The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1891-06-11

sraryYzgeznt heart, life and purpose OF General
Grant. No man ever plOwed himself into the
conviction of his fellows without this Christ
like quality of putting his purpose above him
self. The common peoDle, rarely at fault al
ways trusted h1In, and he never failed them
F0rtunate is that nation that has such an eX-
ample of manhood, patriotism, courage, and
fidelity.
Citizens of Galena, receive this gift, made
doHbly precious by the sublime life and deVo-
tion to country of him it represents. AS you
have always guarded the name and tame OF
Grant, 80 guard and preserve this memorial
and round and about you shall be the prayers
of all the American people, East and west,
North and South
Briefly accepting the gift, Mr. K. Fl.
Mcclellan, Chairman of the Board OF
Park Commissioners, introduced Mr.
Depew The famous after-dinner speak
'er and brilliant orator was greeted with
rounds of applause. His speech was as
follows:
Thirty years ago your city numbered among
it's citizens so modest that he was little
known in the community merchant so hum
BILE that his activities were not felt In your
business. Three years later his fame Illumined
the earth, and the calculations OF every COM
Inercial venture and of every constructive en-
terprise in the country were based upon the
success or failure of his plans. He was then
supporting his family on a thousand dollars q
year, and before the third anniversary OF his
departure from your city ne was spending tour
millions g. day for the preservation OF
the Union. One OF the patrIOCdc meetings,
common at that time all over the North,
was held here to sustain President Lincoln
in his cell for seventy-fve Thousand men TO
suppress the rebellion. The ardor and eloquence
OF John A. Rawlins SO impressed an audltor
whom none of the Congres6men and prominent
citizens on the platform had ever met that ne
subseq uently made the orator his ch1ef OF sta11
and Secretary of War Some one discovered
that Captain Grant. graduate of West Point
and veteran of the Mexican war, lived IL this
city and he was invited to preside at the for-
nation of a military company. He was so dill
dent that few heard his speech OF three SEN
tences but in that short address was condensed
all the eloquence and logic of the times " You
know the object for which we are assembled.
Men are needed to preserve the Union. What is
your pleasure?"s He organized and drilled that
company and led it to the Governor at Spring
field. BY that march Ga1ena lost citizen ana
the republic found it's savior.
Grants career will be the paradox of history.
Parallels cannot be drawn for him With Inc
great captains of the world. Historians, by
common con SENT place Alexander the Great,
Hannibal, Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bona
parte in the front rank. But each OF them had
and unequaled opportunities and displayed the
most brilliant qualities at every period OF Shelr
achievements Hannibal and Caesar had won
universal fame in the '30's. Alexander died at
49, grieVing because he had no more worlds 20
conquer and Napoleon at 81 was master OF
Europe. But Grant at 40 was an obscure leatla-
er merchant in Ga1ena. AS cadet at West
Point he had risen only just above the middle OF
his class AS q subaltern on the front1er and IN
Mexico he had done more than perform his
duty with the courage and capacity OF the aver
age West-Po inter.
But the moment that the great Responsible
ties were thrust upon him and the fate OF his