The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-06-10
The Grant Monument Unveiled.

Au tIdlGud, ILL.,, Ou w VI ldSI
week, the monument of General Grant,
presented the city by II. II. Kohlsaat
Of Chicago, was unveiled in the pres
ence of between $4,000 and 10000 per-
sons. A procession, including military
companies, civil organizations and over
5000 Grand Army comrades, marched
to the monument, where the little
daughter of Mr.. Kohlstaat pulled the
cord which removed the covering from
the statue. Then Chauncey M. Depew
was introduced as the orator. MIR. De-
pew made an admirable and eloquent
address, the more interesting portions
of which follow: "Thirty years ago
your city of Galena numbered among
its citizens man so modest that he was
little known in the community; a
merchant so humble that his activities
were not felt in your business. Three
wears later his fame illumined the earth,
and the calculations of every CONNER
enterprise in the country were based
upon the success or failure OF his plans.
He was then supporting his family on
a thousand dollars year, and before
the third anniversary of his departure
from your city he was spending four
millions a day for the preservation Of
the Union. One of the patriotic meet
ings, common at that period all over
the North, was held here to sustain
President Lincoln in his call for sew
enty-fve thousand men to suppress the
rebellion. The ardOr and eloquence
of John A. Rawlins so impressed an
auditor whom none of the congressman
and prominent citizens on the platform
had ever met, that he subsequently
made the orator his chief of staff and
secretary of war. Some one discovered
that Captain Grant, graduate of West
Point and a veteran of the Mexican
war, lived in this city, and he was in
vited to preside at the formation Of a
military company. He was so diflident
that few heard his speech of three SEN
fences, but in that short address was
condensed all the eloquence and logic
of the time: You know the object for
which we are assembled. Men are
needed to preserve the Union. What
is your pleasure" He organized and
drilled that company, and led it to the
governor at Springfield. By that march
Galena lost citizen and the republic
found its savior. AT the
critical hour during the battle of Sedan
when the German emperor and Bis
marck were anXiously waiting the re-
suit, and watching their silent general,
an officer rode up and announced that
two corps of the German army march
ing from opposite directions had met at
certain hour. The movement closed
in the French and ended the war. Won
Moltke simply said: The calculation
was correct Grant had not the scientific
training and wonderful staff of the Prus-
sian field marshal, but he possessed in
the highest degree the same clear vision
and accurate reasoning. The calculation
was always correct and the victory sure.
His plans did not contemplate defeat.
The movement he always made was
advance The order he always gave
was forward The western armies
never knew their resistless power I'M
til they felt the hand of this master.
No better or drawer body of soldiers
ever marched or fought than the Army
of the Potomac. 1t lost battles through
bad generalship and generals by camp
jealousies and capitol intrigues. Thou
sands of its heroes fell in fruitless fights,
but it never wavered in its suberb conf
dence and courage. At last it found a
leader worthy of itself, and, after scores
of bloody victories, ended the rebellion
under Grant. There have been many
presidents of the United States and the
roll will be indefinitely extended. We
have had number of brilliant SOL
diers, but only one great general. The
honors of civil life could add nothing to
the fame of General Grant, and it has
been often argued that his career in the
presidency detracted from his reputa-
ton. Such will not be the judgment
of the impartial historian. His mis-
takes were due to quality which is the
noblest of human virtues, loyalty to
friends. Even at this short distance
from scenes 80 vivid in our memories,
party rancor has lost its bitterness and
blindness. The president will be judged
not by the politics or policy of the hour,
but according to the permanent value
to the republic of the measures which
he promoted or defeated. The Geneva
conference and the judicial settlement