The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-05
FRENOH TRInuTE TO IINooI.N AVN HRANT

I FRENCH TRIBUTE TO LINCOLN AND GRANT
The Marquis de ChembrIin, descendant or
| General Lafayette, one OF the invited Guests on
| the great excursion trip OF the Union Pacific
Railroad Company, delivered the following elO-
quent iribute to the late President Lincoln and
| General Grant at Chicago, on Monday
He had viewed with much pleasure the tre-
mendous development of this country but he
would say TO his hearers that natural resources
we're not all that we're essential to the success
| Of q nation. The freedom of the people is to
| be depended on for our advancement and perma-
| nenCe as q people. Free speech. tree schools,
| free churches free administration are the doc
| trines on which are established forever the
States west of the Missouri r1ver as the states
| east OF that have been alike founded on those
| PRINCIPLES. But beyond the institutions them
| selves lies the man. The man is what gives
| the power of the nation
When | read the discussions OF MI. Llucoln
with Judge Douglas, and saw his comments
| upon the Declaration OF Independence relnem-
| bered this other great man, this OLD Vlrginlan,
the author OF the Declaration OIL OF %Inuepenuenee; ,
| What jefferson wrote, Lincoln commented
upon, These principles OF equaiHy' OF the
liberty OF mankind, were enunclated by Jefer-
son, but this great philosopher was commented
upon and mt In practice by your great states
man Abraham Lincoln. 1T was, indeed, one of
the greatest fortunes OF my life to approach
this Western statesman, TO see him on the
very day of your decisive success. / saw him
in the trenches of Richmond. | saw him ex.
pressing by his words those two noblest feel
inrs OF mankind, which he expressed in
the words OF amnesty and justice. Amnesty
and Justice were the last feelings he
had when he died. As foreigner, let
me tell you the fame OF this dead
Illinoslan cannot be confined to America. All
the world must celebrate the memory of this
pure statesman, who raised himself through
life OF freedom, and put in practice these i'm
portant principles for the safety OF men; not only
you, but all the civilized world must be proud
forever OF his name aud his acts. l know well
this same State OF Illinois has another man,
who, as have heard, went one day in 1861, pre-
sented himself at the Office OF Governor Yates
and said that he was an old captain OF your
army, tried in the Mexican war, and was en-
gagged to battle for his country to repay it for
the education which he received OF IT. This
man was modest. He did not speak of himself
He did not point back 10 his old successes in
the Mexican war; and Governor Yates,
almost guessing p what was this man, ap.
pointed him Colonel of the 2lst Regiment of
this State. You know the history of this man, be-
cause America and all the world knows it. He
went from your State to Fort Henry. From Fort
Henry he went TO Donelson; from Donelson to
Vicksburg; from Vicksburg to Charleston; from
Charleston to Richmond, and this man, superior
to his own successes themselves, modest in his
triumphs, you must not be content to claim.
Not only in the United States have you learned,
but throughout the world we have learned to
believe that even successful General can be
an instrument in the arm of free people, that
he may not be an oppressor over them. II is
Tor this that the development OF your country is
secured. You have wealth enough for the people
OF the world, and if you want more energy to
develop it, it will come at your call. You will
go on much further than you have gone now;
you will build up an empire which will have as
its rival the Russian Empire
AS Frenchman, l am glad of that; you
know the connection which has existed between
our two countries. In the days of your
first trials France came with you, and fought
with you, aud France, some years later, aban-
doned to you the territory of Louisiana.
You are now fred from slavery. It is
iunn x1hI mol nG int tnlu hon
ever. In my own country we are proud OF
this feeling-that all men are created free by
God and must remain free. The very day
on which you applied this sublime maxim, that
very day our two nations were connected more
intimately. We are not jealous OF your great
ness. We will applaud you, tor it is most
legitimate conquest which was ever made by
any people, the conquest without any blood
shed, a conquest of this wilderness, which will
give to larger number of human beings the
benefits of the Creator.