Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-04-27
IN MEMORY OF GRANT
Annual Celebration at Galena Of
the Anniversary Of Gen.
Grants Birth.
Citizens Of His Old Home Unite
to Honor the Great
Commander.
Rev. Frank W. Gunsaulus Orator.
Of the Day..Plea for the
Negro.

Jdlena, III, April 2I-The seventy
1inth anniversary of the birth of Gen.
Grant was celebrated here today in a
fitting manner. The city was decorated
in honor of the event which was par
fticipated in by the citizens and neigh
boring towns. The ceremonies were
held in Turner Hall and attended by an
immense audience. William Rippin,
president of the Grant Birthday Associa-
tion, delivered the address of welcome.
Letters of regret from Mrs. Gen. Grant,
Mrs. Sartorius. Admiral Dewey, Sena-
tors Depew, Allison and other prominent
Americans We're read in connection with:
the exercises, which included special
musical features. Rev. DR.. Frank w.
Gunsaulus. of Chicago. was the orator
of the day and delivered an eloquent adj
dress. He said:
We worthy the memory of Grant
only when we have his magnamity,
straightforwardness. heroism and sense
OF justice toward the oppressed of ev-
cry race. II is demoralizing for us to
parade our shallow skepticsm as TO the
value of emancipation and necessity of
honest suffrage for the negro in the
presence of this great name and seek
to simulate contentment as to the con-
dition of the freed men when the thun-
der of his urcompromising righteous
ness fills our ears. Justice must be done
to the negro who has the ballot In his
hands and the franchise must be pro-
tectedl or we must at last sink into the
abysses of hypocracy with Grants
M.
Our American life needs now as never
before to emulate the man who was as
gentle as he was strong, who never
knew how to boast. who believed in the
simplicity of righteousness. 1t was
Grant who prevented the republic from
breaking its moral contract made by the
ereenback and it will be the American
spirit such as we then saw incarnated
in Grant, at a moment when dividends
We're counted more precious than honor
or manhood, which shall now redeem
cur pledges to the negro who was as
effective as the greenback in helping
purify our flag.
When Grant sent Sheridan to Louis
lana to carry justice to the negro. his
was the republicanism which must al
ways believe the flag worthy of respect
and will protect its citizens, black or
white from outrage and wrong 1t will
require stern herolsm at the north to
beat back the wave of supercilious and
unmanly prejudice against the negro
which Will as practically deprive him
of civil rights as the same prejudice
once enslaved him at the SOUTH
1T was a great day When Wise. of
Virginia, who has in his blood the mem-
cry of that Wise of Virginia who hung
John Brown. stands courageously
against the apparent decadence of the
Union League Club of New York City
end helps to bring 1t back to the stand
ard under which it fought in the days of
Grant and Lincoln. 1t was mercantile
ism which was willing to permit Lincoln
and Grant to be ineffective against the
slave power nearly forty years ago. 1t
is now sodden and greedy commercial
ism which chokes the conscience of the
iepublic and nothing but that love of
justice in which the sword of Grant was
sharpened and ground will save our
nation and our constitutions as before.
SO long as state sovereignty may annul
constitutional amendments and destroy
liberty or threaten the ballot of the
American citizen. be he black or white.
we are utterly unworthy of the memory
of Ulysses S. Grant. His spirit alone
makes ils nation.