St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-10-08
GREsHAM's GRAFTON.
The Great SOldier-Jurist Was
Worthy the Occasion,

worthy the Occasion.
CHICAGO, Oct. 7.-Tbe orator of the
day was worthy the occasion, distin-
guished, like his subject, in camp and
council. the stalwart-lookin soldier
jurist, Gen. Walter Q. Gresham, judge
OF the United States court of appeals.
Although the preceding speeches had
been long, scarcely a man of all the
multitude had left the vicinity of the
platform, and when the great jurist
arose he was greeted by an audience
such as IS rarely looked upon by pub
lie speaker. An impressive hush fell
upon the thousands as Gen. Gresham,
facing the lake, stepped forward to the
edge of the temporary platform erected
at the base of the monument. Judge
Gresham said in part:
Wherever its history is read, in whatever
nook ana corner of the habitable globe there
exists an intelligent interest III the strength
ana perpetulty OF our institutions, the name
and fame OF the illustrious soldier, who was
at once their product and their preserver,
have preceded aught that may now be said of
him. Grant was remarkably free fro IN that
vanity and conceit which have been the
weakness of many great minds and which
seem to be the peculiar vice or men who
have risen, like him, from humble
antecedents to lofty eminence.
Greatness was never more uncon-
scious of itself than it was in him.
There is nothing of the braggart In any OF
his official rer orts or dispatches: there is no
arrogance, no regard for dramatic effect no
parade of himself.
Even with the Confederacy at his feetasa
final testimony of his skill and prowess as a
military chieftain, he was not BETRAYED into
anything like exultaton, and stopped the
Juellant firing of salute in his command as
soon as the sound of the cannon reached his
ears. In that supreme moment he ceased to
be the leader of the Union army only. and
thought and acted with broad and enlight-
ened craftsmanship and patriotism for
the whole reunited country. He thought
OF the feelings and sensbilities of The van
pushed and of making the road towards pat
riouc citizenship easy for them He Thought
or the waste lands and impoverished COM
munities of the South, which were again UNI
der the old flag, and quickened a returning
sense OF obligation to it by restoring 10 eY-
cry Confederate soldier the horse or mule
which had belonged to him, aud might be
used again in making and garnering The
crops on which he and his family would de-
pend for their sustenance. He thought
more of giving an impulse to the pursuits of
peace and industry amongst a disorganized
people; of aiding them in the maintenance
OF themselves, of bringing them back into
social as well as political relations with the
rest OF the country, than upon his own part
and lot III the accomplishment of these sal
utary ends
Wrong as they were, and es they will ever
be rated by impartial history, he did not
question the sincerity of the great mass of
those who were opposed to us" 81 should
like 10 see impartial history written he also
said. Such history will do full credit 10 the
courage, endurance and soldierly ability of
the American citizen, no matter what section
OF the. country he halls from, or in what
ranks he fought" The failure of the South
ern people was not due to any lack of cour-
age or persistence, or leadership in the field
but it was the inevitable result of their hay
ing undertaken an impossible task. 1t is
natural that men who were capable of such
an effort should be cemented together in
bonds of sympathy and friendship, and so
long as they are loyal to the flag of the
Union brave and generous men will not cen
sure them for cherishing an affectionate re-
gard for one another, and strewlng flowers
on the graves of their fallen comrades
Grant held few, If any, councils of war
lie succeeded In great emergencies by his
native strength of will and intellect and his
resolute persistence where men of more
learning and better versed in military
science, but with less natural Capacity
would have failed. What they are obliged
to learn he seemed to know intultiyelv And
having once entered upon the execution of
his plans, reyerses which would have dis
couraged less resolute and far-sighted men
never impaired his confidence in ultimate
success or disqualified him for sezing upon
unexpected advantages and profiting by
them. Obstacles which seemed iusurIEount-
able to others only served to inspire
him. him with i.pou determination to overcome
ton and frightened his intellect
With definite end always in view, without
wavering or vacillation and ever ready, with
large resources, TO adjust his plans to any
change OF circumstances, Grant pressed de-
terminedly on to an invariably successful
termination. He never lost the fruits of vic
tory through inactivity. He vigorously sub
ordlnated all private sentiments and feelings
to the good of the cause that he served He
1palOnSV
never appropriated credit that was due to
others. He was silent, thoughtful. patient
aud sincere He commanded himself as sue
cessfully as he commanded armies, and
where he led all felt safe against the conse-
quences of incapacity or rashness.
Although educated at West Point, he was
not professional soldier. Instead of liking
war, he abhorred it as the greatest of human
calamities, and his temperament inclined to
peace. He engaged IN our last war because
ne recognized ii was The only means of main
tanning the Union and securing unbroken
peace. 1t was cause for which he was will
ing to make any sacrifice, even life itself
lie could not have led in any war of aggres-
sion or conquest, for he was the friend and
benefactor. rather than an opDressor or de-
jtroyer OF the people. Ambition never salts
fed his sense of duty or love of truth
and justice, or furnished his name
with acts of cruelty or tyranny.
The monument before us is dedicated to the
illustriOus general of our armies, rather than
to the chief magistrate of our republic, and
whatever may have been his merits or his de-
feets as chief executive, he was unquestion-
ably our greatest soldier, and his matchless
achievements in the field and their influence
upon the fate of his country amply justify
this beautiful testimonial. So long as love of
liberty and equality. and admiration for
heroic deeds and unselfish patriotism last
the memory of Grant will be yenerated.
While men had dreamed and written about
the uselessness and wickedness of war as
an agency Cor the settlement of con-
troversies between nations, and urged
the substitution of more civilized
methods. 1t was reserved for our greatest
soldier to reduce these theories and vague
aspirations to practice. IL was he who took
the lead in bringing the civilized world to a
practical recognition of the value of peace
full arbitrament of international disputes,
and the Treaty of Washington is monument
TO his memory which will outlive those of
bronze and stone. Its moral influence ex-
tends infinitely beyond the immediate parties
to it. or the age in which it was negotiated.
The men who have left the profoundest
impress on our history were not SO much
distinguished for their wealth. or their cru
dition. as the qualities or some of them.
which distinguished Grant. These Qualities
are essential ingredients of political man.
hood, and they are no less useful and neces-
sary in peace than IN war. We need men
possessing them to resist the aggressions of
those who seek to make of our politics both
an art and mystery, ineligible only 10 the
adept and initiated. who assume the manage
ment of them by virtue of their capacity
for the def and artfui manipulation of their
fellows. Their influence upon the country