The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-16

the public credit and rave to our securities
as high a position in the markets OF the
world as those of any other nation on the
globe. In the twenty-eight years since, our
financial good faith and ability has stood
unquestioned. The act was the doom OF
the GreenbackerS. Their party nad an er-
ratio existence for a few years and then
died without the hope of resurrection. II
was a satisfactory evidence OF theA pam
honesty and native integrity OF the UMPIRE
tending man whose official signature maue
it the law of the land. Few acts OF our ma
tional legislature nave had d greater OF
more permanent influence upon our man
cial reputation. Surely this act deserves
mention when we are ounting up the DEBT
due from the Nation to the memory Oh
It's title was IAN Act to Strengthen the
Public Credit" 1t declared THAT In order
to remove any doubt of the purpose OF the
government to discharge all Just ooilga-
tons to the public creditors It is
hereby provided and declared that the falt9
of the United States Is solemnly pledged
to the payment in coin of all the obllSa-
lions of the United States not bearing in
%terest, known as United States notes, eX-
cept in cases where the law authorizing
the issue of any such obligation has eX-
pressly provided that the same may be paid
IN ma laW y I s,l money OF The e'a aet orobibited the
payment of our bonds before maturity, UNI
less at the time United States notes We're
convertible into coin at the option OF the
holder, and concluded as follows: And the
United States also solemnly pledges Its
faith TO make provision at the earliest
DrdcIlcaDle D6TlOu LOT Tie IGuCiHptlOAl 4
the United States notes in coin"
The pledge in the last paragraph was Kept
by the act of Jan. IA, 1878, also signed
by President Grant, which provided for the
resumption of specie payments on Jan. L.,
1879. Let us have peace!' was his eX-
pressed injunction to his acknowledges.
LET us keep faith with all the world!' is
implied in every public act of his life.
IF you must have d fight, do not wait
for Sr your enemy e e ht but m attack nm givH wif tn t 4il
onset" was the lesson of his civil as of his
military life. This rule, applied with his
marvellous will power, would have made
him successful on any field of human ac-
tiVity. but it was worthless to an inactive
life. / cannot refrain from sketching what
it did for the Nation In the Datue OF Pltts-
burg Landing.
the battle. He was confronted by. an enc
my his superior in numbers ana dlsclpine.
The rains had made the clayey SOIL almost
impossible, and they continued without
cessation. Just before the battle his morse
had fallen upon and crushed his ankle, and
it's pain was constant and so severe that
he could only hobble about on crutches.
He had lost 1900 men-whole reslmehls win
their officers had fled at the Irst WhlStle
of q bullet. He had as many stragglers
covering in the woods as there were men
standing in his line OF battle. Inc
ing his supplies and making ready Tor
the next days victory. He had reformed
as his center. The division had never been
in battle, but, as he wrote afterWard, that
deficiency was made up by the superiority
of the commander" Then, saturated with
the rain, he sought the shelter of a roof.
But every room was filed with the wound
ed and the dying, and there was no room
for him; he returned to his vigil In the
rain and under the tree:
What great soldier who lived before that
day would have thought of attacking his
enemy? Who but Grant would have been
content with maintaining his position p?
What he did he wrote With one hand on
STAYED with the other the approach of
death. These were his written words; so
confident was l that the next day would
bring victory. if we could take the initia-
tive. that l visited each division commander
in person before any reinforcement had
reached the field. l directed them TO throw
out heavy lines of skirmishers in the morn
ing. as soon as they could see, and push
them forward until they found the enemy.
following with their entire divisions, within
supporting distance. and as soon as round
to engage the enemy"
The next day brought the victory and
filed all loyal hearts with joy. 1t raised
Grant to the level where Lincoln stood and
where no true American would object TO