Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-04-28

fathers, and their firm structure wa,
preserved by the patriots whom Gran,
commanded, and will be held securs /.
by the patriotic citizenship Of this
republic today and the grateful
Americans of the morrow.
Though he proclaimed the doc.
trine Of moral disarmament at Appo.
mattox, he believed In a nation
equipped for a righteots cause" Mr.
/ Harding continued. But no aggres.
sion was in his breast"
Declaring at the outset that he had
pondered over the attributes OF the
character of Grant. the President said
/ the union leader looms majestic in
/, the blend of them all--his fame is
secure"
/ zone must revere his military
genius, even though ITS development,
was one Of those miracles Of grim
war ITSELF" he continued. mo ore
would have picked him in youth or
carly manhood, or in his early career
as a regular officer, for the grea,
commander. Responsibility and neces-
sity set abaze the latent genius
Donelson was a dasb of daring
Vicksburg his trophy OF courage and
iunalterable determination, Petersburg
1.-THE revelation of his genius. But at
Appomattox he was Grant the mag
unanimous who spoke for reunion
as he had fought fer union, and
turned from grim warrior TO the am
bassador of peace. He could neither
hate nor huwiliate. and in the very
glow of surprising triumph. he could
not be ungracious or inconsiderate.
in that supreme moment of VIC
tory, with union saved at unutterable
cost, he seems to have surveyed the
many disappointments. the measure
less sacrifices and the indescribable
sorrows. He felt the assurance of the
nation preserved, AMI yet the one
sweeping utterance from his great
heart was Let us have peace
Undoubtedly the task of recon-
struction was lightened because of
Grants moderation.
He saw union follow disunion,
but it was not his to live to see COM
plete concord where discord had
flourished. I wish he somehow might
know that in the more than a third
on q century since his one and only
surrender. the indissoluble 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. ond Mason and
pixon's line remains only historical
record. like an ambiguity In the Fed
eral Constitution was wiped out, and
the nation resumed the onward march
on it's destined way.
ut is not to be said of Grant that
he sought to preserve a political or
social order, or even a government,
which had especially favored him. He
was too little favored by the existing
order. Nor can it be said that he
sought personal or political popular
ity. These things were apart from
his early life.
ut is conceivable that men are
prejudiced in their attitude toward
great problems by their own expert
ences-more by their disappoint-
ments than their successes. Grants
own experience in life might have
led less deliberate character to wei
come an upheaval, or disunion. or
any reversal to the government
But this silent man did not appraise
his country by the scale of his own
misfortunes. Ht had yearned
for no star, dreamed % no destiny. lie
merely went the normal way. face
ever forward. ready to quicken his
step when opportunitv called, for re-
sponsibility summoned"