Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-11-01
the PRESIDENCY.
Speech By lion. Hm. D. Kelicy.

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At one of the numerous Ward meetings
in Philadelphia, for the purpose of nomina-
ting Gen. Grant for the next Presidency,
Hon. William d. Kelly was the principal
speaker. The following is portion Of his
speech on the OCCASION
Itmay not be Inappropriate for me to re
mark that | had no part in promoting this
meeting. [ was not consulted as to the pro
priety Of the measure, but, like most ofyou,
an here in response TO the published call, TO
which are appended the names Of some Of
the most thorough Radicals and most enter
prising and substantial business men of our
ward 1t afforded me pleasure to find my
convictions Of duty confirmed by those who
signed the call, and | am here to express
my approval Of the nomination of General
Grant for the Presidency.
Mr. Kelley then said that he did not be-
lieVe in the doctrine of availability, which
made Tyler and ohnson President; nor did
he consider the nomination Of Grant neces-
sGry to secure a Republican victory. He
said he would rather fall with a forlorn hope
defending my principles than share any
temporary triumph that might be achieved
by abandoning the least important Of them.
Nor was he in favor Of making Grant Pres
ident as a reward for his transcendent mill
tary services. The Presidency could add
no luste to his official title Of General Of the
armies Of the United States, one which no
one but Washington had borne before
General Grant will not only be available
but irresistible as a candidate. But why /
desire his nomination Is that during his
Presidency he will secure the enduring as
cendancY Of our principles by promoting the
embodiment of the most advanced OF them
in statuary and constitutional provisions, and
in that sUrer guarantee Of personal rights
the common and familiar usages Of
numerous and free people. As President
he will gather the fruits of the many vIcto-
ries won By the armies he commanded, and
[ advocate his nomination because ! desire
a candidate who not only assents intellect
ually to my principles, but recognizes the
necessity Of applying and enforcing them IN
the work Of reconstruction and the current
life Of the people,
When, as your representative. / voted
thanks to Generals Sheridan, Sickles, Pope,
and Schofeld, for the manner in which they
were administering the affairs OF their res
pective districts, | proclaimed my approval
Of Grant conduct Of his part in the work
Of reconstruction, my knowledge Of his har-
mony with Congress, and his fidelity in the
enforcement Of its acts, so far as their en-
fOrcement had been cOnfded to him. |
then knew that the lesson he had dedUced
from personal and official experience, since
the surrender of the Confederate forces,
was that peace and general prosperity can
be attained and perpetuated only by secur-
ing to the humblest citizen who has not for
ieited his rights BY crime and equal voice In
the affairs of the government under which
he lives.
When General Ord prohibited freedmen
from quitting the plantations on which they
were employed to assemble, Gen. Grant
promptly reversed the conservative order,
but he generously sustained the district com
manders | have named in every advanced
step they took in the trying positions to
which his confidence had assigned them.
OF the generous support he gave them |
speak from no common rumor Ii has been
my privilege to confer with all Of them
with Sheridan at New Orleans, with Pope
at Atlanta with Sch0feld in the mansion
Of JEFF. Davis, in the capital OF the late
Contederacy, and with Sickles in our own
city and elsewhere Let who Will doubt
Grants perception G the exigencies Of the
times, or his fidelity to the Congressional
plan OF reconstruction, 1t Is not Sheridan,
nor Sickles, nor Pope, nor Schofeld, nor
the great War Minister whose courage and
integrity Andrew johnson could no longer
abide Yes, Stanton honors and confdes
in Grant in the same unstiuted measure ac-
corded by the honored district commanders.
Let US then inscribe the illustrious name
Of Ulysses S. Grant upon our standard, and
emblazon around it in broad letters Of gold
our precious principles, not doubling that
when the National Convention assemblies it
will approve and confirm our action by &C
clamatinn.