The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-11-27
] sr'E ERR. sfAsg9 9d $s!E 4 1! ,oH1.
An Enthusiastic. Welcome ExtenAeA
the Dissin&u9nhed Guest BY an Inn
mense Gathering Of People.

- w. ~ IL
An Enthusiastic welcome ExtenAsA
the DistinGu1nAed Guest BY an I'm
mense Gathering Of People.
The City OF Chicago gave ex-president
Grant, on tho 18th, such welcome rs she had
| never before extended to any human being.
IN this she was aided BY an immense multi:
country for hundreds OF miles around.
The weather. for several days before had
not been propitions, and the streets wer9
ankle-decp with the oleaginous seni-fiiid
which passes for mud in that Ct ". The ar
rival of the ex-Prcsidcnt was Axod for one
o'clock p. m, and at noon the rain was falling
in torrents. The shower was over q
half hour later, and the sun shOne bright
ly during the remainder of the day.
To say that the streets of Chicago were
crowded, or that a vast multitude were scat
tered alongth sidewalks, Orthat every cOigne
of vantage along the route the procession took
use any Of the nouns Of multitude Or terms
nSense ssas 0S nenss ts
crush Adae to the home tasnt N the dreo
ton OF Sightseeing were fully $1,000 people
from abroad, so that 100000 persons upon the
as the corning 81 the ish oes no
seem to be an extravagant estimate of the
numbers who welcomed the distinguished ex-
The whole city was ablaze with color Every
structure, big and little, which boosted a fias.
staff, displayed the National bunting, and the
flags of all Nations, tri-colors, crosses, stars;
lions cOuchant, crescents. "sunbursts," harps;
shanrOcks, roses and thistles flew, futtered
hhd gyrated from the front Of most of the
buildings in the central portion Of the city.
AT one o'clock, the booming of cannon Oh
the lake shore announced the approach of the
train bearing the guest Then NH the factory;
tug and locomotive whistles in the city were
opened and set up universal yell, in which
the people Joined, and General Grant alighted
from his train, and, escorted by Hon. I'll Omas
drawn by six horses. Then the head Of the
and by the Fist regiment Of Illinois cavalry,
supported by the Second regiment of infantry,
moved, and General Grant moved with it.
When Chicago wishes to do especial honor
to guest she gets up procession. This time
soI.iiers-infantry, cavalry, artillery, the Mex
lean veterans, the veterans of the last war;
distinguished soldiers in carriages, members
Of the Society Ct the armies Of the Tennesss
States, Judges of Courts, civil authorities, the
Fire Department, mounted police, Park Conn
missiOners, and an immense number Of wag.
Ons, all gayly decorated, contributed by lead
Ing firms, who vigorously seized the opportil-
nifty to do honor to the guest and advertise
their wares: The numbers in this procession
fair, being fully three hours in passing agiven
point.
When the carriage containing the ex-Presi-
dent reached his headquarters, the Palmer
House, he dismounted, and took position on a
platform in the rotunda where Mayor Har-
rison addressed him as follows:
GENERAL GRANT: The people of Chicago
reccgnize in you the most renowned of
Americas citizens. They watched you for
the last thirty months, journeying around
the IL world: they have seen you the recipient
those Of exalted rank and yet, Sir, you had
no other PASSPORT than that you were an
Anne o, citizen snces' rulers and
and in q honoring you they lavished
honor upon your country. This peO
pie, sir, now that you are returning
reception. With this end they have appointed
committee of five hundred, gentlemen to re-
ceive you here in the heart of the city, and to
welcome you to the homes and to the hearts of
our people. Upon me, as Chairman of that
committee, devolves the pleasing duty of
clothing in words what their hearts would
Se IF
people.
Eighteen years and two months ago, a
o state had nsoSed ns rSs
war then commenced. Our statesmen
were deeply troubled, and knew not how to
solve the problem of that neutrality: You,
sir, like the Macedonian cOnQuerOr, with your
sword cut the Gordian knot, and the first-bOrn
daughter of the Constitution no longer wav-
cred in her devotion to the Union, and to the
Unions flag. Two months after that we saw
you writing your name in blood at fiercely-
contested Belmont, Before the frOStS of win
ter had thawcd, you threw your regiments
around noneison; ITS com imam iee s
pitulation. Your laconic reply: "Uncondition-
al surrender! propose Immediately to move
upon your works. enriched the page of military
literature, and fifteen thousand Confederate
prisoners came here to Chicago living wit
ncsscS OF your great victory.
