The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-20

to honor. and what manner OF man the
American people delight TO honor.
Thomas H. Benton was sturdy and
courageous champion He understood as
no other man ever understood the interest
OF the great West He is. beyond all ques-
ton, without competitor or rival down 10
this moment the foremost statesman OF
the States beyond the Mississippi. he loved
Missouri. He loved the West. He loved
the South. From his coming into public
life, indeed, from his first coming 10 man
hood. there was scarcely pulsation OF the
popular Western heart which he did not
share. Yet, when the time came for him
TO choose between Office. party. his State.
popularity. the love OF old friends and COM
pani0ns, influence, power, the master pas
sions of his soul. az it seemed. on the one
hand, and freedom and his country, he did
not hesitate in his course.
This Is the great character which the
great State OF Missouri. speaking through
her Governor and honored senator's, gives
| 10 the American people to-day Certainly
Massachusetts, feels herself and her great
| children OF the days OF the Puritan and
| the days OF the revolution honored by the
| companionship. Sam Adams, II need be,
| will draw a thought more nigh TO John
| Winthrop to make room for him. Webster
| will greet his old antagonist. The marble
! lips of Charles Sumner, whom Benton well
| coined in the Senate in 1851, will return
| the greeting now from yonder stately
/ ante chamber. old strifes are forgotten
| The old differences have vanished. But the
/ love OF liberty, the love of justice the love
/ of national honor, the spirit that prizes
1 liberty and justice, and honor above gain
or trade, or empire-the spirit of this great
| statesman of the WeSt-abideS and shall
| abide forever"
! Mr.. Cockrell did not speak owing 10 lack
! Of time, but In his eulogy said of Ben
! ton: He was close, laborious and con-
| slant student from boyhood 10 his death
| and acquired and possessed a greater fund
| of information and knowledge, general and
| historical, than any statesman of our coun-
| try from which he drew largely in his
| discussions of all questions. Apace with
| his increasing years he grew In knowledge
| and foresight and in his uncompromising
| devotion to what he honestly believed to
| be the best interests of our common coun-
| try and the toiling millions OF our people
| and was the friend of the people. Believ-
| ing he was right, he never stopped to count
| the strength of the opposition, but moved
| to the attack with unyielding determina-
ton and renewed force"
| AS TO Mr. Blair, Mr.. Cockrell said: His
| greatest prescience and force Of character
| were made manifest when the lowering
| clouds of the civil war portended dissolu-
| ton of the Union. Equally with Jackson
and Benton, uncompromiSing in his devo-
| ton to the Union and in opposition to NULL
| fication or secession. he foresaw plainly
that war was inevitable. He was open,
frank, bold and aggressive In the express
| sion of his views and the advocacy of his
| principles, whether popular or obnoxious at
the time, and yet so tempered them with
geniality and magnanimity that few could
| keep from admiring him, and few indeed
were his personal enemies"
| At the conclusion of the speeches the res
| olution accepting the statues of Benton and
Blair were adopted.
The Senate then proceeded to the consid-
| Grafton of the resolution accepting from
the G.. A. r. the statue OF General Grant.
By special orders of the Senate two OF the
galleries of the Senate had been reserved
for members of the c. A. r., and both We're
well filed while by further special order
the national officers of the q. A r. were
| admitted to the floor of the Senate during
| he al cOnSl0era-
| ton of the resolutions.
| Mr. Hansbrough presented a concurrent
resolution similar to the one offered earlier
i'm the day in the House by Mr.. McCleary,
and ii was adopted.
A soldiers tribute to great soldier was
the brief speech of Senator Hawley, OF
| Connecticut. He congratulated his COM
rades of the G. A. r. upon the successful
consummation of great work, and said
the noble gift was accepted with sympathy
and gratitude.
Mr.. Turley delivered a notable address
from the viewpoint of private soldier IL
the ranks of the Confederate army. He
said that the sentiment of the people OF
the South had in recent years changed to
ards Grant and gradually had become
those of cordiality and esteem He never
could reach, he said, that inner chamber OF
the Southern peoples hearts. That was
occupied alone by the Immortal Lee,
whom the people of the Southland loved be-
cause he was the very incarnation OF their
cause. Mr.. Turley said he did not think of
Grant as a commander or as President SO
much as he thought of him as the gall
liant soldier, the friend of Lee and the pro-
tector of the private soldier of the Confed-
crate army, and as such soldier he paid
tribute to the memory of Grant.
Mr.. Turner spoke of Grant as "the great,
silent soldier who lies upon the bank OF
| the Hudson. AS he struck the hardest
| blow, so was his hand first to pour the
healing balm into the wound thus made. "
| He considered him combining the quail
| ties of both Moltke and Wellington, for he
| planned with the precision of the former
! and carried forward his plans with ths
| tenacity of the latter.
Mr.. Carter paid a brief tribute ''to the
Nations greatest military chieftain,' and
| then Mr.. Allen concluded the speech-mak-
| ing with a view of General Grant from the
viewpoint of "a private soldier, who served
| under him."