St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1859-07-14
Reported for the St. Cloud Democrat.
The Fourth in St. Cloud.

i
Of the committee to attend the celebration
in st. Cloud according to appointment I
was on hand, and as usual could not help
INDUCING in my old habit Of scribbling.-|
Preparations had been made to celebrate
the day in an adjoining grove, but from
the inclemency of the weather, the exerci-
ses were held in Wilson's Hall.
AT the appointed hour the Hall was
filed to overlooking and the house was called
to order by the chairman Hon. q. T.
STEARNs. We were then favored with
some excellent music from the St. Cloud
Band and Choir; who did honor to them
selves during the entire exercises. Prayer
was then offered by Rev. PHILLIPS
Another piece from the Band and the
Declaration Of Independence was read by
L. GoRroN Esq. The Band then sung
the stirring old tune "Hail Columbia"
The first regular toast was given:
1.-The day we celebrate"
Hon. Geo. billiard was called upon to
reply, but on account of indisposition was
fuot able to speak.
The second toast was given:
''The President of the United States"
This was responded to by Hon. S. l..
HAYS.
He said; can scarcely conceive why I
have been selected to respond to this
toast, unless it is because I am an old man
like the one who now occupies the presi-
dental chair unlike him in every other
respect, / lack the oratorical powers, I lack
the talent, in fact every thing that charac-
terises that man, except the age. I sup
pose another reason why my friends have
selected me for this toast, is because hold
some small official relation to the President
Of the United States; I owe to him the
cause of my residence in Minnesota. But
I may be permitted to say of this, as Is
sometimes said of victories obtained at the
sacrifice Of many lives, such another favor
would be death to me in pecuni-
airy point Of view. daughter and
cheers.) I can respond to this toast as far
as will is concerned; I am not one who be-
lieves; that Buchanan shonld be repudiated
by his friends. But I am not going to
make a political speech to day; made
about twenty of them when Buchanan was
elected president; this day is too sacred to
be- used in such manner; we should for
get our differences while here, assembled
here as we are to celebrate the anniversary
Of our country's liberty. This dav above
all others the sabbath of our nation.
We may have differences of political
feelings, but assembled here under these
circumstances, we have to forgot them, and
become all members of one great family.
Allow me to say here, in my humble opin-
ion that the presidential chair is the great
est Office in the world. I'll were capable
of filling that position, would prefer it to
any chair Of despotism. And I am proud
to say that Mr.. Buchanan has ruled, is ru-
ling, and will rule, if his life should be
spared to see the close of his term of Office,
that when future generations shall witness
his deeds, they will award to him the hon.
or due to his merits. He has served his
country long and well, and the reward he
will receive from the hands of his people
will be "Well done thou good and faithful
servant" am aware that we have had
no president since Washington, who has
not had his opponents, even he had his Bit
ter opponents, and I know Mr.. Buchanan
has his, but we will not differ here; allow
me to say however that these prejudices
are to great extent formed by those men
who are interested in the election of anoth-
er candidate from whom they expect favors.
We should not vilify the names of those
who occupy the presidential chair. The
Bible tells us to "honor the kings" shall
we not then honor them who are high in
authority, shall we not honor him who has
made his way through all opposition to the
presidential chair, and shall we not say
that he who will continually thus villify
them lacks patriotismin his own soul? How
much we have to depricate in this case; we
cannot remember single instance for a
long term of years, when president has
been elected, but what we have had some
thing said, that would have made any ones
cheek crimson at its recital. -
When Harrison and Van Buren, were
running for the presidency, Frenchman
was travelling through the country, and
seeing the papers full of all sorts of stories
about the candidates, he was amazed; he
would take up paper filed with slurs upon
1.-The character of one, and next take up
1850 equally as bitter upon
- -.a---..s-E;zn ~ '>c,ne to a
the other side, and ii writing = -.
friend he said, that the most ezc.t'ne 9i H.
was the clectionof president, and saas ~
.sBoth parties are working for two Of the !,
most consummate scoundrels in tho world"
daughter and cheers: ,,,
we should not allow this, but should