Los Angeles herald., 1891-04-28
For the Grant Monument in
New York.
The Empire City at Last Gets
A Move on Itself.
A Stately Shaft to Grace the Tomb
in Riverside Park.
Ceremonies Attending the Breaking of
the Sedan Grafton by GeneraI
Horace Porter.
Associated Press Dispatches.

New YoRK, April 27.-Amidst the
plaudits of thousands of citizens, the
blare of trumpets, the beating of drums,
the booming of cannon, the melody of
children's voices and the eloquence of
orators, ground was broken today for
the monument which is to be raised at
the tomb at Riverside park, where rests
all that is mortal of General Grant. The
members of Alexander Hamilton post
GAR. and other societies participated.
and the United States steamer Yantic,
anchored near by in the Hudson, fred
salute of twenty-one guns. Before the
regular ceremonies commenced, 300
children from the Sheltering Arms in
stitution, and drum and fife corps
playing America, marched past the
tomb, with flags dropped. Each child
carried a bouquet of forget-me-nots,
which was cast upon the tomb. The
marine band played an overture, after
which Rev. DIR. Clark Wright, chaplain
of the department of Commander Free
mans staff, offered prayer, and a
chorus sang the Star Spangled Banner.
Commander Freeman presided. He in
troduced General Horace Porter, the
orator of the day.
Porter said: "Sixty-nine years ago
today, there issued into the world be-
ing who was destined to stand pre- emf
nent in the history of his country, and
whose fame was to reach unto the utter
most parts of the earth. Most of the
conspicuous characters in history have
risen to prominence by gradual ad-
yances, but Ulysses S. Grant came be-
fore the people with a sudden bound.
Almost the first sight caught of him
was in the blaze OF his camp fires and
the flashes of his guns, those wintry
days and nights in front of Donelson.
From that time until his crowning tri-
umph at Appomattox, the leaders,
name was the harbinger of victory.
From the final sheathing of his sword
till his ashes were laid to rest in yonder
tomb, he was the chief citizen of the
republic, and the great central figure Of
the world"
General Porter then in an epigram-
matte way contrasted the obscurity of
Grants early life with his fame in later
years, touched upon the salient features
Of his career as soldier and chief mag
istrate, and sketched the prominent
acts of his presidential career. The
-ositv to his friends, his magnanimity to
his foes, will be remembered as long as
his manly qualities. He never tired OF
giving unstinted praise to worthy sub
ordinates for the work that they did.
Like the chief artists who weave Gobe-
lin tapestries, he was content to work
behind the cloth, letting those in front
appear to be the principal contributors
to the beauty of the fabric"
The orator said that the one word
which was more characteristic of Gen
eral Grant than any other was 'loy-
alty"-loyalty to his country, to his
friends, to God. For this reason,
chiefly, men were loyal to him. "He
was created for great emergencies. In
ordinary matters he was an ordinary
man. In momentous affairs he lowered
as giant"
The speaker closed by saying: enc
effort of human hands can add single
laurel to his brow. All the honors
earth can give have been bestowed upon
him, but the people whom he served
have resolved to fashion tomb worthy
of his ashes, and rear in monument
of rock a fitting tribute to his fame"
The chorus sang America when Com
mander Freeman arose to initiate tn,
particular ceremony of the day by break
ing the ground for the monument. Tn,
spade which he used was fine speci
men of American handicraft, bearing al
inscription giving the chief events il
General Grants career. Before turnin.
up the sod, Commander Freeman said
"We gather today, not simply as repre-
sentatives of the hundreds of Thousand
the dead led to victory, but of the entir,
nation of the men who wore the gray a
we'll as the men who wore the blue
Now in the presence of Almighty Coz
and these witnesses, we, the represen
tatives of the Grand Army of the Re
public, break the sod preparatory to lay
ing the foundation of monument whicl
shall stand as a slight expression of tn
love of this nation for its great chieftain
and shall tell to all the world that tn
United States of America does not fol
get her heroic dead"
At the close of his remarks, Com
mander Freeman took the spade in hi
hands, and with it tossed up the earth
This ended the ceremonies, and tn
crowd dispersed.
ANARCHY IN HIGH PLACES.