The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-10-23
GRANT MEMORIAL.
Boston Pays Fitting Tribute to the
Memory of the Dead Hero.
Abstract of Rev. Henry Ward Beech
er's Able Address.

| BOSTON, Oct 22.-The city of Boston paid its
formal official tribute to the memory of Ulysses s.
Grant this afternoon, in manner beittlng the oe-
caSlon. The exercises were held in fremont Tenn
pie, in the presence of an audience which filed
/ every part of the great auditorium. Mayor
O'Brien presided Howard M. Dow played appro-
pirate music upon the organ while the audience
was being seated, and then, IN conjunction with
a large orchestra, performed ChopIn'S funeral
march. Prayer was offered by Rev. B. f. Hamll-
ton, of Eliot church, after which a choir of 80
voices sang to music from The Magic ffute,y the
| first two and last four stanZaS of an ode which
Mrs. Julia Ward Howe had written for the occa-
sion. poem written by Louise lmogene Cur
ney, was then read by Prof. Moses I. Brown, then
notet, written by Rev. Nj. >. savage, was Is sung
by the female portion of the choir. Henry Ward
Beecher was then introduced by Mayor OBrien,
and delivered eulogy on Gen. Grant, an abstract
MIR. BEEcHER's ADDRESS.
Another name is added to the roll of those
whom the world will not willingly let die. A few
years since stornl-couds filed his heaven, and OBJ
| ioquy, slander and bitter lies rained down upon
| him. The clouds are all blown away: under Sc
rene sky he laid down his life, and the nation
wept. The path to his tomb is worn by the feet OF
| nnumerable pilgrims. The mildewed lips OF Sian
/ der are SILENT and even Criticism hesltates lest
| some incautous word should mar the history of
the modest, gentle, magnanmous warrior The
| whole nation watched his passage through htmIll-
| ating mlsfortunes with unfegned sympathy; the
/ whole world sighed when his life ended! AT his
| burial the unsworded hands of those whom he
had fought lifted his bier and bore him to his
| tomb with love and reverence.
Grant made no claim to salntshlp. be was a
! man of like passions, and with as marked limita-
| tions as other men. Nothing conid be more dis
| tasteful to his honest modest soul while living,
! and nothing more unbecomng to his memory,
than lying exaggerations and fulsome batteries.
The speaker then Sketched the career OF Grant
| from bOyhood to the time when he was called to
the command of the Union army. Nothing espe-
| cialy noteworthy occurred during his course at
West Point, his service in Mexico, or afterward
| a merchant or tanner. But the time was near
| at hand on the scenes of which he was to exert
mighty energy. The South, like queenly beauty,
| grew imperious and eXactlng; the North, like an
obsequious suitor, knet at her feet, only to re-
| ceive contempt and mockery. Both parties
| Wing and Democrat t,-drank of the cup of her
sorcery. 1t killed the Wing party. The Demo
crat was tougher, and was only besotted. A few,
like John the Baptist were preaching repentance,
but, like him, they were in the wilderness, and
seemed rude and shaggy fanatics
The South had bulded herself upon the rock of
Slavery 1t lay IN the very channels Of elylIlza, M ia,
tion like some Flood Rock lying sullen off Hell
Gate The tides OF controversy rushed upon
ncessant disaster The rock would not move. 1t
must be removed. 1t was the South itself that
furnished the engineers. Arrogance in council
sunk the shaft, violence chambered the subter-
ranean passages, and mfatuatlQn loaded them
W Was er fhe and Cat upon
Fort Sumter exploded the mine and tore the for
tresS to atoms.
upon the North like fire upon autumnal prairies.
Men came together In the presence OF this uni
versa calamity WITH sudden fusion Lney IoFgot
ligion itself. 1t was conhagration OF patriotism.
Parties dissolved and reformed. The Democratic
party sent forth host OF noble men, and SWelled
the Republican ranks and gave many noble lead
erS and irresistible energy to the hosts OF war.
The whole land became military school, and
officers and men began to learn the art and prac-
When once the North had organized its armies,
there was soon disclosed an amlable folly OF con-
caton. 1t hoped for some peaceable way out of
the war; Generals seemed to fight so that no one
parties parties above the battlefield, and anXiously con
Sidered the political effect OF their military con
duct The South smelted into glowing mass: 1t
believed in its course with an infatuati0n that
would have been glorious if the cause had been
better! 1t put its whole soul into it and struck
hardi
The South fought for slavery and independence
The North fought for union, but for political sue
cess after the war, Thus for two years, not gn7
marked by great deeds, the war fingered. Lincoln
sad and sOrrowful, felt the moderation OF his,
Generals, and longed for a man of iron mould
who had but two words in his military vocabulary III
victory or annihilation.
He was comingl He was heard from at Henry
and Donelson.
