The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-17
R;OSECRANS
The President Speaks at the
Refinement of the
Hero Of '6I-6G.


tatives President Roosevelt. members
of his cabinet, senators and representa-
tives and host Of friends including many
of his old army associates. were present.
Full military honors were accorded the
remains, which were borne to the grave
on a ,caisson.
In~the opening exercises, Speaker Hen
derson, who presided, said:
General Henderson's Address.
: Few generals of the civilswar had stronger,
hold upon the officers and men who fought
under his command than Major General Rose
Grams. They respected, they loved him, and
that love is attested by this of yours in bring
ing the body Of your old commander from
the Golden Gate to lay him away in your
midst in this sacred and historic city of the
dead.
I am not soldier worshiper, if the only
claims OF the soldier are marked by human
graves or great victories ITO command the
devotion, respect and love of the country.
The soldiers aims must be analysed and un-
derstood and these must show that he COM
prehends that for which he fought and that
love of country rose above the ambition to
be great fighter. The pillow is better than
the sword; the school book is a better guide
than the work on military tactics; the builder
is better than the destroyer; the maker of
homes better than the maker of graves; and
yet, If the work of the soldier is to protect
the pillow, the. school and the home he is
entitled to respect according to the valor of
his heart and arm.
In every position held by General Rose
Grams his noble character was manifest. AS
a member Of congress: as minister to Mexi-
co; as register of the treasury; as an engi-
neer and business man he showed ability, in
tegrity and an absolute DEVOTION to the no.
blest ambitions of the American citizen
had the pleasure of serving under his
command at the battle of Corinth, and also
served with him in the house of representa-
tlves, where our relations became intimate
and most friendly. He was one Of the most
fearless officers that ever saw in battle
He seemed to be unconscious of danger On
the 4th OF October, when the armies of Price
anu Vandorn were pressing our federal lines
and symptoms of our falling back were mani
fest, he suddenly dashed between the federal
and Confederate lines like the very spirit of
war. He passed but few steps in front of
where I was I can feel his presence VET.
His hat was blown off, His firmly set face
seemed as though he was made for a god
of battle. Swinging his sword he called out
to US: Stand by your flag and country my
men,
That splendid fearless, heroic dash was the
death knell to the armies Of Price and Van
Dorm
General Rosecrans, sleep peacefully in the
bosom OF the country you fought to save.
You nave earned a rest in her bosom; but
General Rosecrans, no single grave can hold
you, for you will be buried in the hearts of
all the soldiers who fought under your com
mand and in the hearts of an appreciative,
grateful, loving country.
At the conclusion of Speaker Hender-
sons remarks. the quartet choir Of St
Patricks sang Lead Kindly Light af-
ter which brief addresses were made by
President. Roosevelt. - Senator Foraker
and Representatives Hepburn, Grosyenor
and Gardner. The president spoke as
follows:
. The Presidents Address.
The speaker has well said that the builder
rather than the destroyer is the man most
entitled to honor; that the man who builds
up is greater than he who tears down; and
that our honor must be for the fighting man
who not only fought worthily, but fought in
a worthy cause. And therefore for all time,
not only the people of this great reunited
country, but the nations of mankind whr
sees the hope for the ordered liberty in what
this country has done-they will forever hold
you, the men of the gerat civil war and the
leaders like him whose mortal remains arc
to be put to-day in their final resting place.
in peculiar honor because you were soldiers
who fought to build; you were upbuilders:
you were the man to whose lot it fell to
save to pcrpetuity, to make stronger the
great national fabric.
The very fact that we appreciate more and
more as the years go on the al-importance
to this country and to mankind of your vic
tory, makes it more and more possible for
us to recognize in the heartiest and frank
est manner the sincerity, the self-devotion
and the fealty to the right, as it was given
to them to see the right Of our fellow Ameri-
cans against whom you fought And now the
reunion is SO complete that it is useless to
allude to the fact that it is complete. ZAP
plause.) Officer and enlisted man stand at
the bar Of history to be Judged not by the
difference in rank, but by whether they did
their duties in their respective ranks Gap
plause.) And, Oh, of how little account,
looking back, the difference of rank is COM
pared with the doing of the duty and what
was true then is true now. The doing the
duty we'll is what counts -.
I should not try to eulogze the dead gen
eral in the presence of his comrades in the
presence Of his fellow countrymen who have
come to honor the memory of the man against
whom they were pitted in the past and who
came here because they now, like us, are
Americans and nothing else, devoted to the
~unicn and to one country. (Applause.)
We have to-day lesser tasks but shame to
us if we finch from doing or fail to do well
the lesser tasks where you carried to tri-
un1phant victory, feat difficult as that
which was set you And here in the pres
ence Of one of the illustrious dead, whose
names will remain forever more on the honor
roll of the greatest republic on which the
gun has ever shcne; here in that presence
1t Eehooves all Of US, young and old, solemn
ly and reverently to pledge ourselves to con-
tinue undi1nmed the traditions you left US