Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-10-20
Extracts from the Great Grafton
OF Hon. George r. CuriIss, in
PhfiaGcIpi,is.

PhiiadcIpiis.
We give below few paragraphs from
the mastery Grafton, delivered in Philadel. |
phia, on last Friday evening, before an i'm
mcnse and enthusiastic audience, by Hon.
George Tickner Curtiss, the Scholar, the
Jurist, and the Statesman Of New York
the friend and follower Of Webster and
Clay
GENTLEMEN OF PHILADELPHIA Some
Of you have done me the great honor TO in
vite me TO deliver an address here on the
present state Of the country aud the issues
involved in the present state Of the country,
and the issues involved in the approaching
Presidential election. The nomination of
General Mcclellan TO the Presidency by
the Democratic party, affords the ample
reacon for complying with your invitation.
For many long and weary months, it has
been my constant hope that the American
people would come at length to appreciate
and sympathise with his character, anc
would perceive how his public principles arr
identified with the welfare Of the country
and the safety of its institutions. There i
reasonable prospect that such a condition
Of the public mind respecting this distin
euished man will be reached reached in
spite Of official oppression and persecution
without the slightest saxifce Of his person.
al dignity, without a shadow Of change
on his part and through the simple power Of
true and upright character to ylndicate it
self My estimate OF him is not 50 far as
can perceive, the mere result Of personal
regard or Of narrow habits Of observation.
Having known and lived with persons OF
marked character all my life, | do not sec
any sufficient reason for mistrusting my own
judgement in this particular instance, and
do not imagine that anybody can suggest
any good reason why | should not publicly
express It,.
1t is now eighteen years, or more, since
| first General Mcclellan, for a single evening
in a domestic circle in New England where
he had come to attend the marriage Of one
of his kindred. He was then young Lieu
tenant in the army, recently graduated from
| West Point alert, full Of intelligence, anC
impressing all whom he met by remarka
| bic combination Of spirit and modcsty.-
But from that time had not particular!
observed him until my attention was sud
denly arrested by very striking opinion
and prediction concerning him, uttered by
/
and great experience, who has been long re
| tired, but who had followed the career o
| Mcclellan, as he has the careers Of all the
men who have been educated at West POM
! for the last forty years, with the closest OBJ
servation This gentleman, whose authori
ty in all military affairs stands very high
was asked by friend, in the summer Of
| 1861, at the time when it began to be ru
mored that General Scott, from his increas
ing bodily infrmity, might be obliged to re
! tire, who there was that would take Gener
| al Scott place ? He answered immediate
/ ly General Mcclellan, who is now fight
ing his way through Western Virginia.
}, he is put at the head of the army, the Goy
ernment and the country will be safe.
: From that period until General McCle
D Ian was removed FROM all active service #
$ no assignable or credible reason, l followt
: his course with the strongest interests; an
/ when he came to the city of New York
: reside, in the early part of the winter
. 1923, | sought to renew our acqualntanc
and have since been honored by his frien'
e ship. The opinions, therefore, which
formed concerning him, are not founde
e solely upon observasion of his public acts {
l writings; although there is but little need
n put forward the judgements of private il
o tercourse. General McClellan's qualiti'
. as "a man and a statesman stand before tt
e world upon tests which all intelligent pc
e sons eau apply His accomplishments as
: soldier are by no means the limit of h
d powers. A broad capacious, and cultivate
n intellect, well instructed in the principl
: annd history Of our institutions; a great ia
ulty for calm and wise thinking, sol
d judgement; power of self-control tn
5 has been tried by greater and worse prov
it cations than even Washington was suhje
e ted to, and that has proved as strong
L Washington 5; sagacity in perceiving Il
d characters of man, which will insure hi
1t / confidently predict, from unworthy inf
le ences; strong religious principle, entire pr
lie ity of life, and fervent patrlotism-the
d are some of the characteristics of m
t, who, still under the age of forty, has Y
e der personal popularity than any other i
4, ing American. How strange it would
now that great party has named such
er man far the highest office in the land, a
10 has assumed his public principles as its p
is icy, if he were not to be the choice of Il
At iority of the people How strange it
Is that such man should be the subject
ID gross Misrepresentation and misconceptlC
l. One hears occasionally, from persons 9th
,e wise intelligent, an amount OF preJud
is concerning General Mcclellan, a degree
a credulity equal to the reception of the mC
5, monstrous fabrications, that are so asto
ishing that one is tempted to ask how su
d persons can have acquired such impresslo
lie or what their modes of forming their, OPP
r, ion can be. But the influence OF par
l. over the mind is too old thing to need el
d cidation, and the arts by which the, unscr
b pulous make use of that influence have n
= been invented for this particular era.
d will.be good proof of our intelligence al
e virtue as a people if we shall now bre;
it that influence and defeat those arts.
m What fhe peOpIe Are to EXpeC