The Indianapolis journal., 1885-07-29
The Beautiful and Impressive Memorial
Service from the Ritual of the Grand
Army of the Republic.
The Record Of the Great Commander as
a Member of the Order.
A Message of Coincidence Forwarded to the
Family at Mt. McGregor-GovernO Gray
Issues an Official Proclamation.
THE MEMORIAL SERVICES.
The Union Meeting Held by the Local Post
of the C. A. z.


The memorial service of the six Grand Army
posts of this city, in relation to the death Of
General Grant was held at English's Opera
house last night, in the presence of an earnestly
ettentive audience, about half of whom were
ladies. The decorations were few and consisted
chiefly of flags and banners bearing the signs of
mourning. Following a quartette by male
voices. few minutes past o'clock the services
of the ritual was begun by the Post Commander
for the evening, Gen. j. E. Haskell, of George
II. Thomas Post, who addressed the adjutant of
the service, Judge d. w. Howe:
"Adjutant, for what purpose is this meeting
calledl'
Adjutant giving the military salute)-"To
pay our tribute of respect to the memory of our
late comrade, General Ulysses S. Grant"
Post Commander-"Ha you record of his
service in the cause of our country and in the
Grand Army of the Republic?"
Adiutant-" Commander, l have.p
Post COMMUNICATION will read It."
AS Judge Howe stepped to the reading stand.
the scenes were shifted, giving large depth Of
stage, in the center of which was displayed the
Mueller bust of the dead hero on pedestal,
draped with the American flag in mourning.
the bust is very near to life, and expresses the
features of the General as he looked short time
before the deadly disease began its work
THE MEMORIAL.
Judge Howe then read the following
At long intervals man dies whose death thrills q
nation through and through. Such man has just
passed away. Ii is of him as a comrade that we are
to speak chiefly but we cannot, if we would shut
eyes to the man in viewing the soldier.
1t is not necessary to the fame of Ilustrious
comrade that should claim that he great in all
things. Themistocles said: II cannot play fiddle
which Grant untitled. He not successful
politician. His plain, candid nature not suited to
the fnesse and devious ways of professional poti-
clans. And yet, whatever may be said of his admins
tratOn during the eight years that he President
thing stands out in bold relief and that is his in
corruptbe integrity. In all the heat and rancor OF
partisan politics. not the smell of fire attached to
his garments.
Hewas not successful as business man. He could
not cope with the sharpers of Wall street. If he had
been able to do SO, would not love him do.
simplicity and trusting confidence almost chidlike,
made him the easy victim of unscrupu]ous men. Tho
Nation shuddered at the first revelations of the rascal
tiles Of the Wall street firm which ruined his while
ruined the fortunes of many others And whom
the smoke cleared away, there stood Grant as white
as snow.
But. while he was not successful in all things while
he had some faults, without which he would not have
been human, he has grown into the history of this
country and into the affections of the people,
have done before. except Washington and Lin
coin.
All will concede now that he was great general.
Few of US competent to set ourselves up mil
itarv critics. But there is some kind of instinct
which enables the people to detect true greatness.
We all know how after another of the great
generals of the last war failed to suppress the re-
belion. We may not know why they failed; we m ay
not know why Grant succeeded but know that he
did succeed where all others had failed The great
general who to triumph on fields where others
had lost did not appear to the eyes of the Nation in
the beginning of the conflict We waited long and
anxiousy for him. Now, after more than twenty
years, when all the sad and all the glo-
rious memories of the bloody conflict rise up
before like phantoms look back and see the
Nation in the agones of civil war; the armies
in battle array we see many gallant cheftains but in
all the splendid host of heroes in all the waving Of
banners, the smoke of battle. the din of conflict
see one who wore no gorgeous epaulets, waving
plume, no glittering badge-plain, modest silent.
brave and firm who never lost his presence of mind,
who always victorious always magnanmous to
the vanquished. That is Grant. Grant was victory.
AS he grew during the war a wonderful magic
seemed to attach to his that inspired his soldiers
with a confidence worth far more than men muni-
tions of war. When he said to Buckner at Fort Don
elson that he proposed to Immediately upon
his works" his soldiers knew that it no idle
boast. When he drew his lines around Vicksburg-the
Gibrater of the Mississppi-t was felt as if fate had
decreed it's fall. He went to Chattanooga and found
a starving, beleaguered garrison, dsprited with the
sore defeat at Chickamauga, bat under his eye the
army of the Cumberland covered itself with glory in
the storming and capture of Mission Ridge. He went
the East the graveyard of generals and converted
the army of the Potomac into an invincible host,
federate army the trained veterans of Lee, were
powerless to withstand
Grant was something than a great general.
He was patriot in the highest sense. There have
been other great generals Alexander, who sighed for
more worlds to conquer, was great general. So
Tamerlane who marked his victories by monuments
made of the skulls of his enemies. SO Napoleon,
who deuged Europe in bood to crafty his ambition.
So were hosts Of bloody conquerors who fought only
for CONQUEST; whose only idea of peace to make
a solitude and call it peace" Grant fought not for
mis- glory but for his country.
One of the grandest spectacles of the war, spec
tace unsurpassed in the history of the world
at the close of it, 1t has always been difficult and
dangerous thing to transnute large body OF veteran
soldiers back into citizens And 1t has o1ten nap
pened especially in republics that favorite general
after vanqushing the enemies of his country has by
the aid of his army made himself tyrant over his
own people, or, in the attempt to usprp Imperial
bloody civil But though at the close OF the last
there nearly million of veteran soldiers IN
the Union armies this mighty host with the dawn OF
peace, melted away peacefully and quietly as mists
before the morning and the great commander re-
tired to private life as a citizen with no greater power
under the law than the humoes member of this great
republic. In our Grand Army organization ne was
mustered and remained private ia one of our posts
He emphatically self-made man IN the com
For many years before the beginning of the war he
had been lost in the obscurity of private life No
arisOcratic name, no titled pedigree accumulation
Of wealth, introduced or pushed him forward. Like
Lincoln, he came from the people, and like Lincoln,
he made himself what he became He hewed his way
to the top he hewed his way through the wilderness.
And yet in doing he did not seek to pull any man
down. to grasp the honors due others obtrude
his merits.
And, like Lincoln in another respect, he plain
man. There was in him nothing of the pride pomp.
and circumstance Of glorious war Whether IN battle,
or march, or camp, he was the same pah, modesb
unassuming that he at the beginning and at
the end of his career.
He was great both in adversely and in prosperity.
Many men quail under adversely Some OF the great
est heroes have sacrificed the reputation OF years in
moment of pain trouble. But, what a hero did
Grant show himself TO be in his last days. His fortune
had been swept away in a night. An nsidious and
fatal disease preying upon him. But harder To
bear than all this the feeling which oppressed him
that a dark cloud had obscured his reputation which
he would not be able to clear away before his DEATH
But how heroicaly he stood up under it ALL uncom-
planning grateful for every kindness, writing away as
long as his hand had strength to hold the pen, upon
the book that to record his life and furnish an in
come for his family after his death. He was even
L., l., lnnAh Al L. L =.