The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-28
SPEER SPEAKS AT eALENA.
GRAFTON ATTHE GRANT BIRTHDAY
CFLEBB ALTON.

Mrs. Nellie Grant SartOris the Repre-
sentative of the Dead Leaders
FamiIy-NonsterP Parade one of the
Features of the Dny-The JuriSt
Pays an Eloquent Tribute TO the
Soldier President.
Galena, Ill, April 27.-Galena, the home
of Gen. L. 5. Grant, to-day celebrated the
seventy-sixth anniversary of the great
leaders birth.
Mrs. Nellie Grant Sartoris, accompanied
by her daughter. vivian. represented tee
Grant family.
Judge Emory speer, a Confederate vet
eran, of Macon, Ga, was the orator of
the day.
Upon the arrival of a special train from
Chicago, the public demonstrations beg m.
A street parade was formed at the de-
pot composed of cavalry, veterans, civic
societies and thousands of visitors which
marched 10 Turner Han, where Judge
Speer delivered his grafton. He said, in
part:
Mr.. President and Fellow Citizens: 1 am
sensible of my high privilege in the op-
portunity 10 come from my distant South
ern home 10 take part in these memorial
exercises in honor of the great American,
whose natal day we celebrate. OF the illus
trious man himself you require no infor-
nation. You are familiar with the incl
dents of his youth and with his gallaniry
and devotion 10 duty as a young officer
in the famous little army OF our country,
at Monterey CerrO Gordo, Chapultepec
Molino del Rey and other victories which
eliminated when the Stars and Stripes
streamed above the city Of the Montezu-
mas. You who were his neighbors know
his Spartan simplicity and modest bear
ing before glory. marked him as her own.
You who were his comrades rejoice in your
Iecollections Of his indomitable courage,
his fertility of resource his marvellous
military intuitons the broad comprehen-
siveness Of his strategy and the dynamic
energy with which he reiterated blow upon
blow until his campaigns were crowned
with victory. And thousands who now
claim with pride the honor OF being his
countrymen. but who fought him with
unflinching but unavailing valor at .Donel-
son, Shiloh, Nicksburg, CHATTANOOGA and
from the Wilderness to Appomattox, cher
ish with grateful remembrance his gener-
osty 10 the conquered in the hour Of his
triumph. Indeed, to him more justly than
TO Marlborough we may all apply the lines
of Addison:
Unbounded courage and compassion
Joined,
Tempered each other in the victor's
mind
Alternately proclaim him good and great.
And make the hero and the man complete
While we indulge the national pride.
now the common heritage of our reunited
country, in the astonishing renown achiev-
ed IN period incredibly brief by that I'M
pretentious citizen of historic Galena, IL
may be well for us TO contemplate the
mighty issue for which he fought and
reverently inquire If the soul of the hero
patriot was not animated and impelled by
a power beyond the compass of finite in
telligence. The providence of God we may
well believe, has been often beneficently
shown in seasons of great emergency by
the phenomenal development of men of
pre-eminent power, men whose moral and
mental forces seemed designed by the
creator TO meet and to supply to the ut
termost the exlgencies of the nation and
OF civilization. Such a man was David
the greatest king OF Israel.
such man was Washington, father
of his country But for his uncomfortable
forttude, perseverance, reserve, re-
soureefulness, herosm and honor. that
country had not been, and undoubted as
were the military merits of the patriot
commander, his chief title to the love and
generation of his countrymen springs from
his labors to create the union. the saliva
ton of which in it's darkest hour is mainly
ascribable 10 the fxedness of will, the per
fectedness of judgment, the rectitude of
intention, the comprehension of mighty
movements, the intrepid mind and daunt-
less courage accorded by the providence
of God TO Ulysses s. Grant
Judge Speer spoke at length upon the
formation of the government from the war
of the revolution. and good results of the
Unions efforts, insuring tranquility, and
showing how the constitution was ample
10 provide for the common defense
And need urge, in the presence of 1e-
cent events, that the constitution of the
Union is. ample to provide for the common
defense? Now while the world is astonlsh-
ed at the gigantic forces which our coun-
try as welding by day and night in a thou
sand arsenals shipyards, FORCES. factories
and foundries 10 maintain unsullied the
honor of the Stars and Stripes Now while
the pictured dome of the capitol is ringing
with the acclamations of our representa-
tives as they vote millions for the coun-
mon defense. The colossal military power
of this country is beyond estimation. II
aces not reside alone in those majestic
squadrons, still as the breeze and awful
as the storm. which patrol the coast or
ride at anchor on the tepid wave of the
tropics, nor in the regular army, gallant
ana sklliful as it is, but in the staiwart
arms and brave hearts of twelve millions
OF American freemen-men of that impe-
rial race who have on a thousand fields
demonstrated that in defense of his com
try the citizen soldier Of America has been
rarely equaled and never surpassed
Ia thrilling words Judge Speer outlined
the promotion given by the constitution
TO the general welfare of the Union, The
vast material growth, wonderful as il is
Is no greater thaa the advancement made
an the cultivation of the mind
'ForN the life OF a mighty nation thus
conceived by The patriots and sages of the
revolution and nurtured by the providence
of God ihis great American fought. IL was
for this at Shiloh. with the river at The
back of his torn and bleeding battalions
he scorned the thought of retreat IL was
for this at Ncksburg he braved the mias-
ma OF the swamp and the roar Of The ere
vase until the levees along the river wore
but cities OF the dead. For this he dared
TO cross the turbid flood of the Mississinni