The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-23
An Eloquent and Forcible Address,
Worthy the Orator and His Subject.
Grant Described as True Patriot, Whose
Errors Were Those Of Humanity. and
Whose Virtues Were Those Of Heroes.


propriate music upon the organ. while the audi
ence was being seated. and then, in conjunction
with the large orchestra, performed Chopin's
Funeral March" Prayer was offered by Rev.
3. F. Hamilton, of the Eliot Church. after which
the choir of fifty-nine voices, sung to music from
1.-THE Magic Flute" the first two and last four
stanzas of an ode which Mrs. Julia Ward Howe
had written for the occasion. A poem, written
by Louisa Imogene Gainy. was then read by
Prof. Moses T. Brown. Then the following,
written by Rev. Minot ]. Savage, was sung by
the female portion of the choir
Gone through the shadow Gone through the Valley
Hail! o, our captainl Hail. o, patient one.
Crowned as victor!
On! o, our brother gone before us.
Der earth's sorrows Ger the death pain thou hast
conquered.
Glory! Glory! Live now all glorious
In hearts still as in old times be thou cherished
And in thy footsteps well follow till for all death
is conquered forever.
Amen! Amen! Amen.
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher was then introduced
by Mayor O'Brien, and delivered the following
euogy:
Another name is added to the roll of those
whom the world will not willingly let die. A
few years since storm clouds filled his heaven
and obloquy, SANDER and bitter lies rained down
upon him.
The clouds are all blown away. under serene
sky he laid down his life, and the Nation wept
The path to his tomb is worn by the feet of
innumerable pilgrims The widowed lips of
SANDER are silent. and even criticism hesitates
lest some incautious word should the his
tory of the modest, gentle, magnanlmous war
rior.
The whole Nation watched his passage through
humiliating misfortunes with unfeigned sym
pathy; the whole world sighed when his life
ended! At his burial the unsworded hands of
those when he had fought lifted his bier and
bore him to his tomb with love and reverence
Grant made no claim to saintship. He was a
man of like passions and with marked iimita-
tions as other men. Nothing could be more
distasteful TO his honest, modest soul while
living and nothing more upbecoming to his
memory, than lying exaggerations and fulsome
batteries.
Men without faults are apt to be men without
force. A round diamond has no brilliancy.
Lights and shadows, hills and valleys. give beau
ty to the landscape. The faults of great and
generous natures are often Overripe goodness,
or the shadows which their virtues cast.
Three elements enter into the career of great
citizen:
That which his ancestry gives;
That which opportunity gives;
That which his will develops.
Grant came from sturdy New England stock;
New England derived it from Scotland, Scotland
bred it, at a time when convenanters and puri-
mered out upon the anvil of adversely. From
New England the stream flowed to the Ohio
where it enriched the soil till it brought forth
abundent harvests of great men. When it was
Grants time to be born, he came forth without
celestial portents and his youth had in it no
prophecy of his manhood. His boyhood was
wholesome, robust, with vigorous frame. With
ia heart susceptible of tender love, he yet was
mot social. He was patien. and persistent He
aoved horses and could master them That is a
good sign.
Grant had no art of creating circumstances
opportunity must seek him. else he would
plod through life without disclosing the gifts
which God hid in him. The gold in the hills
cannot disclose itself. 1t must be sought and
dug
A sharp and wry politician. for some reason
OF Providence, performed a generous deed in
sending young Grant to West Point. He fin
ished his course there. distinguished as skill
full and bold rider, with an inclination to mathe-
mates, but with little taste for the theory and
literature OF war; but with sympathy for its ex-
terna and material developments In boyhood
and youth he marked by simplicity. candor,
veracity and silence
After leaving the academy, he saw service In
Mexico, and afterward in California, but with
out conspicuous results.
Then came a clouded period. sad life of ir-
resolute vibration between self-indulgence and
aspiration through intemperance. He resigned
from the army, and at that time one wo1ld have
feared that his life would end in eclipse. Hercules
crushed Two SerpentS sent TO destroy MIN In MS
cradle. 1t was later in his life that Grant de-
stroyed the enemy that "biteth like serpent
and stingeth like an adder"
AT length he struck at the root of the matter
Others agree not to drink, which is good Grant
0vercame the wish to drink-which is better
But the cloud hung over his reputation for man
years and threatened his ascendency when bet
ter days came. OF al his victories, many ana
great, this was the greatest, that he conquered
himself. His will was stronger than his mas
sions.
Poor, much shattered, he essayed farming
Carrying wood for sale to ST. Louis did not seem
to be that for which he was created; neither did
planting crops nor raising cattle.
Tanning is an honorable calling and, to many,
road to wealth. Grant found no gold in the
tan-vat
Then he became listless merchants silent,
unsocial and rather moody waiter upon petty
traffic.
He was good subaltern. poor farmer. a
worse tanner a worthless traficker. Without
civil experience without literary gifts, too diff
dent TO be ambitious, too modest to put himself
all men, the least likely to attain eminence, and
absolutely untitled apparently, for pre.emi-
hence; yet Gods providence selected him.
When the prophet Samuel went forth to
1. anoint a successor to the impetuous and impe-
. rous King Saul, he caused all the children of
Jesse to pass before him. He rejected, one by
one, the whole band At length the youngest
called from among the flock. came in, and the
Lord said TO Samuel, ARISE. this is he" and
Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in
the midst of his brethren, and the spirit of the
Lord came upon him from that day forward. Il
Sam, 16.l
Ordained was Grant with the ointment of
war-black and suphurous
Had Grant died at the lanyard. or from be-
hind the counter, the world would never have
suspected that it had lost a hero He would
nave iaiien as an undistinguishable leaf among
the millions cast Down every wear. His time
had not come. 1t was plain that he had no ca
paeity 10 create his opportunity. 1t must find
him out or no would die ignobe and unknowni
1t was e"ming Already the clouds afar of
were gathering. He saw them not. No sonras
!. were seen upon the dim horizon of the already
near future.
The insalted flag; the garments rolled in blood;