The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1868-10-23
BEECHER ON THE STUMP. S
His Opinion Of Grant and Seymour.

Beecher discussed the issues of the cam
paign to a crowded audience at the
Brooklyn Academy of Music. From
the report of his speech in the New
York Tribune we copy the closing pas
sage, in which he contrasts Grant and
Seymour: 35
Consider them a 1noment-these two
men. 1t is said that Grant knows moth
ing of civil affairs. 1t is certain that
Gov. Seymour knew nothing of militia
ry affairs. 1t is said that we need a
statesman. Is there not good deal OF
deception in this matter of the word
statesmen! / have always thought and
taught that what is wanted to make q
President is great deal of common
sense, and great deal of common hon
esty. That is all. [Cheers.l Now, il
Gen. Grant is not the representation OF
common sense, whom would you select
and If he is not honest, gentlemen, 1
think we may give up all trust in hui
man nature. Cheers 1t is said he is
not genius. He is not a genius in the
sense in which Sherman is--the most
brilliant genius in war matters of our
era. The man who fills me with i'm
mense enthusiasm is Gen. Sherman.
Loud cheers. He has genius that is
brilliant, because the imagination very
largely is part of genius; but Grant is
a man without inauguration. But he
Is man of genius and it is the genius
of common sense. Less Respondent,
more useful, less shining, truer, deeper,
far more comprehensive and enduring.
Applause. Now, what has been his
career? Where will you find man so
modest $50 modest that am afraid
many American citizens will not vote
Tor him, for modesty is not in vogue in
our day. So unself-seeking, so magnan-
lmous to his equals do not believe,
fellow citizens, that there is such spec
tacle on the face of the earth as the
friendship which exists between Gen.
Grant, Gen. Schofield, Gen. Sherman,
Gen. Sheridan and Gen. Thomas. [Im-
mense aDplause.l When, not long ago,
l received one from within headquar-
tiers, not Gen. Grant, do not mean.
when they were casting about for can
dldate for the Democratic party, some
Senators visited the Secretary of War,
Gen. Schofield, and urged him to be-
come their candidate. After they had
laid their plans and desires before him
ne went to his superior and friend, Gen.
Grant, and told him what had been
done. Gen. Grant smoked on and said
nothing. Laughter and applause. I
The next morning Gen. Grant went
down to Gen. Scho6eld and said to him.
',Schofield, 1t is certain one or the other OF
the candidates of the two parties is 60
ing to be elected President" Laugh
teri Nov, l do not care anything
about the thing, but l do care that the
country should have sound man, and
do not see how you can consistently
refuse to be the candidate for the party
II they will put you on a good plat
FORM" Applause. But" says Scho-
field, General, l am Grant man; |
cannot go against you; am a Grant
man." Il thought it my duty" said he,
Ito tell you what 1 thought 1T, and he
left. lApplause.l l think that is al
most as good as declining a nomination,
and then accepting it. [Shouts of
laughter and applause.] believe Gen.
Gfant prominently man of admins
1stration. believe not only that he has
laid the country under obligations
which we shall never repay for the SER
vice he rendered on our great and try
ing war, but L believe that he is destin-
ed yet to lay the country under greater
obligations, and give us an administra-
ton so temperate, Invested of passion,
so free from ma2ign acts, so wise in the
selection of men, SO forbearing in the
carrying out of necessary measures, that
We-shall see, dated from his admins
tratlon, the recOntinuation of the adj
mlnlstration of Washington himself
[Great applause1 man in many re-
spects he resembles, and in none more
than his wisdom of taking counsel of
wise men, and making his personal de-
cisions reflect the wisdom of all the
councillors he can gather round about
him. Applause.
Ii Gen. Grant sits at the head of Gov
ernment, there is not one single work
ing man i'll the nation, there is not one
poor immigrant who comes here, there
Is not one dusky creature that by his
pine knot candle reads his spelling book,
that will not feel that he is safe, that he
is secure. For Gen. Grant is the Pres
ident of that Republican party which is
the party of the common people, the
party of universal suffjage-he is the
President of that party, and every crea-
ture in these years will know that the
power of the Government and the pow
er of an enlightened Christian public
sentiment will be in favor of the great
est liberty and the greatest security to
all. [Applause.] Who is his antagon-
list? In private life a gentleman, not
simply most respectable but most affa-
bic, most estimable; a man of polished
anu tIidii
whose private character no person that
ever | heard of brought shadow of re-
proach; a man whose faults lie wholly
iii his administration. Seymour is not
a man of ideas. He is not man OF
victorious will. He is not a man who,
in dark and difficult days, sees right,
and then, though all men try to lead
him, follows il alone to the victorious
end. He is neither leader nor gen
eral. He is man who will be manag-
ed by the men who are gathered about
him. Without record in the war, or
g bad record, stained as having hung "A
burden upon the Government, he ought
not to be the man to sacrifice the fruits
of an era of liberty. The General must
be the man for these times of liberty
and promise. The warrior is the best
statesman, the General is the best civil
ian. The man of deeds is the man I'M
der whose administration this nation
will rest most securely and best. Now
if with such platforms before this Amer
can people, one radiant with all the ell
ements of true liberty, and the other ret
progressive, looking back toward Baby
lon and Egypt-if with these two men
as candidates the one representing all
that is young, all that is advancing, all
that is true and noble and the other
retro9ressive, timid, time-serying-if,
with these candidates before the Amer
lean people-the same people that car
ried the country through the war-if
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