The Republican journal., 1869-10-14
PENDLETON AND THE ORPHANS.

On "Wednesday OF last week, a large meet
ING was held in Cincinnati to devise means for
the relief Of $50 widows and orphans of sol
diers Of the late civil war. 1t came off under
the auspices of the Grand Army of the Repub-
lie. Wherever distress and suffering are to
be relieved Geo H. Pcndleton is always to be
found IIewas there. When his presence was
known, although the meeting was largely com
posed of his political opponents, loud calls
were made for his appearance on the stand.
As he hobbled forward on his crutches, the
cheering was loud and long continued. He
spoke rs follows:
Mr. PRESIDENT AND FELLOW CITIZENS !:
have come this evening, with considerable
pain and difficulty TO myself to signify by my
presence rather than by words, my most hearty
sympathy with the object of this meeting.
Applause.
You can easily see that am in no condition
to detain YOU long, and if l were | could add
nothing to the force of the appeal already
made to you by the facts which have been col
lected by the mayor, and presented to you by
the gentlemen who have charge Of this moye-
mcnt.
Those facts astonishcd and sad(lened me.
IHftt utlHuftu tlltt llt1 ptttlcHt, lplll9
widows and helpless orphans-not widows
and orphans by the ordinary casualties of life,
but bydcath in war-in our midst, suffering
for the nccessarics of lifcI
Three hundred and fifty women and chill
dren, badly clothed, badly housed, badly fed,
| living-no, dying-upon the scanty sup
port Of the small wages ofthe mother, earned
| by thenecdlc or at the washtub, and this, too,
in summer weather, when provisions are
plenty and comparatively cheap. Gentle
men, you arc beginning to draw on your
overcoats and build your fires. Winter is ap-
proaching If these women and children have
Suffered SO much IN summer what will be
thcr misery when Wintry blasts drive sleet
and snow in every street and alley, and
| through every crevice of their Wrctched tene-
ments? [Applause.]
There is to me something especially touch
ING in the suffering of childhood. That fixes
the character for all the future; that molds
the man and woman Of maturer years. that
fixes the life for time and in eternity and
when its silence, through nakedfeet, and di-
sheveled hair, and tattered dress, and shrivelcd
attenuatcd form, pleads to be removed from
noisome alleys, and close, dark rooms, and
presidential atmosphere, to open grounds, ano
purer air and frcsher breeZes, that, under bet
ter Influences in Gods blessed sunlight they
may take the first steps of life in virtuous
ways, with vigorous health, a fearful respon
sibiity rests Oh those whom God has blcsseC
with prosperity to see to it that they give free
ly of the abundance which they have receiv
cd [Applause.l
In this case another claim is added. Who
does not remember the scenes of '6l, '62, e;
and Ga? The men of Cincinnati, with q pat
riotic fcrvor never surpassed, left their profit
able cmployments, their comfortable homes
their wives and children, the cndearments
of life, at the call Of the Government. BY tho
voice Of every orator who persuaded them t(
enlist, by the assurance of every newspaper
published in the city, by the resolutions o
our City Council and every public meeting
it was promised to thcnl, that if they fell OF
the battle-eld-if their lives should 60 out
amidst the groans of the dying-their wive
and children should be protected and carel
for. | know this community well. Its mag
nfccnt charities attest the liherality of TIN
heart. 1t would be foul wrdng to doub
that it will justly, amply, most literally re
deem by its bencticence to the living the pro
mise 50 solemnly made to the dead.
/ don't know the plan of relief which will
J be proposed to you by the gentlemen wh'
have considered this question. | rose only t
say that whatever plan their maturcd con
sideration approve, they shall have, in al
things, my warmest sympathy and my mos
cordial and active cooperation. Loud ap
plausc.