The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1891-06-06
II OLD COMMANDER.
Eloquent Tribute of Gen. John s.
Wise at Grants Tomb.
An Estimate Of Genera Grant from 9
Confederate Standpoint Most
Beautifully and Patriot
icallv Spoken.

I'M
NEW YORK. May 30.-At the services
at the tomb of Gen Grant in Riverside
park, incidental to Decoration day OBJ
servance, under the direction of the U.
:. Grant Post of Brooklyn, a number of
ex-confederate soldiers were present as
guests of the day, including ex-Gov.
John $. Wise of Virginia, who delivered
h GRAFTON.
Mr.. wIsE's ADDRESS.
COMMANDER AND COMRADES, LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN: As the eastern worshiper, be-
fore he enters the precincts of a holy place,
divcsts himself of his work day garments
lest they prGfane it with the r grossness, so
should We leave behind Us the passions and
preiudices of our daily lives a. we .pproach
the tombs Of the mighty dead of our repub-
lie.
These are the shrines Of American patriot
ISM.
At them, above al! other PAGES, we are
moved to reflection ON the blessings We en-
Joy and inspired to reverence and patriot
ism toward the government under which
We live.
Our system is so free from all form and
ceremonial about the powers that be that
reverence for representatives in office has
little place in our hearts: and The homage of
other people to their rulers orfemds our sense
OF equality or aInnses Us as sycophantic.
with us, all me- are deemed our equals
30 equal, in fact, that, while they live. We in
dulGc in unrestraincd criticism of our public
men, often extending to abuse. without fear
OF their power, or reverence Of their public
station.
We have no favored class to whom repeat
ed trials are given, or whose blunders are
concealed or condoned.
We open the lists to every conner. Yet the
tests which We impose are severe and we
are merciless in jud gment. With us the
stnrnb!cr seldom rises and is often tram
pied into the dust of oblivion by the crowd.
ing feet that press around them.
Many there be. who. after lifc's hard strug.
gle, are east at the final account into the
mass of mctiocritv.
Few there be who earn the only llOnOrs
which republics brstow after dcath-a
tomb, II m~unumcnt-to preserve their names
- cxumplcs.
To the memory of such. their equal fellow
citizens in life, our people bring such tribute
Of love and tenderness and reverence as vas
sal never felt for muster.
Death leaves us nothing but their great
ness.
To it may we do homage without self
abasemcnt.
We can not mar il by %flattery, breeding
ambition OF pride.
Hither We come. heart hungry for the only
spot where we may cypress gratitude to
Divine Providence and testify to our coun-
trymen our patriotic love. unallnycd by even
the appearance Of obcisance tn II 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 fcaltv to principles
without transmitting it through any repre-
sentative.
In this tomb lies one whose great qualities
Of head and heart. whose bravery. whose
simplicity. whose magnanimity, whose pa
ticnce. whose steaifastIsr-s Of purpose,
who's" loyalty to every obligation, whose
capacity for administration in the highest
offices in the world, military and civic, have |
placed his name as among the most remark
able men who have ever lived.
The theaicr 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 uf the armies of his divided |
people. Yet, even ON that narrow field and
under tho-" restricting conditions. he so
bore himself that the whole world watched
him. and when his work was finished pro-
claimed HIM to he of the -tIrnp of true great
ness. rarely developed. and OF "a greatness |
blended with such qualities of manhood as
entitled him to be held up as an example to
the world.
The world, How vast the term. How self
ish, 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 thoughts aud energies
IRE bent. How unknown tn u are the names
Of their leaders. How unintcrc-ting, as Il
rule, are we to them.
Many of our so-callcd great are never
beard of beyond the limits Of our narrow
land. and are, indeed, soon forgotten, even
by ourselves. |
When tn" cold. sclfi ia world-the world
" which il moved by no local sentiment or
passion-pr"cIaim~ tn" greatness of II man.
the verdict carries with itself conviction Of
it, Justice. II i no judgment upon Il cause;
it cares nothing for tn" particular cOntro
vrr-y. but it means that III the man himself
The world has seen til It ''toT:ch Of nature
which makes the whole world kim" and
hIilcd his eminent qualities of man
hood ~ emitting him to the admiration Of
his race.
Charlatans may deceive a state. or even a
continent but til" impoStcr has never lived
who could dclude II world. Its verdict is
above prejudice. It, vi~ion il u~nclouded by
local influence. Its Judgment is infallible.
The man is surely great whose fame is
world wide.
And such was Ulysses :. Grant. There is
to-day an Arab strnkinG his stccd under
shady palms by the solitary fountain, re-
fleeing on the greatness of Grant. There
nre gentle Japanese, reading in their own
language, the story of his life. with wonder
and admiration. There are American Indi-
ans, crouching by desert fires, picturing to
themselves in rude imagination the sort of
man he was. There are Egyptians. floating
ON the Nile. dreaming of Grant aud vicks-
burg and the far-off mississippi. There are
Russians, with half illumined minds, sirug-
CLING to reconcile the strength and tender
ness, the power and mercy to them so
strangely blended in his great character.
There are FrenchIncn learning pcTtinacity.
There are Spaniards and Italians on whom
his forgiveness and ma2naniinity will not be
lost.
His life and character are known TO the
farthest 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 the great captain of the
Union.
Men will model their characters upon
this ideal. when We are dead and forgotten.
BY the memory of his indomitable pluck,
will surge forward to desperate as
sault in centuries to come.
Mankind will be stronger by emulating
his endurance and fortitude; war will be
less brutal; victory less arrogant; defeat
less bitter, and human nature more gentle
by the conspicuousncss of his moderation,
his magnanimity, his kindness to his foes,
and his ycarning longing when war was
past. for fraternity and peace.
Such was the man whose memory we com !
mennonite this day.
We know his history and We know his
worth.
We were actors in the great passion play
in which he emerged from obscurity to be- !
come the central figure of the greatest drama
Of our day.
We saw him, man that he was. take sides in
the hour OF discord, and rise until he was
chief partisan in sectional strife.
We saw him, on the instant of restored
pc ace, transformed, as it were, to become
champion of forgctfulnesI, advocate of
mutual forgiveness and counselor of re-
stored fraternity.
We saw him in the hour Of his strength.
We watched and pitied him in the hour of -,
his weakness, until his patient. painful /.
death. .
And now We are standing ny his tomb, :
after full time for reflection upon what he l
was.
some Of us were soldiers in his army.
To such | would not venture to picture q,
What they must feel beside his grave.
Some of us were follower of his great an
tagonist. (,
Time was when he was our chief enemy.
Time was when he was our victorious al 4.
Tersary- =
when: Why? How? 1t profits not here to :