The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1922-05-04

three years of this time ne was ~
inhabitant Of this grand earth. For
the past thirty-seveu years he has
been citizen of a lovelier land.
On this centennial occasion, under the
auspices Of the Grand Army of tbs
Republic. his career is being celebra
ted and hi, striking personal quail
ties emphasized all over our coun
try.
"Whon a nations popular idol Is
an ambitious warrior, We naturally
epect to find among the masses
pride in military glory which easily
leads into a passion for conquest
But il the objects Of a nations prize
are eminent for the possession of the
nobler qualities of public spirit, pure
patriotism, unselfsh regard for
Others, and devoted loyalty to the
loving father of us all, the upward
trend of individual sentiment soon
becomes manifest. And so 1t is a
blessing to have old and young. the
humble and the exalted, dwell with
appreciation upon the lives and char.
acters of those who, in church or
state. have been public benefactors.
Americas heroes have not beer
bloody conquerors, grasping pluto
Gratis, or low sensualsts. Fortunate
are we that the two men whose lives
are most studied and whose memoir
les are most revered are such pat.
terms of lofty virtue as George
Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
While they rest from their lapors
their works do follow them as a
constant force making for the uplift
and enobling of our people.
"Among the other prominent &C.
tors in the great drama staged in
this western world, the one whose
hundredth birthday we now observe
stands forth conspicuous. Born and
reared in Ohio; educated in the Ma
tional Military Academy at West
Point; toughened to actual warfare
in Mexico; struggling with poverty
in Missouri; rapidly rising to the
rank of the greatest military COM
mander in the world, while a citi-
zen of Illinois; for eight years, at
Washington, President of now
united country; in his retirement
journeying through the principal
countries Of Europe, Asia and Af-
RIGA, as the honored guest of schol-
ars, princes and emperors; ending
his days in the Empire State; his
bones resting in that splendid MAUI
solemn in New York, the metropo.
lis of the world-he may truly be
said to belong TO the whole country.
Here was a career ecipsing the
widest flights of fancy, as recorded
in fiction.
"The coming of the great rebel.
lion reused and inspired him. He
had found his job. Beginning as
Colonel of an Illinois regiment. the
logic of continued success, advanced
him, in a bewildering way, thru the
successive grades of Brigader Cen
eral, Major Goreral, Lieutenant Gen
eral, and fnally to the previously
unknown rank, created especially for
him, of simply GENERAL. Now he
was in command of all the armies Of
the United States, operating in re-
glons far apart, but henceforth ac.
cording to the plan Of this one SUI
preme military genius. While other
commanders. ~ 10th sides, some
times failed, Grant never!
1T was the logical sequence Of
events that, at the first opportunity
after the war, a grateful people
should make this greatest Captain Of
his generation their Chief Magis.
trate. II would be folly TO claim
that this was the place for which he
was best fitted. His greatest work
was already done. The wonder Is that
a man who had been so Indifferent
to politics, who had voted in only
one presidential election, who never
before had been candidate for an
elective office, who but eight years
before had been driving a span of
horses in hauling wood from his
farm TO his city customers, could for
a moment feel at home in the pres.
idential chair. His administration |
was not brilliant; but il was honest,
patriotic, firm, and largely satisfac-
tory He was chosen for a second
term by larger vote than had been |