The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-29

| applauded at several of the finer periods
SPEECH OF THE HON. STANTON j. PEELLE.
The Hon, Stanton j. Peelle was then intro,
duced, and spoke as follows:
Little, if anything of interest can be said by
me Of General Grant and his career that has not
| already been we'll and fttingy said by others,
| through the press and otherwise. so that shall
not enter into detail tonight, but simply and In
few words testify my appreciation OF the great
mans worth and express my gratitude, as an
humble citizen, for his services to our country,
both in war and in peace.
General Grants career among us was destined
| to be what it has been, and the wisdom or the
| decree is approved by the measure OF success
attained. There always have been aud always
will be great souls to respond to the call Of duty
in times Of great national peril No country IS
without them; but to be great in all the require
Tie duty with humanity touched
by Gods love and goo1nvs-, Is an "pPl0A
TO that higher virtue whic::: Is alone reached by
fixed convictions in the truths o. AFisslaH4Vy'
| He will live IN mis- virtues and in the good deeds
| done. Firm and real was he as the commander
of our armies yet gentle and kind. elements
essential to leadership as by their aid he learned
to command himself and that is the true test o.
generalship AS a civil ruler his con, hoence
may have been betrayed at times, and his own
standard of excellence thereby lowered in me
estimation of some Of his countrymen. That is
| one of the penalties public servant, too often,
has to endure. The Savior of mankind, while
| performing Gods service earth,
was betrayed for thirty pieces Of silver.
| but He swerved not from His duty,
which he so we'll knew; General Grant swerved
not from his duty when he knew it, and he was
ever found seeking to know it, That is a com
mendable record and golden legacy to leave to
| his country.
In my humble opinion General Grant was
| not only the greatest American general, but IN
after years, If not now he will be reckoned the
greatest general the world ever produced-great
not only in military skill, generals are usually
measured, but greater still in his unselfsh devo-
ton to the cause, to which he voluntarily offered
| hia services, and for which he was called into
action. His reputation as military commander
| is not based on personal ambition for
place nor vet on conquest for
| personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, but it is in the highest
| and truest sense reputation which emanated
| from proper use of the opportunities afforded
| him and a conscientious devotion to the princi-
| pie of loyalty to the Union of the Statesmen to
a section. He was not hired, imputed nor en-
| ployed to fight our battles but he was called, as
| by the voice Of an unseen intelligence, to lead
our armies, not to battle, but to victory-that
victory which brought us peace and restored our
then unhappy country.-a restoration and
| peace too, which crowned General Grant, not as
| KING, yet emperor, but as well dOne;'
| that celestial wreath which makes life worth
the living and gives companionship with the
king Of kings"
Great deeds and great triumphs over wrong
| make great men, and, measured by that stand
ard, General Grant will well deserve to stand by
the side of Washington and Lincoln in the fu-
| ture history of this coIntry-a matchless trio,
| emhodying all the essential elements necessary
| to give birth and permancy to free government.
| They were matchess in modesty, matchless in
| courage, matchless in magnanimity, yet match
less in devotion to duty. They were true types
of American manhood, and deserve well to be
studied by future ages, in all countries. Gen
eral Grant pre- eminepty the soldier for
modern civilization a civilization nodded by
the influences of Christianity where
brute force is subordinated to intelligence and
| fraternal feeling. BY that influence he was
guided. The grand old soldiers heart was broad
| enough to spar the continent when he knew the
Union was saved. He was not only the com
mander of our armies for BATTLE but he was the
| Nations commander for peace: and when that
| greatest soldier and genera. of the confederate
forces surrendered to him at Appomatox, he
seemingly looked into the book of God for the
terms of the surrender; there he found the gol-
den rule, whatsoever ye would that men
should do to you, do ye even so them and thus
magnanimously ended, all things considered, the
greatest struggle of the worlds history
great because of the issues involved oes
The old conquerers robe, though shining like a
beacon light to the world was hidden from the
| eye of his great foe by the God IKE terms of
the surrender. His final act in war made his
enemies his friends. and by his courage he pre-
ven ted the government from violating the
terms of that final surrender, thus winning him
the respect and confidence of the Confederate
soldier who, il concert with u.s. pay tribute to
| his memory.
AT the head of our army he was for an honor
| able peace-peace based upon the surrender of
the right of secession, and the restoration Of the
Union with free men. He successful in all,
| and was spared to witness the unprecedented
growth and development of our common
country, and to be honored by the worlds
nobility. Where is his equal? Where is his
compeer? Though trained for soldier he never
waged merciless war; and he would have
| abandoned the army rather than sacrifice his
convictions of moral right England's great
military cheftan will have lived and died in the
hearts of his countrymen, while General Grant
will seem present to the most distant genera
| tlonS of men"
In time of war we look to the soldier to bring
US peace, while in time of peace we look to the
statesman to avert war; but with us, we are
| indebted to General Grant. who, while he was
our chief executive, established a precedent for
securing peace with the world by arbitration,
thus showing his craftsmanship in time of peace,
as he had his generalship in time of
| never sympathZed with those who criticised
tho administration of General Grant while
! President, as, through any mistakes, l could al
ways see an honest purpose dominating him in
the discharge Of his complex public duties, and'
| that more than over balances mistakes Of judg-
ment. For quarter of century, he was q
most conspicuous figure for the worlds gaze and
criticism, and yet his most grievous fault was
his fidelity to his friends, fault more commend
able in its practice than otherwise His admin
staton as President, however, no matter how
faultless it might have been, would have added
nothing to his fame as the commander
of our armies, and his record, it
may he recorded for future ages. will
be as the commander of our armies upon a
hundred battle fields without the loss of battle
| His genius as a commander. his courage as
soldier, his kindly nature and his devotion to
| duty will grace the annals of his time and in
spire future ages with love of country and
| fidelity to duty.
The world received and appreciated him, and
at every touch of royal hand, his love for his
own country increased; love begets love, so that
he lives to day. and ever will live in the hearts
of his own countrymen, and in the confidence of
the people Of the whole world. His record is
made, and cannot be dishonored.
| His glory and his fame belong to
| rs: detract not from either His dutv