The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-09-27
TRIBUTES TO GRANT.
Orations Delivered at the Late On.
valling Ceremonies.

Orations Delivered at the Late On
valling Ceremonies.
Following are the oratious delivered at
the recent unvailing of the Grant statue
at Fort Leavenworth:
GENERAL MERRITrrs REMARKS
General Merritt opened the exercises by
saying:
1t is my pleasing privilege, as president Of the
Grant Monument Association. to welcome you
here to-day and do SO most cordially. An oc-
casion OF the kind we have met to celebrate is
especially interesting. good work has been
completed, a worthy object fulfilled.
1 do not propose to enter into a history Of the
statue nor TO discuss who is entitled to special
credit for its erection This has been done in
the journals Of the day. Those who furnished
the means to erect the statue have been duly
recorded on the granite OF the pedestal; those
who have attended to its erection desire no
special mention. shall not, however, neglect
70 call attention to the careful management OF
the funds by the treasurer of the association,
Colonel William A. Rucker. Assistant Postmas-
ter-General, who paid more to the contractors
by several hundred dollars for the completed
work than had been originally subscribed, and
that after the current expenses were liquidated,
% well had he placed It at interest.
And now it only remains for me to congratu-
late all interested on the finished work You
have life-like statue in bronze, upon q base Of
granite. which Will commemorate, as long as it
is given to human works to endure, the military
deeds OF the great soldier who never lost q
battle.
The artist has done his part in a manner be-
fitting the illustrious soldier. Discardng the
conyentionalities Of art and refusing to avail
himself of the draperies of the anc ients he has
renrpsenfed n a Roman not
Grecian, but as citizen of the United States
clad in the uniform of the American soldier,
always badge OF honor when worthily worn
whether by soldier OF the Republic private In
ranks or offlcer, and in the character OF an
American soldier this country will forever honor
TIE memory of Grant-the soldier of Vicksburg.
the soldier of the Wilderness and the soldier of
APPROPRIATION. The monument will now be
vailed.
SENATOR INGALLS, GRAFTON.
After the monument was unvailed Gen
eral Merritt introduced Senator ingalls,,
who said:
General Merritt and ladies and gentlemen:
The onward and upward march Of humanity has
never been DELAYED for the want of a prophet to
predict a triumph, poet 10 voice its aspira-
tions, or 3.eader TO marshal and direct potential
and resstless energies. When the crisis comes
the man sppears-often unannounced like John
the Baptist, Behold voice crying in the
wilderness" Great men are the products Of
great events. The occasion always precedes
the hero. 1t is the opportunity which makes
the General the Admiral. the orator. II Rome
had been a nation of slaves Caesar would have
been impossible Wellington did not cause
Waterloo. Nelson was not the cause of Ira
falgar. and If neither had lived Napoleon would
not have died at Helena and England remained
the mistress of the seas. The Declaration of
Independence was the passionate cry Of the
people and a result Of the compact made in the
cabin OF the Mayf1ower.
We have assembled in this historic place be-
meath this autumnal sky. amid the benencent
fruition of nature. and with impressive cere
monies to unvail the effigy of the great military
chieftain who directed the struggle for indie
pendence aud nationality. When the contest
was begun there was no one in the Republic who
anticipated the achievements or who prophe-
sled the maenificent destiny of U. s Grant.
He had not participated in the preliminary in
tellectual combat. He had abandoned the mil
itary profession in early life without having
made any profound impression on his comrades
in arms. He had no sympathy with the pas
SONS which precipitated the war. He had
passed the middle period Of his years and was
waiting in obscurity and poverty He had no
powerful or influential friends He possessed
no allurIng personal qualifications and had
none OF that thrift which follows fawning."
He was shv, silent, retiring. Respondent yet in
the brief interval between Belmont and Apo
mattox he entered upon that fame which knows
no dying. Critics may question his relative
rank with great captains OF the
world but his career is stately
procession of unbroken triumphs. He
stood that test of genius-he was equal to every
emergency by which he was ever confronted.
He was called TO the highest position in the
Nation. Nations rose up to do him honor as he
stood with monarchs IN their capitals And
uha at as on tho fr0nfiar of that dark king
dom which we are all approaching and con-
fronted with infinite danger he bore with in
finite foriitude and encountered the only an
tagonist he could not conquer.
Mr.. Ingalls, told in eloquent words OF the
remov al of the remains of General Grant
from Mount McGregor to New York.
where through all the somber drapery of
woe flashed and famed the glory of the
flag.
The fagl The flag! The symbol OF the honor
glory and power Of the country he had saved.
The flag which but for him would have been a
sullied and dishcnored rag. But for him the
geography OF this country would have been
changed. The United States would have dis
appeared and in their places would be petty
provinces with outpo>ts on every frontier
they would have replaced Nation whose ban
ner now floats from rhe Saskatchewan to
the Rio Grande. Here every faith finds
a shelter, every creed sanctuary, every
wrong redress. But for him We would
be but relic of antiquity. All the tradi-
tions OF history would be like a tale that
is told All chat is inspiring in history. re-
splendent in example. would be like sentences
in the school books-like stories of nations all
dead. Other wars have been fought for con-
quest, revenge, dynasty and throne. but no such
passions animated this great soldier. He fought
tor ideas, that oil men might be free, the States
indestructible freedom universal. the Union
indissoluble and the Nation forever! He fought
that popular government might not be a mere
definition He led TO victory the greatest army
OF ancient or modern tim S, that the past
should not be catastrophe, the present an
armistice, and the future an abyss for which no
statesmen could furnish a safeguard or defense!
He fought shat patriotism might not be the
fatal malsdy of the body polite. His armies
having conquered their enemies and the enc
mics Of their cosutry they conquered them
selves.
Mr.. ingalls, dwelt upon this fact a few
moments and in closing said:
It is BETTING and appropriate that Kansas
in the FIRST wear OF the second century OF Ameri-
can independence. should rear and dedicate
monument TO the leader who made the second
century OF American liberty possible When this
century is passed the ideas for which Grant
commended will survive. Orators will rehearse
stories Of her intrepid progress-her area will
be extended northward TO the frozen globe and
southwark 10 the canal which will join the two
oceans: City stars will be upon her flag and
200 COZ people will be under its folds. Let
us bear away from this consecrated spot re-
newed conservation TO the great principles OF
civil constitutional and rel gious liberty for
which Grant fought that this forever might re-
main government of laws and not a govern
ment OF men
GRAFTON By GENERAL BLAIR
tha, ivt
q W Riair W a ia faIIa-e.