The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-05-12
The Great Silent Man.

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81 The Great Silent Man, -
The memory Of the great silent man
OF American history was honored
wednesday with civic ceremonies of
unWonted stateliness and with elo-
quence worthy of his fame. The cor
nerstone OF what will be the noblest
monument in Democratic and Republi-
can America was laid by the president
with words of unaffected simplicity and
homely sincerity, such as the modest
soldier would have liked. A year ago
at Mount McGregor the president
showed how easily he could divert
mems minds from the pomp and dig
nifty OF his great Office and concentrate
their thoughts upon the civic virtues,
the heroic qualities and the inestima-
BILE public services of the greatest
American soldier since WASHINGTON.
1t was in the same generous spirit.
without a trace Of self consciousness.
that the chief executive offered his
sympathetic tribute to his companion
in arms and predecessor in office.
Mr.. Depew's fine Grafton was instinct
with tenderness and refinement of feel
ing. Studied panegyric and rhetorical
| periods would not have been suited to
the memory of the silent, unostenta-
tious captain of the Union armies who,
as the orator justly said, had shrunk
all his life from display and desired to
escape it after death. With delicate
sensibility the orator adopted his man
ner to the simplicity, sincerity and
homely qualities of one of Homer's
men. Beginning with a touching
reference to Grants devotion to family
and home and closing with the fervent
sentence, s"The tendrils of loyalty and
love stretch from this monument to
every soldiers grave in the land.''
Mr.. DepeW scattered over the dust of
the heroic dead tributes of tenderness
and affection as, chaste and simple as
the sweet-brier roses which had once
! grown wild and luxurant on the river
side heights where the monument is
to stand.
Mr.. Depew gave in three terse SEN
fences the reason and the Justification
for building a magnificent monument
| over the dust of the most modest of
soldiers, who loved his country with
the same simplicity of affection with
which he loved his wife, his children
and his home. ITO lie in the church
yard where slept his father and mother
would have been more in accord with
his mind. But he appreciated that his
countrymen had a claim upon his mem
ory and the lessons of his life and fame.
He knew that where he was buried
there they would build a shrine for the
study and inspiration Of coming gener-
ations." The man who had communed
| with his own heart and been silent in
momentous battles in Virginia and
| Tennessee did not need a monument to
commemorate his fame His dust
mighthave been hidden with that of
his father and mother, but his heroic
character and his genius for war would
have been embalmed in the history of
a reunited country Americans have
needed the monument rather than this
silent soldier in the hush of the grave.
They are dishonored so long as there
is neglect to honor him with a monu-
ment so grand in proportions, so
stately in conception, that it will stand
for all time as a silent witness to the
silent hero. -
The completion of this monument
ought not to be deferred through any
lack of public interest and financial
support in the metropolis. It should
be built rapidly by voluntary subscrip-
tions. The cornerstone has been laid,
and the honor of the wealthiest city in
the Union is pledged for the prompt
execution Of the work. No more COM
manding site for splendid work of art
can be found than that which witnessed
yesterdays impressive ceremonies.
When the monument is finished it will
be a sign that New York is rich in
civic pride and patriotic feeling. It
will be d memorial which will make
New York great in the sight of all
nations.-Neao York Tribune.
Thank You, Draw.
If the choice of the Sixth district
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