Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1885-08-15
TRIBUTE TO GEN. GRANT.

At the Grant memorial services
held in the Court House at this
place Saturday, p. A. Rohrbaugh,
ESQ.,, made the opening address, Of
which the following is a summary:
FELLOW CITIZENS We sit to-
day in the deepening shadows of a
nations gloom, almost as universal
as civilization. Not only in the
great financial centre of the world,
where men push each other aside in
the hurry of business and the mighty
throb of industry, is felt this sorrow,
but all through the land,-in the
hamlet and quiet country seat, in
the cabin as in the palace alike the
pail of grief hangs like black night
over the hearts of his country-men,
for the great silent man who has
gone to the still more silent tomb.
The emblems OF mourning in which
the peoples ofthe world have draped
their public buildings across the
great waters, betoken the universal
respect for the Hero and soldier
who has promptly answered the last
summons.
When | look into the faces of this
audience and remember the occasion
which calls rs together, feel that it
were more reverential in this pres
ence that we place our hands on
our lips. These comrades thought
to solemniZe their grief in the sanct-
ity of their lodge room, but in re-
Spouse to the sentiment of our peo-
pie they have given us all an oppor-
tunity to participate in this meeting,
and thus attest our love and admira-
ton for General Graht the great
soldier, as well as our sorrow in his
death.
We are taught that silence is gold
Ell, that "a word fi:ly spoken is like
apples of gold in pictures of silver"
OF these two maXims Grant was an
illustrious eXample,-perhaps the
most illustrious Of all Americans.
He seldom spoke, and when he did
he always said the right thing; so
that from the time he came into pub
lie notice and during his public career,
listing multitudes hung with bated
breath upon his utterances. Many
Of his epigramatic sayings, such as
''we will fight it out on this line If it
takes all summer" or "reform the
lines and attack them ut daybreak,0
will go down into history and awak-
en- the ambition Of the young men of
future generations.
Grant was great in his simplicity
of manners, in his indomitable and
unconquered will, in his cool-headcd-
ness in danger. in his broadness of |
view and generosity of heart he |
was great in his invincibility in war,
and his magnanimity in peace. Who
but Grant could have dictated an |
unconditional surrender at Apo
mattoX, and then without meditating
the result said to the conquered,
take your beasts of burden to your
homes, and as long as you behave
like citizens you shall be protected.
Who but Grant, when the admins
tration proposed to arrest Gen. Lee
and other leaders, would have said |
to the authorities, tissue these war
rants at your peril; )" these men are
under my parole of honor.
But my fellow citizens, that part
of the life of Gen. Grant which most |
forcibly marks his greatness, is found
in his beautiful home life, the sweet
association of family. This will ever
exhibit the grandeur OF the man,and
has endeared him to his people. AS
a business man, Gen. Grant was
signal failure, from his early life to
his death,i history be true. But his
name will live with Washington and
Lincoln while the Nation lives. We
may pile marble to the skies as a
monument to his greatness, but he
has builded him monument in the
hearts of his countrymen that will
endure when the marble shafts
shall have crumbled to dust. The
broken chains of four million bond
men, united country, a prosperous
and happy people, shall ever mark
the period of his life as a monument
of his enduring fame.