Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-08-11
THE DEAD HERO.
Eloquent Grafton ofcol. A. H. Clark,
at the Grant Memorial Exer-
cises, crofton, Ky, Aug. 8.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN I:

But on such an occasion, aud in
such a presence, there seems to me
to be the greater eloquence in this
great paucity Of words. For | come
not to-day, to the companions of my
youth, and the friends of my child
hood, merely to panegyrize the hero
gone, but come to mingle my tears
with yours over the Nations dead.
lie whom we all loved, and whose
grand achievements and great deeds
the world knows by heart, after long
weary months Of suffering and pain,
has spread his white wings and sailed
away over the vast ocean of eternity,
never more to come back to us, in
spite of our tears and entrcaties, our
outstretched arms and prayers.-We
weep-A Nation weeps.-Ah! my
friends, the World weeps.
Rome wept when Caesar fell,
France mourns for her fallen Napo-
lean England grieved when Yelling
ton was no more; but when Grant
dies the world is in tears.
lie needs no cenotaph inscribed with
his great deeds TO perpetuate his
memory. No monumental pile of
glittering granite can add one cubit
to his stature. lie built his own
monument, in the hearts of the people.
AS the gifted leader Of the glandest
army whose step ever kept time to
martial music, and whose banners
ever darkcned the sky, he crushed
out those who sought to divide and
destroy our government and our
country, and as has been well said
"pinned the emancipation proclama-
ton upon the breast of treason, with
Il million bayonets." And when this
had been accomplished, the people
said that the wounds inflicted by the
war must be healed, and that that
which had been baptized by the
crimson b'ood OfpatriOts slain should
be perfected, and to that end they
turned trustingly to Grant, aud called
him twice to the highest Office in the
world where he eviIced statesman
ship as great and matchless, as his
captaincy had been illustrious and
grand. u
1t has been said of him that
standing on the very highest
eminence of human distinction
and having filled all lands with his
remown, that he had seen not only the
hlghborn and the titled, but the poor
and the lowly in the uttermost parts
of the earth, rise up and uncover be-
fore him." And, my friends, when
he went abroad, and "kings lifted
their crowns in recognition of his
merit, and Nations fastened TO do
him honor" this modest, simple un-
ostentatious man said: "lt is not on
my own account that these honOrs
are done me, but on account of the
great country which | represent"
lie was called the "Silent man." In
referring to this and to his philologi-
cal attainments, some one wlttily Y said
"that he had the remarkable talent of
remaining silent in four languages.
Certain it is, that he was man OF
splendid endowments, and yet, his
great modesty forbade that lie should
ever become renowned as an orator
He will be remembered, not as ont
who sought TO perpetuate his name
by scholastic or ornate use of words
or as the champion Of verbose and re
sounding theories, but rather as ont
who day by day met the actual affairs
and realities of life, and who firmly
and calmly grappled with them will
determined and resolute grasp. Iii
fame rests not upon that which III
has written and said, but upon wha
he has done. And that which he did
he did effectively and thoroughly
When he held the pitiless sword tn
South had no shield for its uncovered
bosom. And yet, when the Soutl
yielded, such was his magnaminity t
the "boys in gray" that she nov
comes and lays upon his tomb
"bough of her evergreen magnoli
crowned with its white emblems 0
} peace" and asks to be allowed to min
gle her tears with those of the Mort
and East and West over the Nation
dead. ast H#t.-.t
= But yesterday, he was the hate
. Chieftain of an invading foe, and ye
, Io-uay they COME WIN tear-u,ihlhe
eles anu scatter llc,iloIlal hoWer
aoou' e, ,;i ;he oeaa heros eros tolnp. ; Az
, li'he liNe ,hiS, no" iinp.essiVci
conics 10 us 'he liie.liory vi ms tnous nous
ai'l ,lIl virtues. ., A"e WIN wha' sra"
'csSpns Sp, ,ne! are iruusll.
hetncr we view mn as d ciVilia
VI so..ier wn,,ler as iii'si'aI ~
omno',ai.' ',,' vi i; N,ie' ,in 1Aeou.ive ' Vi VI
, sianues' s lePaDiiI lie wor.u mas W ev.
, Anown u vi alter i,e i.au ret,rcu iro'
acliVG 'i ~, ll.e cIoWneu ~ WIN ooIh ln,li'a,
alu IVY honols, we inu mn VI
!. salio pun, nones'' uplisns anH u,
, pIo'cli'lous seh.ieiilah' oilhp,e an
u""'Hn ''S:.i,n ~ ~ no ''a",e 0o;no.i' ~
f anI as lit',o eI;a Iii,'u' @ anu if",,N III u
atowa' I " VI m his purposes, nc was
!, Ninu'! III his iooii,ss 'haI n1 wa
y i.i, so.ioli,nos ilil,osGu upon Wy 'iio VI VI
sotupuiouS' p, anu ooss'' ou oy 'io$
. Wiolll M nc hau 'rus'eu' anu so,,iv
wiJ,,l W. s, ne l'au laaseu iton, posi'i9i y;
VI onscuri'y ihto Prollll,ience Pl. anu ~
si;o.lon ;.,;, ii9 WAS so,,iG.i'l'es ilarS'i m
v otiI'o,Seu i'' anu pcIsona,'y n:y apuseu, " y,
o",y ny .iiose Wno u'' No. h.oW u