Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-08-07

Mt MACGREGOR, y. Y, Aug. AT
10 O'Clock the funeral services of General
Grant at the cottage We're held in the
presence of over a thousand persons. The
ceremonies opened with the reading of
a psalm, &c. which was followed by an
impressive prayer by Bishop Harris The
hymn, ''My Faith Looks up to Thee" was
joined in by the whole assemblage pres
ent with fine effect DR.. Newman then
came forward and delivered a sermon on
the subject of the dead General, the fam
lily meantime sitting about the remains in
the parlor.
DIR. Newman's Sermon
"Well done, thou good and faithful ser
want enter thou into the Joy of the Lord. "
Matthew XIV, q.
Such, my brethren, is the eulogy that
God shall pronounce on human goodness
and fidelity wherever found among the
sons of men. The accidental distinction
between the prince and peasant, million
aire and pauper, commanding general and
private soldier are but as the dust in the
balance in his estimation of personal
worth. He regards not the person of any
man but he looks upon the heart. In the
intensity of this divine light let us to-day
recall the character of the illustrious man
whose death a nation so tenderly mourns
Some comrade in arms shall speak of the
SplendOr OF his martial genius; some
statesman shall review the majesty of the
civil administration some historian shall
place him on the pedestal of his renOWn {;
but let me, as the minister of religion,
dwell upon that great character which
will ever be his crown of glory and the i'm
perishable heritage of the country he loved
so well. Do you tell me, my friends, that
a great man is dead greatest among
warriors, foremost among statesmen,
noblest among patients Do you tell me
| that he led our armies to victory That
he administered our government in wis
dom That he best illustrated the essen
| tial principles of our national life DO
| you tell me that he was the truest of hus-
bands, the kindest of fathers. the iirmest
of friends, the purest of philanthropists,
the humblest of Christians? True, thrice
happily true Are these the reasons why
we will not be comforted; because those
calm eyes cannot respond lovingly to our
gaze and those pure lips cannot greet us
as of yore, and those ears cannot hear Il ma
tons cry, "TO arms TO arms ~ for the
| foe is near? But whence the secret of the
power of this one life on the thought of
the world and the love of mankind
Others have insured for themselves i'm
pershable renown for their martial PROV
ess, for their profound craftsmanship for
the display of their marvellous in
another who more than he stamped all
that he said and all that he did with such
purity and lottiness of character His in
dividuallty was most intense. This was
the source of his strength, the power of
his action, the glory of his achievements.
He was never other than himself. He
acted with IA spontaneity all his own And
what were the elements of that character,
so unique, symmetrical and now immor-
tai? God had endowed him with an eX-
traordinary intellect For 40 years he
was hidden in comparative Obscurity, Civ
ing no indications of his wondrous capa-
city; but in those four decades he was
maturing and at the appointed time God
lifted the veil of obscurity, called upon
him to save nation and give new dt
rection to the civilization of the world
How calm his Judgment, how clean and
quick and accurate his imagination, how
vast and tenacious his memory Reason
was his dominant faculty. He was ma
tural logician. He could descend to the
smallest details and rise to the highest
congratulations.
His was the genius of common sense
enabling him to contemplate all things il
their true relations, Judging what is true
useful, proper, eXpedient, and to adopt the
best means to accomplish the largest ends
From this came his seriousness, thought
fulness, penetration, discernment, firm
ness, enthusiasm, triumph. Wherein
others dreamed of success he fOresaw de
feat when Others expected despair he dis
covered ground of hope.
His soul was the home of hope sustain
ed and cheered by the certainties of hi
mind and the power of his faith. His was
the mathematical genius of great gen
Neral rather than that of great soldier
BY this endowment he proved himsel
equal to the unexpected, and that Will
the precision of seer. THE race is no
to the swift nor the battle to the strong
because the unexpected happens to every
man. The grandest campaigns are oftel
. defeats, the most brilliant plans are un
| contaminated, the most wished for oppor
tunities are unrealized, because bailled o.
the unexpected at the very moment OF eN
pected fultilment. But he appeared
: greatest in the presence of the unforeseen
Then came an inspiration rs reslstless a.
the march of a whirlwind, as when on th
second night of the battle OF the Wider
? ness, when he changed the entire 'front.'
the line of battle and quietly sad IN re
Spouse to a messenger, IF Lee is in IN.
| rear, | am in his.
such were his untold hidden resource
of adaptation, ever unfolding to meet IN
demand of new situations. that he would
| have proved himself equal to any posluol
} | of trust and to any emergency that Nigh
: arise When he rose to supreme com
mand, the nation demanded one dominan
, Esprit, mighty to grasp, strong 10 execute
A powerful to inspire, The country wa
one, the rebellion was one, and the armle
+ of the Union should be one ana the gen
eral who could mould, control, inspire al
army of million strong and make then
think, feel and fight as one man, was III
5 desire of the republic. Such a one was h
around whose bier nation weeps to-day
To be everywhere present at once by hi
spirit and orders was in him realize'
fact. His laconic order was "All strik
together" He impaired to all his owl
spirit, and all things became possible t
his faith.
} To-day, you are filled with the glory Q
: mis- military triumphs. You are recalling
Belmont, and Henry, and Donelson AM
and Richmond. You are calling him tn
greatest of soldiers; and you do well. Blu
do not degrade him to the level of thOs