Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-08-14


and wrong he may have done to our dead
patriot, let him drop II tear of late repent
ance into this newmade grave, and from
his sad reflections learn how Il republic
ought to treat its great men.
The choir then sang "The Strife is Ger"
the audience rising during the singing.
The Mayor then introduced Hon. ID. II.
Chamberlain, of New York, formerly
Governor of South Carolina, who spoke
as follows;
Ex-Gov. Chamberlain's Address.
Mr. Mayor. Fcllolc- Citizens. Lddics AMI
Gentlemen:
1t is Just now twenty-One years since |
first saw the hero whom we come to mourn
and bury. About noon of the 10th day of
April, 1864, Gen. Grant in person crossed
the james River, and it was my fortune,
ii truly memorable fortune to me,-to
meet him OH the piazza of the sole resi-
depCc ut City Puiut-the historic EppeS
mansiOn-aud to watch and listen to him
during the remainder of that day.
refer now to that scene and occasion
because of the vivid impression of his
character which there recevcd,-an inn
preston which remains essentially un-
changed to this hour when we lay what
was mortal of him in the earth.
| am about to say in what specific quail
ties. as it seems tonne, lay the real great
ness of Gen. Grant, and it gratitieS my
memory and my heart to recall the precise
words and manner which on that eventful
day seemed to disclose much of the char
acter of the great commander.
1t was warm, fair, southern afternoon;
the James lay before us, and beyond
it the scene of McClellan's seven days
fighting and the fresh battlelields of the
last army of the Potomac. \ few miles
Monde
the beginning really of the ten months
seige of the Confederate capital. Cold
lIarbOr with its magnificent waste OF
herOism, was fresh in mind the dust OF
battle literally covered him thick great
orders and plans were in execution
stupendous results We're depending at that
very hour on the passing events; yet there
he sat, grim indeed in look, Il countenanct
on which anxiety struggled with I'M
shaken determination if may change q
| little Millions words:
His face
Deep sears of thunder had intrcnchd ana
| Sat on his bronzed cheek, hut under browS
| OF dauntlcss courage and cOn>idcratc pride,
Waiting succesS'-
An aide-de-camp had Just handed him
bundle of Richmond papers, brough
| through the lines. Suddenly, while read
| ing these papers, he looked up at the hous
where we sat.and said to member of hi>
|
side and gently chatting with his family
| General, we shall stay here, but we viii
have our tents and camp here ON the blum
We have no use for houses till this work
| is done
| Then resuming his reading for a shor
time, he again quickly glanced across tn
| river where a column of dust wa
moving from the direction of Rich
mond towards Harrisons Landing. II
called for his field-glass, and gazing mo
ment said: "Ies, the enemy is feeling
us again adding slowly, "rhey are BRAY
fellows. When this thing is over, what
| country we shall have ~
| There, fellow citizens, in those simpl
words was expressed, as | then though
and now think, the greatness, the creates
elements of Gen. Grants character.
These qualities | would call Fortitud
and Magnanimity; and by fortitude
mean serenity of mind. poise of feeling
no less than determination and intleNlblli
ty of will; something of the qualit
which Milton paints-"The better fortitud
of patience and heroic martyrdom un
sungn-the "much enduring" power whlc
] Homer ranks a. divine and Milton aga
\ thus describes:
But patience is more oft the exercise
| OF saints, the trial of their fOrtitudc,
| Making them each his own dcllNcrcr
And victor over all
| That tyranny of fortune can intict."
1t is Il great quality, closely allied,
think, to all highest greatness. Washina
ton had it: Caesar had it Wellingto
had it Victor Hugo had it Bismarc
has it. Cicero did not have it Napoleo
did not have it Byron had none OF 1t an
the fortitude of Carlyle had little of tn
patience which Milton described and hin
self illustrated.
Such fortitude is the basis of the hes
courage not the fierce thirst for glor
which has inspired so many soldiers; NJ
the gay courage which moved the sacr
flee of our own Custer: but that tough
steady, unyielding, unwearying qualit
which battered down Nicksburg slOwl
and remorselessly "hammered' out tn
destruction of Lees army, withstood at
critical moment in civil life the craze {
financial heresies as deadly as rebellion
and at last, in the same mood, met dl
ease suffering, Death, with an ntrepidt
to which, all in all, certainly recall few
if any parallels,
| have named Magnanimity as Grant
other greatest characteristic. 1t is III
profound belief that History, when its pc
and brush fix the final features of on
hero, will place this above all his otht
claims to greatness. Surely | shall NJ
step on forbidden ground, if say tina
there are three events or facts in his life o
which this claim will rest. mean, .trS
his terms of surrender to Lee and hi
| army: SCcOH0 MS nnal pOSltlOn toward Gel
F'itz John Porter and mira, the spirit {
his last days as expressed in the dedic'
ton of his book :
"To the soldiers and sailors who fougl
on either side in the great Civil War
The profOundest of all English state
men has said, "Magnanimity
politics is often the truest wisdom
and great empire and little minds G
i'll together - and again he says, THE
only can aspire to act greatly, who are {
force greatly to suffer" BY these tes
here is real great man.
f But ! cannot forbear to speak of or
other quality,-his innate and unfailin
tenderness of feeling towards family an
friends. This is the flower and perfun
of all characters /; as Carlyle says, "tf
tender blossom adjoining the bosom of a
earth whose centre rests on adamant."
But he is gone Not after life's titfl
. fever" but after lfe's faithful worl
he sleeps well. To-day we return tn
a body of our hero to the dust whence
. sprang, and our hearts are sud. COmmC
rs is the event of death, nature has inves
ed it always with II sad solemnity
go iron nerve, to true occasion true!
I q fallen at length. that tower of strength
That stood four-squarc to all the winds tn
blew
tr.NY t,tl,