The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-28
' SENATOR M'DoNALD's SPEECH.

SENATOR MDoNALD's SPEECH.
Senator Mcdonald then spoke as follows:
Mr.. President, ladies and gentlemen General
Grant had reached, if he had not passed the
meridian Of life before any very notable act
had been performed By him. He had been ed
ucated for a soldier by his country and had
proven himself brave in the war with Mexico.
but he had long retired from military life, and
was living peaceful and quiet life when the
first gun Of the Rebellion called him back into
his countrys service.
General Grant was among the first to tender
his services and his sword to the country which
had educated him when Sumter was fred upon,
and to follow the flag under which he had been
taught military science. From Belmont to APP
pomattox he rose rapidly, like some wel-con-
his military career finally eliminated at
Appomattox, on the 10th of April, 1865,
by the surrender of the chief army of the re-
bellion. There were many gallant men in both
those armies, for they were of the same blood.
There were men, perhaps, more brilliant and
dashing than General Grant, but there were
none that possessed that strong, nvincibe viii;
that cool, determined courage that never under
took an enterprise to fail, that could be classed
along with him. Successes in the Southwest and
in the West had marked him as leader and
in March, 1864, he called East to take
command of the armies of the United
States, and he took personal command of the
Army of the Potomac and organized his grand
Richmond, crossing the Rappahannock on
the Ist of May. Union armies had
frequently crossed that stream before,
and brave men had led them. but they
bleeding and broken; but Grant went not to re-
turn until he had suppressed the rebellion.
From tho Wilderness to Spottsylyania a
continual battle of six days, ragged
with, VARYING. success. but when her : it
to the mind of General Grant that the days of
this socalled Southern Confederacy were num-
bered and he said in his communications to
Washington: II shall be successful upon this
line, and L shall fight it out upon this
all summer, all fall and all winter
but he persevered. this man of destiny-if he
should be so called--he persevered in the firm
belief that ne was to secure final and absolute
success
In April, 1865 the final defenses at Petersburg
were broken over and Richmond was surren-
dered and Lee had taken up his retreat. AT Ap-
pomattox Court house Grant finally brought
them to bay and a complete surrender was the
result.
General Harrison has spoken to you of the
stern necessities which had copnpelled General
Grant to apparently sacrifice hundreds and
thousands of lives in this struggle, until many
men began to think he was man not only of
iron will, but without the sympathies of the
human heart; but no sooner did he find
that he had hemmed in his great adj
versary and the remnant of his force than he
became one of the most humane of which
history furnishes any record His q words to
General Lee upon that occasion show this. They
show that he desired to shift from himself the
responsibility of any further efusion of blood,
bur that he insisted upon the unconditional sur
render of the entire army upon the terms men,
toned in his letter, which is to-day well known
in all this country.
Now, when the history of this time comes to
be written, and when men in after times come
to speak of the great state papers which have
been produced in this country, the brief utter
ances of General Grant upon this occasion will
rank among the great productions of the age.
General Grant is now suffering. and suffering
from disease that may prove fatal to him. But
he is able to say that he suffers pain that his
countrymen could alleviate or relieve him from.
Senator Harrison has spoken about his being
placed back upon the army rolls to wear once
more the uniform of his country. My friends,
that was not merely an act of gratitude, it was
army and was entitled 10 hold that position dur
ing the remainder of his life, with
all ths emoluments and honors that
belonged TO it. Why did he not
continue it2 Because he ooeyed his country's
call. Now. I may not have been one that called
him, but that does not make any difference He
obeyed his country's cali and became its chief
magistrates and to do that he had to lay down
the military honors that he wore. When his
term of civil service ended was it not right to
give him his military record againl
Let me say to my friend Senator Harrison,
that six years before this present Congress 1
voted in the Senate of tho United States to
place General Grant once more upon the rolls of
the army. aud there never was time since the
question was first mooted. down to the present
time that did not stand ready to vote that
way. lAppause
Now. my friends, the resolutions which have
been passed here to night will DO read ia his
hearing and may tend TO give him courage who
never yet wanted courage. to ightout this battle
OF life while longer; but III no soon should be
called TO his Office above, IL his earthly career
shall soon close. he has built for himself ard bis