Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-12-18

/ 10 MesdTas Il Cs nueitfel ". - AfVlA N"tesit
oad W. Il. HGyt0ard:
GEE7LENEK-I thank you for your kind in
Titation. 1t would give me sincere pleasure
to comply with it, and to pay my respects to
nv friend the Hen. A. G. Riddle, before his
departure were it not that have been con-
fined for several days with ill-heslth, and
dare not go out, especially in the evening.
Please make my apology to Mr.. Riddle, and
believe me to be, Very respectfully,
Your obedisnt servant,
s. G. AIKEN.
RKGULAR ToAsTs.
The regular toasts of the evening were
then announced, in the following order:
l. TIE PREsIDEST OF TIE USlTED STATES.
This was drank in silence. CIsrk's excel
lent Sixth Ward Band gave "Ths Star
spanglsd Banner" in most spirited style.
2. Our HoxoRLD GuEsT-IA all the relations Of
lifewhether citizen, friend, counsellor or states
| man-true. We regret his having determined
to leave us, for season, to render service to his
| Government in foreign land. Our best wishes
! will accompany him, and we hope to be permit
tedat no very distant day to welcome him home
again.
Mr.. Riddle responded in a most feeling
and impressive manner. Our imperfect re-
port does not-and no printed report could
dO-justice to the eloquence of the effort,
the mournful tenderness of the speakers
farewell, or to the fervent emotion with
which, on leaving his country, he declared
his love for it.
SPEECH OF Nh. RIDDLE.
Mr.. Riddle began by observing that al
though he had been kindly notified that he
would be called on to respond to sentiment
in honor of himself, he had not the malicious
cruelty to anticipate the language of friend
Iy byPerbole and prepare set speech in re-
sponse thereto. End, he said, what with
the joy Of meeting you here, the pain of say
ing goodbye to you, and the natural melan-
chOly felt in taking my leave of homo and
friends, that my emotions will not cry stalize
into any fitting language. can but tender
to you my acknowledgements for this CRATE
ful and graceful testimonial Of friendship,
and leave you to imagine the words which
you would yourselves utter if eircumstanced
as an. The speaker then reverted feeling
| ly to the time Of his first coming to Cleveland,
and acknowledged gracefully the kind oOur-
tesy with which his seniors at the bar had
received and treated him. He hoped to be
judged by that recognized though not often
expressed rule, that man shall be esti-
| mated not in proportion to his genius, his
talents, the opinion Of the press about him,
his fame or his DOtoriety, but as he is known
BY his friends. 1t had been nest grateful
1 to him thus to be known and loved. In the
last thirteen years, he said, which have
passed in matters of but little moment to my
self individually, there have accumulated
ties, binding me toyOu-never so strongly as
now at the moment Of parting-by cherished
associations and memories. The speaker
then paid high compliment to the Cleveland
| I,- 4ho& Ia L
member Of it had always been q sufficient
passport and recommendation for him.
Now I go forth from among you, perhaps
for months, perhaps for years, perhaps for
all time, as God in his merciful Providence
shall decree for me. go with no feeling
but kindness, no thought of bitterness. In
reference to the past, I have, like all men,
some regrets, but I leave no one behind me
from whom cannot part with in friendship.
[Applauss.
Here, perhaps, l should close. But I
pause to express another regret-thst I must
leave my land before the great and over
shadoEing cloud of war which darkens it is
fully dispelled. There is no heart, however
humble, no individual, however obscure, no
arm, however weak, that when patriotism
and love Of country warm, inspire and nerve
them, their absence may not in same slight
degree weaken the strength Of the great
mass of that loyal people who sustain the
Government. [AppIsuse.]
will not deal IN the commentaries of
this great contest. It is the great out
growth of the century. 1t is the natural
catastrophe which transpires in the history
of every nation which has gone astrsy from
right. It is the result of the effort Of the
great GOd-heart of the nation TO adjust itself
again. Such catastrophe will come ineVi-
tably whenever deviating nation is to be
brought back from out of the debris of its
wrong and ruin to the paths Of justice. 1t
has taughtita own leRson, and wee to the man
or party who cannot learn and practise its
teachings. [APpIause.l
l go out from among you, and though my
: return be as speedy as hope, I pray that
that return may sec the white winged angels
Of peace sheltering and O'erspresding with
, their pinions our whole country.
Ones again thanking you, kind friends,
for this evidence of your esteem take my
seat. [APPIause.l
After Mr. Riddles eloquent speech was
concluded, the Band rendered "Auld Lang
syne " very finely.
3. The UNION.
Mr.. Barlow responded in the following
fOrcible speech;
SPEECH or Mr.. BARLOW.
: Ma. PRESIDENT: It cannot be expected
that the sentiment proposed shall be subject
to extended remark-the proprieties of CD
occasion like this forbid Il, although the
t theme invites 1t. The Union has ever been
. dear to every true American heart. Around
it the affections Of the people have ever en-
twined, and to its nations love ever beer
9 devoted. To it and it's preservation has the
6 | nj uaa A fcr -,
a preservation and maintenance ever been 9
ready and willing sacrifice.
The offspring Of the Revolution, the cres-
ton Of the fathers, the home and protection
| Of Freedom, the special object of Gods IN
bounded favor, the American Union hal
been for the last eighty years the pride and
glory of the world and the hope of nations
To-day, more than at any period Of Oul
nations history, is the American Union deal
to every truly patriotic heart. When rebel
lion raised its black hand to strike dowI
American freedom and sever tho union OF
American States, the people, the loyal pat
riOtic people, arose as one man to protect th'
one and preserve the other from the traitor
holIish designs. Loyal men of all politiea
psrties united in one grand and determined
, Union party, animated by one sentiment
and swore by the God Of Liberty that "tht
Union must and shall be preserved" Ap
pIause,1 and, to secure this, on their oOun
try's altar dedicated "their lives, their for
Z tunes and .heir sacred honor" And n 1t
withstsn9:ag the dark hours through whicl
t. the nation has passed and the great sscrih
> ces made for its preservation, yet the ma
. tons heart still beats high and strong, ant
with buoyaut hope and steadfast confidence
that this Union, once cemented by fratsrna
B. love and bound together by the stronges
natural ties of territory, the American Peo
nIe-the liberty loving masses with firm re