The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-06-11
itself, conviction of its Justice.

|
but it means that in the man himself,
the world has seen that "touch of
nature, which makes the whole world
kim" and hailed his pre-eminent
qualities of manhood, as emitting him
to the admiration of his race.
| Charlatans may deceive state, or
even a continent, but the imposter has
never lived who could delude world.
Its verdict is above prejudice. Its
vision is unclouded by local influence.
Its Judgment is infallible.
The man is surely great whose fame
is world wide.
And such was Ulysses S. Grant.
There is to-day an Arab stroking
his steed under shady palms by the
solitary fountain, ,reAecting on the great
ness of Grant. There are gentle
Japanese, reading in their own Ian
guage, the story of his life, with
wonder and admiration. There are
American Indians, crouching by desert
fires, picturing to themselves in rude
imagin alton the sort of man he was.
There are Egyptians, floating on the
Nile, dreaming of Grant and Vicks-
burg, and the far off Mississippi. There
are Russians, with half illumined
minds, struggling to reconcile the
strength and tenderness, the power
and mercy to them SO strangely blended
in his great character. There are
Frenchmen learning his pertin-
acity. There are Spaniards and Ital-
ians on whom his forgiveness and
magnanimity 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
the strain of humanity which produced
this great captain of the union.
Men will model their characters
upon his ideal, when we are dead and
forgotten.
By the memory of his indomitable
! pluck, columns will surge forward to
desperate assault, in centuries to come.
Mankind will be stronger, by emu
lating his endurance and fortitude;
war will be less brutal; victory less
arrogant; defeat less bitter; and human
nature more gentle, by the conspicu-
business of his moderation, his magma
nirnity, his kindness to his foes, and
his yearning longing when war was
passed, 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 in the great passion
play in which he emerged from
obscurity to become 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 re
stored peace, transformed, as it were,
to become champion of forgetfulness,
advocate of mutual forgiveness, and
counselor of restored 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 by his
tomb after full time for reflection upon
what he was
Some of US were soldiers in his
army.
To such, I would not venture to pic
ture what they must feel beside his
grave.
Some of us were followers of his
great antagonist.
Time was, when he was our chief
enemy.
Time was, when he was our victorious
adversary.
When? Why? 1t profits here not
to recount.
1t is true that cynic history tells us
the vanquished are not, as rule, the
magnanimous.
Yet, this l say, with perfect conf
dence that it is true.
Between Grant and the Confederate
soldier, even in time of war, there was
ever feeling of mutual respect, and
much that was akin to kindness.
Towards Grant, for 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, feeling
which they entertained towards no
other federal commander.
Thenceforth, there sprung up and
grew between them and him, kind
ness which grew and waxed stronger
as the years rolled on, until, when he
died, his Coin bore as many flowers
of the south as Of the north; every state
of the union stood around his bier;
and the old Confederate veteran had
a feeling at his heart such as he had
not known since he stacked arms at
Appomattox, or wept at the tidings
that Lee was dead.
1t is no disparagement of the other
federal generals to say that, in this
firm hold upon the affections of his
old antagonist, Grant was alone.
That he knew it, and that it pleased
him., is beyond doubt.
l remember hearing from his own
lips, after his election to his second
term, that the electoral vote of Vir-
ginia caused him as much genuine
qualification as any incident of his
presidential campaign.
! He delighted to display genuine
friendship towards every southern
soldier who would give him oppor-