Ere the buds or spring had burst out into
the summers flowers, Pittsburgh Landing and
Corinth were your trophies. and the waters Of
the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers flowed
freely. bearing the stars and stripes through
the Ohio and Mississippi to Memphis and be.
you to the gulf. Vicksburg, deemed impreg.
nable, frowned upon its turbulent waters, and
vicksburg should fall, and for you to resolve
seemed, in the past. for you to do.
After months Of strategic movement, long
in 'front.' Of the YOU of the la s Snf1 af
Nicksburg was vulnerable only from the rear.
DESTROYS of saving your army, You endeav-
ored to make a new channel for the mighty
stream; but the Father of Waters despised
your human efforts and relied majestically on
beneath the enemy's guns. Unable to bride
the monster, you mounted his foaming back,
shot. Vicksburg fell. and Chicago shouted:
1.-The backbone of the COnfcderacy is broken"
Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain and Mis-
sionaly Ridge were then flowers in the chaplet
encrcling your brow. We then saw you at
the Nations Capital commanding your cOun-
try's armies: but your own special duty was
to reach Richmond, which had in the past
seemed nDti me tdngfle TO our armies. You
chose the line of the Wilderness, and to the
immortal Lincoln you declared that you would
Eight it out on that line if it took you all
summer" thus giving evidence of the tenacity
of your own will, rOusing the wavering and
lifting up the down-l Ited. You did, sir,
fight it out on that line, and Richmond was
ours. -
We next saw you at Appomattox Court
House, receiving the sword of the brave but
mistaken Lee You handed it back to him.
wore sword" You babe him keep his horses,
for his folks would reed them at the pillow.
You babe his armies return to their homes to
rebuild up their broken hcarth-stones and to
re-establish their shattered fortunes.
Sir, Chicago and the world then applauded
the clement conqueror, as before they had adj
mired the dauntless soldier. The bloody war
over, You said, Let us have peace" and
greatful Nation lifted you to the highest posi-
ton in its gift-aye, the highest in the world.
Eight years you were President. Then, wearied
you sought rest and travel. Turning your
eyes to the eastward, moving ever toward the
cradle OF the sun, You were greeted in all
of your country. Cheers. y
Sir, you have served your country nobly.
Your country has honored you grandly. Like
inc Immortal washington you rose from the
lowly walks of life, passed through all militia
~ grades, until you commanded the victori-
Gus armies of your country. Like him, you
filled the Office of President two long terms.
He, when his two terms were over, was of
fered crown by his admiring friends, but
preferring an Immortality of rcnown to tenn
porary power, he retired to private life and
people. and all time viii call him his coun-
try's father, You, toosf sir, when your
your eauntry's Constitution in its unWritten
traditions, hallowed by the example of the inn
mortal WashingtUr-yOu, too, retired, and
thus you, too. sir, live and will live forever in
your cOuntTymensS hearts.
Sir, in the name Of Chicago and it's people, ]
prophesy that when time Shall have grown old,
when the page Of history shall have become
dimmed, BY the side Of thegrcat quartet who
had gone before you, yOur name, your statue.
will he placed. rSheeeide of Washington,
Of JeHerstn n, of jackson. and of the immortal
Lincoln, will live the name of Grant.
Sir, again allow me to tender you a hearty
welcome to the homes, to the firesides and to
the hearts of aA&th6 people of Chicago, re-
CARELESS Of creed or of party.
. Mayor HArrisOp's speech was greatly APP
plauded. He then shook hands with General
Grant who responded as follows:
! MRVMAYOR, AND GENTLEMEN OF THE CON-
.MITTEE OF RECEPTION OF CHICAGO, AND GEN
TLEMEN OF CHICAGO AND OF ILd1NOIS: j feel
very much hohored by the welcome which i