The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-06-04
Speech OF JOHN 5. WISE
At the Tomb of Gen. Grant,
Riverside Park.
Delivered Saturday May 80, 1891, at
2::3OP. M.

Commander and Comrades, Ladies and Gentle
men.
AS the Eastern Worshipper, before
he enters the precincts of a Holy
Place, divests himself of his work day
garments, least they profane it with
their grossness, SO shoald we leave be-
hind us the passions and prejudices of
our daily lives as we approach the
tombs of the mighty dead of the our
Republic.
These are the shrines of American
patriotism.
At them, above all other places, are
we moved to reflection on the bless
ngs we enjoy, and inspired to rever-
ence and patriotism towards the Gov
ernment under which we live.
Our system is so free from all form
and ceremonial about the powers that
be, that reverence for our representa-
tives in office has little place in our
hearts and the homage of other peo-
pie to their rulers, offends our sense
of equality, or amuses us as sycophan-
tic.
With us, all men are deemed our
equals-so equal, in fact, that while
they live, we indulge in unrestrained
criticism of our public men, often ex-
tending to abuse, without fear of their
power, or reverence for their public
station.
We have no favored class to whom
repeated trials are given, or whose
blur ders are concealed or condoned.
We open the lists to every conner.
Yet the tests which we impose are Sc
vore. and we are mercilss in judgment.
With US. the stumbler seldom seldom
rises, and is often trampled into the
dust of oblivion by the crowding feet
that press around him.
Many there be, who, after hfe's hard
struggle, are cast at the final account
into the mats of Mediocrity.
Few there be who earn the only
honors which Republics bestow after
death-a tomb, a monument--to pre-
serve their names as examples.
To the memory of such, their equal
fellow citizens in life, our people
bring such tribute of love and tender
ness and reverence, as vassal never
felt for master.
Death leaves us nothing but their
greatness.
To it may we do homage without
self-abasem mt.
We cannot mar it by fiattery, breed
ing ambition or pride.
Hither we come, heart hungry for
the only spot where we may express
gratitude to divine providence and
testify to our countrymen our patriot
ic love, unalloyed by even the appear
ance of obeisance to living ruler.
At the tomb of the great American
freeman draws his inspiration from
the fountain head, for high resolve
and mighty deed. There may he
pledge his fealty to principles, with
out transmitting it through any rep
resentative.
In this tomb lies one whose great
qualities of head and heart, whose
bravery, whose simplicity, whose mag
nanimity, whose patience, whose
steadfastness of purpose, whose 10y
atty to every obligation, whose capac-
ity for administration 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 theatre 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 people.
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 him to be OF the
stamp of true greatness, rarely devel-
oped and of a greatness, blended with
such qualities of manhood as entitled
him to be held up as an example to
the world.
The worldl How vast the term.
How selfish, and how busy with their
own concerns, are the far off millions
of other nations. How unimportant
their struggles seem to the things on
which our thonghts and energies are
bent. How unknown to us are the
names of their LEADER. How uninter-
estinp. as rule, are we to them2
Many of our socalIed great are nev
er heard OF beyond the limits OF oui
narrow land, and are, indeed, soon
forgotten, even by ourselves?
When the cold selfish world tnt
world which is moved by no local sen
; timent or passlon-proclalms ths