Grant 185 



Lincoln and soldiers like Grant, and accordingly as 

 it does or does not back them in their efforts. We 

 do not need men of unsteady brilliancy or erratic 

 power unbalanced men. The men we need are the 

 men of strong, earnest, solid character the men 

 who possess the homely virtues, and who to these 

 virtues add rugged courage, rugged honesty, and 

 high resolve. Grant, with his self-poise, his self- 

 command, his self-mastery; Grant, who loved peace 

 and did not fear war, who would not draw the sword 

 if he could honorably keep it sheathed, but who, 

 when once he had drawn it, would not return it to 

 the sheath until the weary years had brought the 

 blood-won victory ; Grant, who had no thought after 

 the fight was won save of leading the life led by 

 other Americans, and who aspired to the Presidency 

 only as Zachary Taylor or Andrew Jackson had as 

 pired to it Grant was of a type upon which the 

 men of to-day can well afford to model themselves. 

 As I have already said, our first duty, our most 

 important work, is setting our own house in order. 

 We must be true to ourselves, or else, in the long 

 run, we shall be false to all others. The Republic can 

 not stand if honesty and decency do not prevail alike 

 in public and private life; if we do not set ourselves 

 seriously at work to solve the tremendous social 

 problems forced upon us by the far-sweeping indus 

 trial changes of the last two generations. 



