Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1866-06-26
Speech of Theodore Tilton.

A1I&SGA -
cred at the National Fair, at Wash
ington, on Friday last
81 have just heard, ladies and gen
tlsmen, that your President has in
troduced the Reverend Theodore Til
ton. As no such reverend gentleman
is present, | take it upon myself, a
plain layman, to answer for him as
his next friend. daughter. take
pains to say that | am not a minister,
lest you should think | mean to
preach a sermon. [Laughter.1 |
think it a cruelty to squeeze you in
to this tight place, and make you
stand still and listen to a speech.
As I look down upon this vast au-
dience from this lofty place you re-
mind me of the famous family out
West which was so large that they
hadn't measles enough to go round.
ILaughter. People in front OF me,
people on either side Of me, people
behind me. | haven't eyes enough
TO look at you all, nor tongues
enough to address you all, but |
crust 1 have a heart large enough to
embrace you all. [Applause.] re-
Gnember once reading Of a Spartan
.&k6 went to Athens, and said, " Oh,
.Athenians, when in my country a
matter requires but few words, we
lever use many But, oh, Ameri>
cans, you know very well that in
eour country when a matter requires
NO words at all, we always make a
speech. Laughter. The tongue
ls.like an aspen leaf-once hung in
the mouth il trembles there forever;
yes, whether the mouth be mans OF
woman's. Laughter. b" Doctors
said a sick lady, feel of my pulse,
and tell me what is the natter
Well" replied the doctor, "you
need rest" But look at my
tongue" said she. "Wcll, that
needs rest" [Great laughter. /
There il so much speaking in Wash
.ington that | should think you
wonld welcome q man who would
promise never to open his mouth.
Does this beautiful enterprise to
which you have lent your hands and
your hearts need any tongue to
praise il? No. 1t is more eloquent
than any speech. 1t is the plea of
the orphan. Therefore, let all good
men and wOmen-[Just here a v0lco
lin. the distance cried Louder
whereupon Mr.. Tilton told an anu
Sing story OF a similar interruption
of a speech by Marshall This
house is rooted with the American
fag-that star-spangled banner
which is Il picture Of the sky itself.
fApplause.l We stand under the
Dag. Thank God no man now
stands on it. [Applause.] They
who thought to tramplc that banner
were trampled by it. LAppiause.I
Let the warning, therefore, 60 forth,
once and forever, that whosoever
shall strike at American liberty shall
be themselves destroyed. Jap
pIause.1 But at what a fearful cost
this nation purchased its deliverancel
When the wives and mothers OF
America stood in the doorways to
watch The Notwithstanding ar
my Gfiibcrty, how many watchers
turned pale because Of unreturning
feet! How many houses have been
adnrkened, how many hcarthstones
made desolate. Yonder is Il picture
of the Genius of American Liberty.
l draw in my mind a picture OF the
Genius of American Liberty stand
ing by the graves of her slain heroes,
and holding their tatherIess little
children by the hand, and there pro
claiming aloud to all your ears that
the orphan of the soldier is the child
Of the Republic. [Great applause.
MIR. Tilton then spoke Of the sad
condition Of an orphan, who, instead
of n father and mother TO stand on
other side like living walls of protec-
zion, stood only between two graves.
He said tnat Of the half million sold
jers who fought against the rebel
dion three-quarters were under thirty
years of age-and the children ct
the dead were left fatherless ut .
very tender age. Is it charity that
takes care of these children? No.
/ hold. said sperker, that when o
man gives his life for his country he
has performed the greatest charity
. known to mankind. When, there
fore, he leaves behind him his sweet
and unprotected babes to the care Of
a country which he has saved, that
:. care is a duty, not q charity, Zap
plause.1 | hold that all the charity
that can possibly enter into the case
IS the charity offered by the soldier,
the hero who has been ~ alms-giyer
of his blood. In comparison with
this lukewarm gift, what are all
+. your meaner gifts of silver and gold
fApplause.1 The soldiers grave !
How shall we monument it
"where honor comes. a pilgrim gray.
To deck the turf that wraps their clay
& And Freedom shallawhile repair
oss5To dwell weeping hermit therei'
For such graves what monuments
are fit? Let the soldiers monument
:: be, his orphan protected aud bless
; ed! applause. Rear then, these
living monuments. Let these or
pbans grow to manhood, able to say,
- MY father fell in the war for Gber-
d ~, and a grateful nation, for his safe,
j has thrown roses under my feet to
mako fragrant the pathway of my
NrY 81 r