[applause] the institute is our Sister Organization and nonprofit educational entity founded 25 years ago by william f. Buckley, jr. And its mission [applause] its mission to the fans the conservative principles bill championed with the magazine to support National Review best talent and preserve them promote to what the buckley legacy indeed it has formally launched of buckley legacy project and they are here to explain of plants in the last year the institute through the project has celebrated the anniversary of two important and lasting aspects of the buckleys legacy the 1965 run for mayor of brilliantly captured in his republish campaign memoir and the 1966 launch of his marvelous Interview Program firing line. That is why we here today to discuss what bill of writer and specifically the observer of men and women public and private giants and small fries. Before i introduce our participants, over 20 years ago, my predecessor to do nationally view of so much had a terrific idea, let
National review institute its president Lindsey Craig and fellow trusties including here and now rich lowery and stan, if i forgot anyone, you will let me know. I would like to welcome you about a conversation, an important new book, a torch kept lit, great lives of the 20th century. My name is jack fowler and im the publisher of National Review. [laughter] [applause] the institute is our sister organization, a nonprofit educational entity founded 25 years ago by William F Buckley, jr. [applause] its mission to advance the conservative principles bill champion, complement the mission of the magazine and support National Reviews best talent and preserve and promote the buckley legacy. Indeed, the institute that is formally launched a buckley legacy project and there was literature here explaining its plans and vision, in this last year the institute through this project haskell braited the anniversaries of two important and lasting aspects of the buckley legacy. The marvelous Interview
The casualties were astounding, a stouinstounding to soldiers, generals and those left back home. Amidst the staggering losses at cole harbor, for every soldier killed, wounded or captured, there was a family. Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters that also felt the loss. The loss of the men that fell at cole harbor in the spring of 1864 reverb rasreverberated thr kmunlts a communities across the north and south. The battlegrounds left indelible kbag impacts on the living left behind. So, too, were the believes of the men who fought that bloody spring. Indeed, in spite of so many lost lives, those believes and ideas about nation, government and home became even more deeply enslie enshrined in the hearts and minds of those left to fight on tonight to reflect upon and learn from today. Writing soon after the war with a perspective on hindsight. Sally putnam came to believe that in its own unique way, cole harbor had been a landmark event in the 1866 Campaign Across Central
Men ever went into battle. We fight for the principles of free government, and for the existence of a nation whose institutions are the hope of the downtrodden people of every land. Our success in this Campaign Must ensure the integrity of the United States by the final overthrow of the rebel down. Success will give a new life to our country, and a new faith to the stability of free government to the world. It will also determine the next presidency as certainly as if the votes were counted. But if we fail in this campaign, that failure will be the greatest disaster in modern history. Upon general grant there now concentrates the deepest interest with which the world ever watched the actions of a single soldier. He is the foremost man in the greatest contest of the age. When the nation and the world wanted to know how the civil war was going, they looked to virginia. That spring, robert e. Lee and his army showed clearly as the confederacies greatest hope. Ulysses s. Grant had come eas
Nevertheless, while other Union Commanders were failing, grant had climbed steadily up the military ladder with resounding victories, stretching from fort henry in 1862, through vicksburg to Missionary Ridge in 1863. He was clearly the norths man of the hour. When lincoln ordered an east early in 1864 to take command of all federal forces. The somewhere near 500,000 combat ready soldiers grant would have authority over the largest post any american officer had ever led. The new Lieutenant General wasted little time in making his strategic intentions known. In the past, grant asserted, union armies had quote, acted independently and without concept like a bulky team of mules, no two pulling to the. And this allowed confederates to shift men from one sector to the other to meet the most pressing danger. Union generals seemed content to maneuver. But that was not the road to victory, grant announced. The north had far superior numbers, and materiel. It was time to switch games. To stop pl