Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-08-13
A Memorial Discourse
Delivered at the M. E. Church Of Wichi-
ia, on the Evening of the 9th of
August, 1885, by the Pastor,
Rev. T. S. Hodgson.

NM - - - AA~a - iilChus,
w to honor the memory, recite
some of the glorious deeds, and dwell
with glowing pride and kindling en-
thusiasm upon the lofty heroism, de-
voted patriotism and surprisingly
honorable and useful career of the
greatest of American soldiers, ex-
President Ulysses Simpson Grant. 1t
is not too much to say that there Is
genuine mourning in all this land over
the hero-statesman, in city village and
in rural district, in palace aud in hut,
from ocean to ocean, and from the
Canadas to the stormy bosom of the
Mexican gulf. The outside nations,
too, have seen the setting of this
great light, and have felt the conse-
quent chill and gloom which have SET
tied down upon our common human
ity. If, in the language of DIR. John
son, the death of David Garrick, the
actor, "eclipsed the gaiety of nations, -
the death of General Grant, the I'M
equaied conqueror and strong execu-
tive, has eclipsed the greatness of all
living generations. He was certainly
the foremost man of his times, stand
ing head and shoulders above the tall
est of his contemporaries and uncon-
sciously commanding and receiving
the homage of the great and cultured,
as well as of the obscure aud unletter-
ed. yield to none in reverential re-
gard for the greatness of Abraham
Lincoln; but, perhaps, the act which
flung the most undying splendor upon
the renown of the mighty Lincoln,
was the keen discernment with
he detected the military promise
of General Grant, and the un-
yielding firmness with which he held
him in his place of power, until he
stood, an uncrowned king and victor.
on the immortal field of AppOmatIox.
Gladstone is great as universal
scholar, wise and far-seeing states
man; Bismarck is great as an organi-
ger and unsurpassed diplomatist, but
in certain elements of character, which
endear a man TO his fellOw-men, and
secure, and forever retain, the admi-
ration, gratitude and devotion of
great masses, Gen. Grant was superior
to both. An English newspaper, COM
menting in eulogistic terms upon the
character of Gen. Grant, closed with
these words: "lIe was not Napoleon
or a Wellington, but he led great
armies TO victory" 1t is true he had
not the brilliancy and dash of the
great Napoleon, and well for his coun-
try and mankind he had not, but he
certainly was endowed with the solid
judgment and iron of the conqueror
of Napoleon and was vastly his super
ior in intellectual shrewdness and able
craftsmanship. Gen. Grants place in
history is secure. When the future
Hume, or Macaulay, shall write, once
and for all, the splendid annals of the
Nineteenth century, tn name of Gen.
Grant will stand first among those
who shed the greatest lustre upon its
marvellous achievements, and did the
most to eternize its glory. At the
breaking out Of the civil war Gen.
Grant was an obscure citizen of Gale
ma. lii. The eyes of the country, and
world, were turned in every direction,
for leader, but that. The old veteran
Scott still fingered superfuous on the
stage, but he was soon found to be
unequal TO such an emergency. Other
men, of great prestige, or command
ing position, soon became objects of
hope and were looked to as props of
the falling Republic, which lacked on
ly little more than decade of scor-
ing 9 hundred years of history. But
they were all, in turn, swept down
and away by the mad rush and whirl
of the mightiest rebellion the world
had ever seen. The loyal portion of
the country was well nigh falling into
despair. the south was full of rejoic-
ing, their northern sympathiZers
could hardly conceal their secret exul-
tation. aud the burrows on the care
worn brow of the hopeful Lincoln
frightened and deepened as the
plough-share of disappointment kept
running through them. Then it was,
that amid the deepening gloom of dis
astcr and despair, the star of Gen.
Grant arose, brilliant, even, as it hung
trembling on the rim of the political
sky. But that star was never TO know
Il setting, or suffer even a temporary
eclipse. With ever-increasing luster
il assembled to the zenith, where ii
shone and continues TO shine with the
strength and splendor of the MONDAY
sun, in the oyerarching armament Of
our saved and undivided Republic. l
can still feel the thrill of hope which
ran through the north when the vic
tory of Fort Donelson was flashed
along the telegraph. 1t was not n
great battle, and it has paled away in
the intense light of subsequent vic
tories, but il revealed the man. 1t
was as though the great clock of des-
tiny had struck, announcing to the
world that the hero had made his ap-
pearance. and was about to lead the
discouraged hosts of freedom into the
promised land ofpeace and reunited
nation. Men looked at each other and
said, "He is come" and were abund-
antly satisfied From that moment
until the final issue. an abiding conf
dence. which no disaster could shake
and no breath of SANDER could faint.
filed the great heart of Abraham Lin
coin. and the hearts of the people-for
Lincoln was always with the people.
Pi.,sburg Landing. Vicksburg, Chat
tanooga, Lookout Mountain, the ter
rible battles before Richmond, the col
lapse of the rebellion, and the surren-
der of Lee. at once the brain and arm
of the Confederate cause, followed in
quick succession, The man with
breadth of mind enough to compre-