Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-05-31
his yearning, longing when the war was

/
past.
| FOR FRATERNITY AND PEACE.
| Such was the man whose memory we
commemorate this day. We know his
history, and we know his worth We were
actors III the great passion play in which he
emerged from obscurity to become the CEN
traI figure of tie greatest drama of our
day.
| We saw him, man that he was. take sides
in an hour of discord, and rise until he was
chief partisan in the sectional strife. We
saw him, on the instant of restored peace,
transformed as it were to become the cham
| plon OF forgetfulness, the advocate of mu-
tual forgiveness and counselor of restored
| fraternity; we saw him in the hour Of
his strength; we watched and pit
led him in the hour of weakness
until patient, painful death and now we are
standing by his tomb, rejecting upon what
| he was. Some of US were soldiers in his
army. would not venture to picture what
| they must feel beside his grave. Some of
US were followers of his great antagonist.
| The time was when he was our chief enemy;
| the time was when he was our victorious
| adversary; when, why or how? 1t profits
not here to recount. 1t is true that
cynic history tells us the vanquished are
not as rule magnauimous, yet l say with
perfect confidence that it is true between
Grant and the
CONFEDERATE SOLDIER.
Even In the time OF war there was every
feeling of mutual respect and much that
was akin to kindness toward Grant for the
gentleness and magnanimity which touched
them inexpressibly. There went forth
from the hearts of the soldiers of the army
OF Northern Virginia, even at
the hour of their surrender
to him, a feeling which they entertained
towards no other Federal commander.
Henceforth there sprang up and grew be-
tween them and him kindness which
grew and waXed stronger as the wears
rolled until he died. His coffin bore as
many flowers of the South as of
the North. Every. state of the Union
stood around his bier and old
Confederate veterans had feelings at their
hearts such as they had not known since
the surrender at Appomattox, or at the It'd
ings that Lee was dead.
Yes, my countrymen, strife and bitterness
have passed away. Here we stand loving
brethren, about Grants tomb, members
country. How much he did to
bring about this fraternal,
loyal feeling all men know We have in
many Southern cemeteries an army of |
dead comrades to whose memory and to |
whose valor !
We DELIGHT TO PAY TRIBUTE
In the quiet chapel under the shadow of |
Blue Ridge sleeps one who in days gone by |
was to our love, to our hope and to |
our idea of patriotic duty all that Grant |
represents to you; yet our hearts are large |
enough for both and when Grant sought |
them he never asked US to forget our dead. |
On many well-contested field Grant and |
Lee and those who followed them came to |
know each other well, and to feel the respect
winch every brave man entertainS for |
his adversary, who had the courage of his
convictions. All that Grant contended for
was established. All that Lee maintained
failed OF accomplishment Every sensible
citizen of this republic now acquiesces
in the result.
Do the dead look down on US?
1t must be so.
What joy of Elysium could compare with |
that experienced by the dead warrior as,
looking down upon the land for which he
died, he beholds it blessed with peace, pros
perlty and fraternity, fruit of his self
sacrifces
Can we look up to them?
With mortal vision-No.
Yet, In imagination, yes, indeed
And this. my brethren of the North and |
south, IS the vision which 1 saw of late.
through the open portals of the great |
beyond saw the boundleSs plains of Wal
naiia-where, far as the eye could reach.
were spread the snowy tents of ghostly
eSlons ranged beneath the banner of eter-
aal peace
heard the booming of heavens artillery,
he strains of celestial bands, and the
aoarse roar Of shouting thousands
here and there out Of the hurrying hosts !