, 1863-12-24

and place him In the hiGhcst chair in that
| dignificd and dcliberatiTe body, shall be- i'm
| printed upon my memory until the hour
comes That an to be gathered to my fathers
! In the midst Of my brethren Of tho press; re-
| cciying ut your hands compliment Of which
| The most honogcd statesman in America
| might be proud, Joined in as it Is BY gentle
men Of al the various political Organizations
Of the day, and with welcome and heart
will be equally imprinted upon my memory
! while life shall last And, as II to increase
this obligation and make 1t far beyond nv
ability to adequately acknowledge, I have
bad to listen tonight to oulogy from your
distinguished chairman: Of. which can only
called back 10 my mind, what ie often before
it, the years Of my early manhood-and I sec
q friend seated at this tablo (Mr. Defrees}
who knows much Of it about as well as 1ny.
self-when, struggling against poverty
and advcrso fortune sometimes, t
sought, In the profession to which
Ell honest livelihood ior myself and nmiIv n
and position, humble but not dishonorcd'
among the newspaper men Of America. Il
cannot remember tile exact evening to which
be alludes, when, eighteen years ago, stran-
ger then, as am glad he Is not now, be saw
ne ne through the window in my office, With
commentary on my life from the lips Of some
loo partial friend amongst those who, from
my bo1hoo0, hayo surrounded me with 40
much Kindness and affection. But well do /
remember, in the early history Of the news
paper that numbered but two hundred and
titty Subscribers when ] established It, was
often compelled to labor fur into the hours
Of night And little did dream at this time,
! Has ever to be member Of the American
Congress; and far less, that was to be the
recipient Of the honor whose conferment you
commemorate and endorse tonight. I can
say Of that paper that its columns, from its
very first number, will bear testimony to-day
was engaged, never avoided frank and
outspoken expression Of opinion On any ques-
uon before the American public. [Applause.1
and that, rs these opinions had always been
honestly entertained, could not hnyo hesita-
ted to frankly and maufully avow them.
Though The effect Of these ayowa1s was
from the political complexion Of tho district |
and the State, TO keep me in minority, the !
people among whom / live wilt bear testimo- |
~ that was no less faithful to them then |
than hive been when, in later years, tlat !
minority hae, By the course Of events, been |
In The midst Of ali these festivities and !
honors, mY friends, my heart turns warmly |
tonight towards the lifelong friends at
home and :! feel, indeed, that there is no |
mum sitting in the American Congress- who
has constituency OF whom be has greater
right to be proud than have Of mine. With
a generous forbearaneo to allmy, ehortcom-
ings, overlooking all deficiencies, they have
sustained me ever with the unseen but mag:
netic power of ftAeir hearts, and strengthened |
me with their bands in MI the contests and
canyasses Of the past; and shall go back, at
the emo Of this Congress, to the private life
to which expect 10 retire, to lire and to
die in the midst of those lore SO faithfully
aud SO we'll
l have been glad to meet you here tonight,
md am glad that, Notwithstanding our Va.
ried and antagonizing political shades Of
opinions, TIC can thus sit down together in
social harmony. We know there Is to ba a
day coming when the lion and the lamb shall
doubling Thomases think that this win only
be realized by the lamb being, at the time,
'neide Of tho lion. Laughter. But politi-.
cally, the prophecy seems almost verified to-
Dirlt |