Three great names were rising to sight-Sher- |
man. Thomas, Sheridan; and larger than either, |
Grant! With his advent the armies, with some
repulses went steadily forward, from conquering |
to CONQUER Aside from all military qualities he |
had one absorbing spirit-the Union must be |
saved the rebellion must be beaten great |
genius for grand strategy, comprehension OF |
complex and vast armies caution prudence and |
silence while preparing, an endless patience, an |
indomitable will, and real, downright ngntmg
quality Thus at length Grant was really bOrn |
Ife had lain in the nest for long as an infertile |
egg. The broodng OF war natcned tne egg, ana |
1t is impossible to reach the full measure of |
Grants military genius until we survey the |
eP asys foT " Years there were more Than iifo
men on each side, stretched out upon nne OF
between one and two thousand miles, and block
ade rigorOusly enforced along coast OF equal ex-
tent. During that time counting no paltle III
which there were not hye hundred onion men
enga ped there was fought more than two thousand
enSaGements-two thousand two hundred ana
sixty-one of record Amid this sea Of biooa mere
shot up great battles that for NUMBERS, ngntlng
and losses will rank with the great battles OF the
world. 1,4 -
tered almost unknown. 1t was with dlliculty
that he could obtain command. Once set Tor
ward Donelson, Shiloh, Vicksburg Chlcamauga,
nomattox. these were his footsteps. In four |
years he had risen, without political favor, from
the bottom to the very highest Go M f6e %oSd
Every step from Doneson to Appomattox, |
evinced with increasing intensity this his one ter
or ord daIIied He waded through blood to the |
horses brides. In all this career ne never losI |
courage or equanmlty WIN llioI m a1n' at ar- tot
ried tranquil mind, neither depressed by dlsas- |
tiers, nor elated by success ,.so.4os4.o
When his work was done, and the de1eat OF Jne |
Confederate armies was final, this dreadful man
of blood was tender toward his late adyerSarles
as woman toward her son. He imposed no hll-
antagonists, sent home the dlsDanded southern
men with food and with horses for working thelr
crops and when a revengeful spirit in the execu.
tive chair showed ITSELF and threatened the CHIEF
Southern generals, Grant, with a holy indigna-
tion interposed himself, and compelled MS su-
perior to relinquish his rash purpose.
In eloquent words the speaker then traced the
success of Grant as commander of the Army OF
the Potomac; how he there reversed the methods
of all who preceded him. AT the Dattle OF tne
Wilderness, Grant stripped his commlssary t tIaln
Of its guards to fill gap in the line OF battle.
When expostulated with for exposing bis army 10
the loss of all its PROVISIONS his reply was; ~Wnen
this army is whipped it will not want any pro
visions" All Summer, all the Autumn, all the
Winter, all the Spring, and early summer AGAIN,
he hammered Lee with blow on Dlow snntbesn ae
Appomattox the great, nnt not grea'es'' 0o'''neAn
General went to the ground. e,4a,,
Grant was great fighter, but not tighter only.
His mind took in the whole field OF war-aS VIDE
and complex as any that ever Napoleon knew. he
combined in his plans the operations OF three ar
mics and for the rst time n tns e WAR Ie Hsbad
the patience of Fate, and the force OF Inor. II
he neglected the rules OF, war, as at ylckspurg,
it was to make better rules, to those who were
strong enough to employ them. Counselors gave
h i'm materials. He formed his own plans: AD-
horring show, simple in manner, gentle in his IN
tercouTse modest and even diffdent in regard to
his own personality, he seems to have been the
only man in camp who was Ignorant ql ms ms on, own
greatness. Never was commander Detter serV-
ed, never were subordinates more magnanlmousiy
treated. oeh;.
country The moment that the South lay painting
and helpless upon the ground, Grant carried nm NM
self with mar fa I aae be Turned aside
and returned to Washington without entering the
conquered Capital. -
Having brought the long and disastrous war to
close In his own heart Grant would have CHOSEN
to have rested upon his laures, and lived retired
military life. 1t was not to be permitted. He was
called to the Presidency by universal acclaim, ana
it fell to him to conduct a campaign OF Recon
struction even more burdensome than the war -
On the whole if one considers the intrinsic dlt-
fculty of the question belonging to his admnstra-
tion the stormy days of politics and parties during
his eight years it must be admitted that the coun-
try owes to his unselfsh disposition, to ms gener-
al wisdom, to his unsuled integrity, II not the
need of wisest yet the reputation OF one VINO,
pre-eminent in war; was eminent IN admlnlstra-
| tion, more perhaps by the wisdom OF a noDle ma
ture than by that intelligence whiehls bred only
| by experience. 60, -.
quent private lfe the brilliant reception he met
! with from foreign powers, and how In moment
| he was made poor by business reserves under
| which the resisting forces of his body gave way,
| disease in ambush sprang forth and carried nm
| captive In concluding Mr.. Beecher said:
| Patiently he sat in the region and SHADOW OF
| death. mild herosm of gentleness and patience
! lowered about him. The iron Will that mad upheld
| him in all the vicssitudes OF war, stll, IN gTa-
| cious guise sustained his lingering hours; his
| household love- never tarnished. never aDated,
| now reused him to one last heroic acmeyement-
to provide for the future of his family. NO longer
| were there golden hopes for himself. The vision
| of wealth had vanished. But love took It's place,
| and under weakness, pain and anguish, he wrought
| out history of his remarkable career Klndly