"Although a soldier by profession, I have never felt any sort of fondness for war, and I have never advocated it, except as a means of peace"

Ulysses S. Grant's quote speaks to his personal feelings about battle. He acknowledges that he is a soldier by occupation, but he does not have any kind of fondness for battle. He does not support war as an end in itself, yet instead as a way to an end, which is tranquility. This quote reflects Grant's idea that war ought to just be utilized as a last hope, and that peace should be the ultimate goal. He additionally indicates that he is not a warmonger, but rather a pacifist. Grant's quote is a pointer that battle ought to not be pietistic, but instead viewed as a needed evil in order to accomplish tranquility. It is a tip that war must be conserved and also just when absolutely required.