
mans by walking from his hotel to the
palace to call on Prince Bismarck, and
the prince, we are told, met him at the .
door. instead Of waiting to receive
him in state. He met the queen OF
England, the car of Russia, the en-
peror of Japan, and the king of Siam !.
in the same way, conforming to the
etiquette of the courts, but for him )
self never dropping the role OF the
plain American gentleman. He might
have appeared in the courts Of Eu-
rope and Asia wearing the four stars
II a general, worn rightly by no man
rom Washington's time to his day,
,ut he refused to appear In the uni
'orm which gave him greatest dis 7
inction in the eyes Of the world" n
Target Of Many Critics
Hordes Of critics leveled their shafts >
II Grant from the time of his advent !
N the national stage until his death
N Mount McGregor, Mr.. Cannon says.
These critics could see nothing good
n Grant-no military ability, no pa
riotic devotion, no moral courage in
he soldier while his battles were in