The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-16

The President was introduced by General
Dodge. As he arose the veterans gave
him round after round OF cheers. The
Presidents speech was frequently inter
rupted with applause. He said:
To-day we meet together TO do honor to
the memory OF one OF the great men whom.
IN the hour OF her agony, our Nation
brought forth for her preservation. The
civil war was not only In the Importance of
the issues at stake and OF the outcome the
greatest Of modern times, but IL was also,
taking into account its duration. the severity
or the fighting, and the size OF the armies
engaged, the greatest since the close of the
Napoleonfc struggles. Among the generals
who rose to high position as leaders of
the various armies In the field are many
who will be remembered in our history as
long as this history itself Is remembered.
Sheridan. the incarnation OF fiery energy
and prowess; Thomas, farsighted, cool
headed, whose steadfast courage burned
ever highest In the supreme moment OF the
crisis; Mcclellan, with his extraordinary
gift for organization; Meade. victor in one
COX. type OF the true fighting man among
the regulars: Logan, type of the true fight
Ing man among the volunteers-the names
or these and OF many others will endure so
long as our people hold sacred the memory
of the fight for union and for liberty. High
among these chiefs rise the figures of
grant and or Grants great lieutenant:
capiul Is TODAY to be unveiled. II is not
necessary here TO go over the long roll of
SHERMAN mighty Ieats They are written
war. Our memories would be poor indeed
IL we did not recall them now, as we look
along Pennsylvania avenue and think Of
the great triumphal march which surged
down its length when at the close of the
wal the victorious armies of the East and
OF the West met here In the capital Of the
Nation they had saved.
There Is a peculiar fitness In commemor-
ating the great deeds Of the soldiers who
preserved this Nation. by suitable monu-
ments at the national capital. 1 trust we
shall soon have a proper statue of Abra-
ham Lincoln, TO whom more than to any
other one man this Nation owes it's saliva
OF the Nation. L wish to congratulate all
of you who have been Instrumental in
securing the erection OF this statue TO Gen.
eral Sherman.
GRATITUDE TO SOLDIERS.
THE living can best show their respect
for the memory of the great dead by the
way In which they take to heart and act
upon the lessons taught by the lives which
made these dead men great. Our homage
to-day to the memory of Sherman comes
from the depths OF our being. We would
be unworthy citizens did we not feel pro-
found gratitude toward him, and those like
him and under him. who. when the coun-
try called In her dire need. sprang forward
with such gallant eagerness to answer that
can. Their blood and their toll. their en-
durance and patriotism, rave made US and
ALL who come after US forever their debtors.
They left US not merely a reunited country,
put a country Intellectually greater because
or It's rich heritage In the deeds which
thus left II reunited. AS a nation we are
the greater. not only for the valor and de-
votion 70 duty displayed by the men In
blue, who won in the great struggle for
the Union. but also for the valor and the
loyalty toward what they regarded as right
OF the men In gray, for this war. thrice
fortunate above all other recent wars In its
outcome. left to all OF US the right OF
brotherhood alike with valiant victor and
valiant yanquished. .
Moreover. our homage must not only find
expression on our lips: IL must also show it,
self forth In our deeds. II is a great and
glorious tning lot a nation 10 be stirred TO
present triumph by the splendid memories
of triumphs In the past. But IL Is a shame
full thing for a nation. IL these memories
stir IL only 10 empty boastings. TO a pride
that does not shrink from present abase-
ment, to that self-satisfaction which ac-
cepts the high resolve and unbending effort
of the father as an excuse for effortless
ease or wrongly directed effort In the son.
We OF the present. IL we are true 10 the
past. must show by our lives that We have
men who did the mighty deeds OF the past.
We must have IN us the spirit which made
the men OF the civil war what they were:
the spirit which produced leaders such as
sherman; the spirit which gave TO the
average soldier the grim t~enacity and re-
sourcefulness that made the armies OF
Grant and Sherman as formidable fightine
machines as this world has ever seen. We
need their ruggedness OF body, their keeu
and vigorous minds. and above all their
Dominant quality OF forceful character
Their lives teach US In our own lives tc
strive after not the thing which Is merely