The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-06-14
The BANQUET to Governor Curtin

On Saturday evening about 800 gentlemen
sat down to the banquet which was given in
honor of Governor Curtin. Judge Thayer
presided and made the Introductory speech.
He was followed by the distinguished guest
Governor Curtin, who said: -
81 am not insensible to the compliment oG
this ovation, and am deeply grateful for the
warmth of your reception. Notwithstanding
your fattering encouragement deep and con.
ficting emotions perplex me in arising to
address you. The occasion eXcites the live
lest feelings of the heart, and the great mea
sure of pride that l am deemed worthy o
such a demonstration by the people of my
native State is saddened by the thought tina
it is n farewell, and that am now about to
leave my friends and home for foreign land
No matter how much fattered by fortune, or
in what position of life, it is always sad to
sever the ties which bind us to our private cir
cles, to friends who have been faithful alike
in sunshine and shadow, in prosperity
and adversely, and who become closer and
more sacred as time chastens the attachment
to the sincere and shortens the brief days al
| lOtted for their enjoyment. With me the
| feelings excited by the surroundings in
| which stand tonight reach far beyond the
| circle of individuals, grateful as my memo
| RES must ever be of them. l could not find
| language to express all l owe TO this great
| city, and to our honored and mighty Com
mOnwealth and her free people. In the me-
morable struggle which associated my hum
| BILE name was the imperishable honor of the
| State, Philadelphia was generous and stead
| fast in her attachment to me. Her voice was
| largely instrumental in making me candi-
| date for Governor and throughout the six
| years of my service as Chief Executive, her
| people sustained me, and no sacrifice was
deemed too great to vindicate her National
| Government when assaied and who can for
| get who can fail to remember forever with
| pride, that Pennsylvania was the first and the
| grandest of all the States in her offerings for
| her Government and the most heroic in her
sufferings for humanity? When others
| doubted or hesitated, her faithful people were
unfaltering in their fidelity; and now the salts
! faction to claim American citizenship all over
the world is magnifed by the title of Penn
| sylvanian, wherever the martial virtues COM
mand homage and respect"
| The Governor then referred to his labors
during the late Rebellion, in preparing and
putting in the field 800, 600 Pennsylvania SOL
| diers and also to what had been done for the
soldier since the war ended, and he hoped that
| when he returned he would find this nation
of homogeneous people, with all the bitter
ness of angry feeling which caused the war
| and all its Vicissitudes forgotten, and that we
may be in the enjoyment of that fraternal feel
ing which alone can make a nation great and
respected, and people happy and prosperous
The Governor, in conclusion, said, with the
ardent prayer that our Government may re-
main am everlasting unit, and that this great
| Commonwealth may maintain her lofty posi-
ton in the sisterhood of States, | bid you
farewell; and as the hard word falls from my
lips, add my thanks to the people of Phila-
delphia, to the people Of the whole State ior