Omaha daily bee., 1891-05-31
Impressive Memorial Exercises Held in
Riverside Park, New York,
ELOQUENT GRAFTON BY GOVERNOR WISE,
President Harrison Takes Part In the
Ceremonies at Philadelphia
The Day Fittingiy OBJ
served Elsewhere.

cteries were decorated and all the soldiers
monuments were covered with flowers.
The programme for the afternoon included
services at the tomb Of General Grant under
the direction OF U. 5. Grant post of Brooklyn.
! The United States man-Of-war Enterprise
was anchored in the Hudson river opposite
the tomb aud fired minute guns during the
services. number Of cx-confcderate
soldiers were present as guests including
Governor John $ Wise Of Virginia, who de-
| livered an eloquent oraton, as follows
Commander and Comrades Ladies and Gen
tlcmeu: As the eastern wor~hipper, before
| he enters the precincts of a holy place, diycsts
himself Of his w3rk-day garments, lest they
! profanc y with their Erossness, SO hluld we
| leave behind us the passions aud prciuutccS
i of our daily lives as we approach the tombs OF
| the mighty dead OF our republic.
These are the shrincs Of American patriot
ISM At them, above all other places, are we
| moved to reflection on the blessings we enjoy,
and inspired to reverence and patriotism to-
wards the government under which we i've,
| mouial about the powers that be- that rcver-
CnCC for our representatives. In office has little
place in our hearts; and the homage Of other
| people to their rulers, otlcnds our sense of
equality, or amuscs us as sycophantic. With
us. all men are deemed our cluals-So equal,
in fact that while they live. We indulge in
| unrcstrained criticism Of our public mon.
often extending to abuse, without fear of
| their power or reverence for their public sta
| tOn. We have favored class to whom re-
pcatcd trials are given. or whose blunders
We open the lists to every conner. Yet the
tests which we impose are severe, and we arc
seldom rises, and IS often tramped into the
dust of Oblivion by the crowdng feet that
press around him. Many there be, who, after
| lifos hard struggle, are cast at the final ac-
| count into the mass of mCdiOCrity. Few there
| be who earn the only hOuOrs which republics
bcstow after dcath-a tomb, a mOnument-.to
preserve their names as examples, To the
memory of such, their equal fellow citizens ia
| life, our people bring such tribute OF love and
| tenderness and reverence, yaSSal never
Death leaves us nothing but their greatness.
| To it may we do homage without self abase-
ment. We cannot mar it by iattery, breeding
IIither we come, heart hungry for the only
spot where we may express gratitude to d-
vine providence and testify to our country
men our patriotic love, unallOyed by even the
appearance of obeisance to living ruler.
At the tomb of the great the American free
man draws his inspiration from the fountain
head for high resolve and mighty deed. There
may he pledge his fcaty to principles with
out transmitting it through any representa-
| tive. ~
In this tomD lies one whose great qualities
of head and heart, whose bravery, whose sim
plicity, whose magnannty, whose patience.
whose stcadfastness of purpose, whose loyalty
to every obligation, whose capacity for a.
min!straton in the highest offices in the
world, military and civic, have placed his
name as among the most remarkable men
who have ever lived.
The theater OF his career was only the
United States of America; the most dramatic
episodes of his life, were in his character as
leader of one of the armies Of his divided peo-
pie Yet, even on that narrow field, and
under those restricting conditions, he SO bore
himself that the whole world watched him;
and when his work was finished proclaimed
n@ arey ES dsyeoped and SS{ o{ 81 bie@de
with such qualities OF manhood as entitled
III The world! How vast the term. How sell
fish, ana how busy with their own concerns,
are the far or millions Oh other nations nov thS
things on which our thoughts and energies
| nf hni
our so-caied great are never heard Of
| beyond the limits OF our narrow land, ana
are indeed soon forgotten, even by ourselves
When the cold, selfish world-the world
which is moved by no local sentiment or pas
sion-proc.aims lie greatness OF a man. the
verdict carries within Itself conviction OF Its
| Justice 1t is Judgment upon cause; it
cares nothing for, the particular c,ontroyersy
but it means that in the man himself the
makes make the the whole world Kin" and hailed bis
pre-eminent qualities of manhood as emitting
| him TO the admiration OF his race
| CharlatanS may deceive II state, or even a
continent, but the impostor has never lived
who could delude world. Its vertiet Is
| local Influence. Its Judgment is infallible.
The m;,A is su, ely great whose fame is world
Ana such was Ulysses $. Grant.
There is today an Arab stroking his steed
retIccting on The -reatncss OF Grant There
are gentle japanese reading In their own IAN
admiration. There are American Indians
crouching by desert fires. picturing to
Ss ws IN Tner T%4S re G ong
the Nile, dreaming of Grant, and VicksburE
and the far Of MSss7sppi 4S There e. mre RHs
to reconci lie the strength and tenderness the
power and mercy to them so strangely blended
learning pertinacity. There are Spaniaris
and Italians on whoIa his forgiveness and
magnanimity will not be lost.
Ills life and character are known, to the
forthcst bounds of fame, And in the wide
world there Is not one man of Celtic or anglo
Saxon blood who is not proud TO boast himself
OF that strain OF humanity which produced
this great captain of the union.
Men will model their characters upon this
ideal when we are dead ana forgotten By the
will surge forward TO desperate assault In cen
tures to come. Mankind will be stronger,
BY emuIating hiS enHHnranGSe SSss and r,toT. for.
vistory less arrogant: defeat less bitter; and
human nature more gentle, ~ the conSpcu-
his Kindness to his foes, and his ycurning
longing when war was past, for fraternity and
such was the man whose memory we COM
memoratc this day We know his history aud
we know his worth We were actors IN the
great passion play in which he emerged from
obscurity to become the central tgure of the
greatest drama OF our day. We saw him, man
and rise until he was chief partisan In sec
We saw him, on the Instant OF restored peace,
transformed as II wero, TO become champion
of forgctfulness, advocate OF mutnIl forgive
We saw him in the hOur Of his strength, we
watched and pitied him in the nOur Of his
weakness until his patient painful death.
And now we are standing by his tomb, after
| full time for reflection upon what he was,
| Some OF us were soldiers in his army. To
such. would not venture to picture what
they must feel beside mis- grave, some Of us
were followers of his great antagonist. Time
was when he was out chiof enemy Time was
when he was our victorious adversary,
Wheni Why How 1t profits not here to
recount Il is true that cynic history tells us
| the vanished are not, as q rule, the maShhnl
| nous,
Yet, this say, with perfect confidence that
| IL is true, Between Grant ana the confederate
soldier. even in time of war there was ever IA
| feeling of mutual respect ana much that was
| akin to kindness, Towards Grant, forgcnt e.
ncss and magnanimity which touched them
| iueNpreSsiOly, there went forth FROM the
hearts of the soldiers uf the army of northern
| Virginia, even at the hour ut their surrender
10 him. a feeling which they entertained
towards noothcr federal commandcr
We have. II IS true, IN many a southern
GENE 'ery an army Of dead comrades 20 whose
memory ana tu whose YalOr We delight 70 pay
! the tribute ~ owing hearts, In aQuiet chanel,
! under the shadow of the Blue RIDGE sleeps
one whu|in days gone by was 70 our love, tC
| OR hope, ana tu our Idea of patriotic duty all
| tnat Grant TCprC~, utS to you. ct our hearts
are large cuuugh for both, and when Grant
sought them he never asked 0S to turSet ouT
! Q-ud,
our voluntary presence here 10 honor the