The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-27
At Central-Avenue nj. E. Church.
The second Presbyterian Church.


In his address before the Odd-fellows, de-
livered yesterday morning by request, at Gen.
tral-avenue NJ. E. Church, in discussing the fell
lowship of humanity, Rev. DR.. Marine made the
following reference to General Grant:
"There is much that is beautiful and touching
in the universal tribute of sympathy and honor
that is being paid to sick and suffering
military chieftan, General Grant Mankind
has in all ages applauded true greatness, and yet
been slow to justly appreciate it Sometimes for q
season merited reward is withheld, but the
worthy do not always suffer from neglect.
Sooner or later justice is melted out
to them in some appropriate and
enduring form. Often it comes too late, when
the eye is closed in the eaden slumbers of death.
insensible alike to the fattery of praise OR the
malice of censure.
We honor the soldier who in the hour of his
countrys peril, presented himself as one of her
defenders. At his last resting place we lay
flowers as votive offerings to the memory of the
one who died for the defense of our homes and
native land. These dead men were patriots,
not politicians. They may have belonged to
party, but if SO, for the time being, the party is
lost and swallowed up in their patriotism, and it
was in defense of their country that they fought
and died. The same is true, as well, of the
brave men who survived the slaughter of battle
and the ravages of disease. Parties may die
when their purposes are subserved, but our Ma
ton should endure forever Patriotism
challenges the admiration or all men.
Thank God, our matchless country has survived
the shock of war and the fury of tremendous
battles. Nowhere else does the sun in all his
wanderings shine upon a land that has had
many brave and patriotic defenders of it's free
institutions And now. while we remember the
prophetic and beautiful language of one of our
martyred Presdents-the immortal Lincoln
who said, Though passion may have strained,
it must not break our bonds of affection.
The mystic chords of memory, stretching from
every battlefield, and patriots grave, to every
living heart and hearthstone all over this land,
will yet swell the chorus of tho Union, when
again touched, as surely as they will be, by the
better angels of our nature. We hail in the fell
lowship of common brotherhood, the fulfill
ment of that memorable prediction as we hear it
in the Chorus of the Union, and as manifested
just at this time by tho ''better angels
of the Nations love and respect for that plain
victorious chieftain in war; Ulysses s. Grant,
who, in our estimation, stands head and shout
ders above every other man as the representative
and hero of the sacred cause that triumphed in
the tragedy of battle. A man of genius. and
genuine heroism, in whose eventful
life there has never been o single
exhibition of cowardice, and whose magnanimity
toward conquered foe has never been sur
passed in history. Whatever may have been
the federal army, or his mistakes of administra-
ton as President of these United States, what
ever his misfortunes and failures in business, he
can at this moment, while broken
sibly near deaths door, lay his hand
upon his heart and with nplifted face toward
heaven, truthfuly say: "Thank God, that in the
terrible ordeal through which the Republic was
called to pass. all my acts. words and affections