The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1860-05-16
"lv---" WEv-." u.s."

POSSIBLY the most modest man OF INC
most modest party in this modest State
Of our modest Republic, was the very
modest d. S. WALBRIDeE, of Kalama-
ZOO, President of the late Republican State
Convention. Modesty is a rare thing in
political circles-a very unpatriotic virtue
in this era of distinguished patriotism
and we hasten to record the painfully en-
barassed and blushingly retiring demean-
or of President WALBEIDGE, as the last
living example Of a characteristic suppos-
ed to have persisted with the illustrious
politicians Of an earlier age.
Mr.. WALBRrDGE made n speech upon
taking the chair-wc might say, deliver
ed lecture-and a most refreshing and
edifying lecture it was. 1t was brief, to
be sure; but brevity is the soul of wit.
Out of ten sentences, into which the elo-
qucnce of the President was happily con-
centrated, the first seven begin with the
modest pronoun al" and two of the
other three commence with the retiring
"we." There are thirteen blushing is"
in the ten sentences, and these are sup
ported and kept in countenance, as it were,
by only seven ewes" flanked by ever so
many "my's," "me's" ours" yours"
etc.
1t must have been an exhilerating and
highly gratifying spectacle to have be-
held the venerable man, as, with one hand
under his coat-tails and the other gyrat-
ing solemnly in the negro-tainted air, he
rolled those greedy as over the tremu-
lous heads of the tumultuous ewes" as
sembled before him. No doubt call the
decency" were exceedingly delighted with
the speech:
"On motion, VIM. Brockway, of Cal
houn, and VIM. l.. Stoughton, of st. 10.
seph, were appointed committee to es-
cort the President to the chair, who then
addressed the convention, as follows:
GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION
accept with the most profound gratitude
the position you have given me, in this
your State Convention. / accept it not
for my own qualification, but for the fur
therance Of the great cause we have il
hand. | rely on your support in carrying
on our business without creating any cir
repressible conflict" i am gratifed OF
account of the antecedents of the great
Republican Party. / cannot forbear con
graduating you on the progress of thC
great cause. | must contrast our position
to-day with that of our situation when VIZ
met to organize the Republican party, moi
the principles, for they are rs old as the
hills, and when the barriers over whicl
slavery could not pass, were broken down
you rallied in connection with the true
men of tho nation, tho thinking men
united men Of all parties came togetho
under tho green oaks of Jackson, and you
organized; and when this landmark wa
TO be broken down, thinking men of al
parties came to the rescue, and declared
that this wrong should not be perpetra
ted. j recognize some men here to-da,
whom | have seen in the first meeting q
jackson, and looking around and seeiu,
men from every party and from every par
Of this State, must say that we hav
succeeded wonderfully. On the 9th G
July, 1854, the first convention was he'll
that declared against this great wrong
We have met here to-day TO send dele
gates TO nominate n national President
and when that is done we will 90 10 wor
and elect him. We have no difference G
opinion about the man, you all know him
need not name him Cloud cheers), bu
if other States should succeed in namin,
better man, we will engage to give hin
the votes of this State by thousands
Gentlemen, | have done; | rely on you
intelligence for any mistake have made.