Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-10-05
QD8lo Statesman,
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY
The Ohio Statesman Company,
WEDNESDAY MORNING, OCT. 5
Extracts from the Great OratiOn
of Hon. George Il. Curtis, in
PHILADELPHIA.

Philadelphia.
, We give below few paragraphs from
the first part Of mastery Grafton, deliv-
cred in Philadelphia on last Friday even
ing, before an immense and enthusiastic
audience, by Hon. GEORGE TIcKNoR CUR
tbs, the Scholar, the Jurist, and the States
man, of New York-the friend and follow
er of WEBSTER and CLAY: ...
. GENTLEMEN OF PHILADELPHIA Some of
you have done me the great honor to invite
me to deliver an address here ON the
present state of the country, and the issues
involved in the approaching Presidential
election. The nomination of General Nc
Clellan to the Presidency, by the Demo-
cratic party, affords me ample reason 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 sympathize with his character, and
would perceive how his public principles
are identified with the welfare of the cOun-
try and the safety of its institutions. There
is a reasonable prospect that such condi-
tiOn of the public mind respecting this dis
tinguished man will be reached reached
in spite of malignant detractiOn, i'll spite of
official oppression and persecution, without
the eslightest sacrifice of his personal digni-
ty, without shadow of change on his part,
and through the simple power of a true and
upright character to vindicate itself. My
estimate of him is not, so far as | can per-
ceive, 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 see any suli-
cient reason for miStrusting my own judg-
So, Ia. n,,ti tlnr it,gt N
not imagine that anybody can suggest any
good reason why should not publicly eX
press it.
1t is now eighteen years, or more, since
first met General Mcclellan, for single
evening, in domestic circle in New En-
gland, where he had come to attend the
marriage of one of his kindred. He was
then young Lieutenant in the army, re-
Gently graduated from West Point, alert,
full Intelligence, and impressingall whom
he met by remarkable combination of
spirit and modesty. But from that time
| had not particularly observed him until my
attention was suddenly arrested by very
| striking opinion and prediction concerning
| him, uttered by q veteran officer of the ar
my, of high rank and great experience, who
| has been long retired, but who had follow
ed the career of Mcclellan, as he has the
careers of all the men who have been edu-
Gated at West Point for the last forty years,
| with the closest observation. This gentle
man, whose authority in all military affairs
! stands very high, was asked by friend, in
the summer of 1861 at the time when it be-
gan to be rumored that General Scott, from
his increasing bodily infirmity, might bt
obliged to retire, who there was that would
be fit to take Gen. Scott's place? He an
swered Immediately: Seen. Mcclellan, who
is now fighting his way through Western
Virginia. If he is put at the head of the
army, the Government and the country VIII
be SAFE" r5.,, g.. f....,3
From that period until General Mcclellan
was removed from all active service for nc
assignable or creditable reason, followed
| his course with the strongest interests; and
when he came to the city OF New York to
reside, in the early part of the winter Of
| 1923, | sought to renew our acquaintance
| and have since been honored by his friend
ship. The opinions, therefore, which | have
formed concerning him, are not founded
solely upon observation of his public acts
or writings; although there is but little need
to put forward the judgments of private
intercourse. General McClellan's qualities
as man and a statesman stand before the
world upon tests which all intelligent per-
| sons can apply. His mplishments as a
| soldier are by no means the limit OF his
| powers. A broad, capacious, and cultivated
| intellect, we'll instructed in the principles
| and history of our institutions; a great
faculty for calm and wise thinking; a solid
| Judgment; a power of self-cOntrOl that has
been tried by greater and worse provoca-
tions than even Washington was subjected
to, and that has proved as strong as Wash
ington's; sagacity III perceivinglthc char
acters of men, which will insure him. L
confidently predict, from unworthy influ-
ences; strong religious principle, entire
| purity of life, and fervent patriotism
| these are SOME of the characteristics of a
man who, still under the age of forty, has
wider personal popularity than any other
| living American. How strange it would
be, now that great>party has named such
man for the highest Office in the LAND, ,'and
has assumed his public principles as its
| policy, if he were not to be the choice of a
majority of the people. How strange it is,
that such man should be the subject of
gross misrepresentation and misconception.
One hears, occasionally, from persons other
wise intelligent, an amount of prejudice
concerning General McC Clellan, and degree
of credulity equal to the reception OF the
most monstrous fabrications, that are so as
tonishing that one is tempted to ask how
such persons can have acquired such i'm
pressions or what their modes of forming
their opinion can be. But the influence of
party over the mind is too old a thing to
need elucidation, and the arts by which the
unscrupulous make use of that influence
have not been invented for this particular
era. 1t win be a good proof Of our intelli-
gence and virtue as people If we shall now
break that influence and defeat those arts.