Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-08-14

the dark valley OF death and whom the
pressing tolls Of life give place to rover
enoe and meditation. the bereaved and bur
dened soul OF man Is in waiting for, wonder
ing and dreaming of, some precious life
which il still living, although its mortal robes
have gone to decay-then memory, though
treacherous, fading, Pickering, yet seizes mp.
on the events of the past, recounts the days
Of Joy and victory with some life once lived,
and in sorrow and gloom views afresh the
couch and bedside Of the dying and sees
again, in imagination, the loving spirit de-
parting from its flesh
Surely there are many noble dead, fallen
from every rank OF life, whose resting places
are all about us they, too, are entitled TO
our remembrance, our affection, our love,
not for victories won in the battles Of war,
but for victories won in tho great battles of
life; yet had the record of a brave soldier
should esteem il as the crown OF my life,
for u Ia, indeed, the grandeat eptaph that
can be written Of man. Who can chide me
for envying those whose minds revert TO the
bugle calls that summoned them TO the posts
OF danger where they brayely fought for
the preservation OF the Union and the liberty
of all men Generations unborn will review
with pride and devotion their heroic and gal
liant conduct at Manassas, Spottsylvanis, the
Wilderness, Fair Oaks Malvern Hill, Shiloh,
Gold HarbOr, fredericksburg aud OhanoelloIs-
vile, ION the mountains of Tennessee, in
the lowlAnds of LOuisiana" everywhere that
the lurid light Of oontending armies shone
upon from the gulf that yawned 10 receive
this republic in which lies forever the bones
Of three hundred thousand boys in blue"
Citizen soldiers There was one man who
tented, fought and marched with you in
whom was discovered the elements Of great
l.. IA a. -. - 4.
Appomattox whom a great nation is burying
to-day, and, though strange 1t may seem,
the breezes Of peace have 70 cemented the
disoordant elements of our land that friend
and foe, the conquered and the conqueror,
are uniting arm in arm and hand in hand in
beatowing tributes of respect in tears Of sor-
row around the casket of the great COM
mAnder.
Fellow citizens, I can add nothing to what
has been written and spoken of him. Eulo-
gies have been written and are being spoken
in eloquence and pathos. Gen. Grant is be-
ing buried to day with appropriate and glow
ing epitaphs and brilliant encomiums; but
upon turning back the pages Of history, ma
ny Of these same writer's and orators sought
the disgrace of Gen. Grant by unjust criti-
cism. ''The shafts of disappointment, envy
and malace reach every distinguished station
in life and not until disease or death destroys
leadership will full judice be done. Death
may have its sting, but the grave has it's VIC
tory.
As citizen Gen. Grant was in every res
pect Of quiet nature and lover of peace.
As a soldier and commander there was sin
gular unity in his power-with a will Of iron,
constant and firm and though quick and
clear in his comprehension, he waited his oh.
pOrtunity with patienca and when the oppOr.
tuniLy came he seized it with awful vigor. In
his career from Belmont TO Richmond he
never gave the enemy rest-never doubling
and never fearing. Whether he was a com
plete master OF all the military tactics of war
or not, he was certainly "a winner of battles.
He did all that could be- hoped of him. and
more than any other commander dared to
undertake. He took upon himself the grav-
est of responsibilities and bore them with
resolution and calmness. Uufold the curtain
that has wrapped ages in its vale of mystery
and read the long roll of distinguished sol-
diers gone TO that home "vhere there is no
fighting" and eminent with the best of them
all will hereafter be read the name OF Ulysses
s. Grant.
As President he confided in some men who
were unworthy Of his confidence, and in this,
by the estimation of many honest critics, the
luster OF his executive career was somewhat
dimmed. But who can point 10 q single
message or expression of his that was not
plainly designed for the general good of the
whole people of his country.
Upon all the great questions that involved
the financial, commercial and industrial re.
sources of his country firmly believe that
Gen. Grant was correct. Surely he WAS a
great man-greAt in ever being ready to do
his duty, and greater still, in that he did it
even unto death
Although Gen. Grant ia dead aud a great
nation mourns, yet the world will move on,
for governments must be perpetuAted and
God will reign forever.