The National tribune., 1892-09-22
THE NATIONAL
ENCAMPMENT.
Continued from first page


ments; but there are also simple mounds in
country cburchyards; there are unknown
graves in Southern fields,
INcLosISG THE ASHES OF HEROES,
to whom chilling circumstances forbade dis
tinction. It matters little to these men
whether monumental granite marks the
spot where they await the last roll-call, The
night tattoo of death has sounded for them
its last notes; but they will have died in
vain, if from the inspirations of Memorial
Day the youth of our land learn no lesson.
For what did these men die? They died
that the Nation might live; they died that
this land should be an asylum for liberty
loving men all over the world; they died
to make this land of ours such that the
songs of the laborers of all nationalities in
our valleys and on our hills should swell and
commingle with the free anthem of America.
Let Memorial Day teach the rising gene
ration that the liberty and the Government
which were established and sustained at
such terrible cost should be by them yielded
up only when, like the men who wore the
blue, they rest with honor in a soldiers
be tempted to surrender the rights that were
established upon so many battlefields by
these men, or become cold or callous in their
love of country and it's institutions, may the
memory of the green mounds spread all
over the land, covering the remains of the
~ 4
with its hopes and pleasures for freedom and
fatherland hold them firmly to public
virtue.
PENSIONS.
The passage Of the disability bill under
date of June 81, 1890, was SO munficent in
its scope, provided pensions to all honosably
discharged soldiers suffering from mental Or
physical disabilities, recognizing the service
of class who by lapse of time were unable
to furnish the testimony of their comrades
as to the origin of their disabilities, requir-
ing only the certificate of physician and
the examination by pension board. No
additional legislation was sought by the
last National Encampment. The Pension
Committee have endeavored to have cor
rected certain inequalities in the ratings
which were not commensurate with existing
disabilities, from which many comrades are
suffering, all of which will be given to you
in detail by the committee
GRANT STATUE.
The committee appointed pursuant to
resolution of the National Encampment, to
take charge of the work, met in the city of
Washington on the 18th day of December,
1891, and after examining and passing upon
the designs of several competitors, awarded
the contract for modelling, carving, and
placing in the rotunda of the National
Capitol marble statue of our late comrade,
Ulysses S. Grant, to Mr.. Simmons. The
work is now in progress in Rome, Italy, to
be completed and the statue placed in posi-
ton in two years from date of contract.
The action Of the committee was approved
by the Commander-in-C Chief and Executive
Committee Of the Council of Administra-
ton, as required by resolutions of the En-
GRANT TOMB.
For seven years the body of our old Gen
eral-in- Chief had been allowed to remain In
an open city park In a rude temporary
shelter. This neglect had become stand |
ing reproach and humiliating to every sur
wing comrade. Last Spring the Grant |
Monument Association was recognized and |
enlarged by legislative enactment, and, under
the leadership of Comrade Horace Porter, it |
was determined to push the work of erecting
q fitting tomb to successful completion. |
The Commander-in-C Chief Of the Grand |
o. the Association. / suggested to Comrade
Porter the propriety of constructing within
he monument suitable repository, in
which could be placed the autographs sig
natures of surviving comrades of the Grand
Army of the Republic; that these sigma
lures should be written upon carefully
prepared parchment paper, 80 as to last for
AL time to come and be collected under the
supervision of Post Commanders, who would
certify to their correctness; these pages to
be- bound uniformly in volumes, properly
ndexed, and accessible at all times to vis-
tors. believed that every soldier and
sailor in the land would deem it an honor
,ble distinction to have his name upon this
:oll, and would cheerfully contribute the
'um of one dollar to defray the expense of
constructing the repository, indexing, bind
ng, and collecting the roll, and devote any
balance to the completion Of the tomb. My
was accepted by the Association,
10 will be seen by the following resolution:
Resosped That the architect OF the Association is
ion Of the monument for e suitable repository, In
which shall be placed library designed to hold
he volumes containing the signatures Of surviving
comrades of the Grand Army Of the Republic.
This project did not emanats from the
Grant Monument Association, nor did that
Association entertain it with view of |
making it source Of revenue. I knew
hat no comrade would wish his name placed
,pon the roll at the expense Of the building
und fo1 the tomb, but would prefer to bear
he expense himself, and would gladly le.
my surplus which might accrue 60 toward
Increasing the building fund.
TUE MONUMENT ASSOCIATION
s faithfully carrying out its part of the
The repository has been