Omaha daily bee., 1889-08-23
LAYING THE CORNER STO Ne.
Indiana Will Rem ember Her War
riors In Stately Shaft.
PRESIDENT HARRISON PRESENT.
Thousands OF Veteran Soldiers aud
Sailors Attend the Ceremonies
The City beautifully
Decorated.
The president's speed.

ine tTestueNtS SDPeus
INDIANAPOLIS, August 22.-Tho corner
stone of the Indiana Soldiers and Sailors
monument was laid this afternoon with i'm
posing ceremonies in the presence of tho
president of the United States. Many men
of prominence and thousands of veteran
soldiers and sailors were present. All day
yesterday and the morning trains to-day
brought thousands Of strangers to the city.
The city was beautifully decorated in honor
of the occasion. The exercises began at 2
o'clock, when the parade formed and began
its march through the principal streets. 1t
was made up of tho various Grand
Army of the Republic posts throughout
the state and the state militia and local
civic organizations. 1t is estimated that
5000 men were in line. In the second di-
vision Immediately in the rear of the mill
tary was an escort to President Harrison,
hundred strong, all mounted. The president
rode in a flag-draped carriage, Mayor
Dinney and Governor Hovey with him.
Other guests of prominence followed. All
the streets surrounding the movement were
packed with people, and as tine president
assembled the stand he was greeted with q
cheer, which he acknowledged
LAYING OF THE CORNER STONE.
The documents were consigned to their
resting place and then tho stone was placed
in position in accordance with the ritual of
the G.. A. r. When the stone had been
placed in position the national flag was
raised and the Star Spangled Banner was
sung by Mrs. Zelda Sequn Wallace.
The ceremong ended with the firing of
salute.
Following this Governor Hovey, as pre-
siding officer of the occasion, made a brief
address and was followed by General War
ron and General Coburn. At the conclusion
of the latter's address President Harrison
was introduced After the applause which
greeted him had ended he said IN part:
Mr.. president and fellow .Itizens: The
suggestion tnat monument should be built
to commemorate the valor and neroism of
those soldiers of Indiana who gave their
lives for the flag, attracted my interest from
the beginning. Five years ago last January,
when the people assembled in the opera
house yonder to unveil the statue which has
been worthily set up to honor our great war
governor, ventured to express the hope that
near by it, as twin expression of one great
sentiment there might be builded a noble
shaft, not to any man, not to bear on any of
It's majestic faces the name of a
man, but monument about which
the Sons of Veterans, the mothers
of our dead, widows that are yet with us,
might gather, and pointing to the stately
shaft say, There is his monuments Cries
of Thank God and cheers.) l congratulate
the people of Indiana that our legislature has
so generously met the expectations of our
patriotic people, | congratulate the commits
sion having this great work in charge. They
have secured design which will not suffer
under the criticism of the best artists of the
world. My couutrymen, $500 900 was
never passed and will never pass from
the treasury of Indiana that will
give better return than the expenditure for
the erection of this monument. As L have
witnessed these ceremonies and listened to
hos t,,.N l,,-., -ta f,1A 1f
the men who stood about me that lifting up
of the soul, that patriotic fire that has made
me realize that on such occasions u nation is
laying deep and strong its future security.
This is the monument Of Indiana to Indiana
soldiers, but L beg you to remember they
were only soldiers of Indiana until the en-
listment oath was taken, that from that
hour until they came back to the generous
state that had sent them forth they We're
soldiers of the union. Great applause. So
that it seemed to me not inappropriate
that l should bring to you to-day the sym
pathy and cheer of the loyal people of all the
states. NO American citizen Will ever avoid
it nor pass it with unsympathetic eyes. For
my countrymen 1t does not commemorate
war of subiugation. There IS not IN the
United States to-day, a man, who, If the re-
Allies what has occurred since the war and
has opened his soul to the sight which is to
come, who will not feel that it is good for all
our people that victory crowned the cause
which this monument commentaries. tCries
of "amen'' and applause.l do seriously
believe that If we can measure
among the states the benefits result
ing from the preservation of the union, that
the rebellious states have the larger share
1t opened the way for commercial life that
If they will only embrace. it means to them
a development that shall rival the best at
tainments of the greatest of our states. And
now, let me thank you for your pleasant
greeting" [Great and prolonged applause.]
There were loud calls for General Rusk at
the conclusion of the presidents remarks,
and he responded as follows:
'Mr. President and comrades: / will not
detain you with any remarks. 1 am here
with the president TO witness these great
ceremonies. l have met Indiana's soldiers,
and they never failed to support u.s. l am
here to-day to say to you that will never
fail to stand by you"
Attorney General Miller then spoke briefly,
saying he was not prepared to say anything
of interest and dId not think any man had
right to mar such exercises as to-day's by
an unconsdered extemporaneous address.
This ended the exercises, and, amid booming
cannon and cheers, the thousands dispersed.