Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-08-31
Winslow-C. c. Cornish.
vassalboro'-Howard G. Abbott, George

Clifford.
Albion-Mark Rollins.
China-Eii Jones.
Windsor-Levi Perkins.
Clinton-Charles Jewett.
Benton-Crosby Kinds.
Fayette-F. A. Chase.
Gen. Conner, Senator Wilson, Gen. Harlan
and Speaker Blaine appeared upon the plat
form and were received with rounds of ap.
plause.
Gen. Conner on taking the chair said:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN We all regre,
the exceedingly stormy weather, for we re.
member that if the sun had shown we would
have had here dozen for every one now
present. The republican party IN memora-
Bile instance made the mistake in arranging
its Presidential ticket; of having man who
represented Principles at the head of it, and
a man who represented Policy at the other
end of it. 1t has taken a lesson and in its
present ticket has man in each instance
who represents Principles.
| | have the honor now to introduce to you
the Senator from Massachusetts, and the
next Vice President of the United States, the
Hon. HENRY WILSON.
Mr.. Wilson came forward, and was re-
ceived W tn great applause. He said
| Mr.. CHAIRMAN AND Fellow CITIZENS OF
MAINE The Chairman OF this meeting has
just reminded you of the great disappont-
ment of this day, but in the Disappointment
of life we may as well remember that every
thing has its just compensation, and if the
rain fails upon the just, it falls also upon the
unjust.
We are here to- day to consider the duties
we owe to our country. We come as mem
bers Of the Republican party to express our
devotion to the principles and policy of that
grand organization. 1t devolves upon you
| men of Maine, now that we are engaged in d
| contest, to indicate the sentiment OF the
country everybody in our broad land is look
| ing to you. l remember in 1856, when the
party entered into its first great campaign,
with what anxiety our hearts throbbed with
JOY when the the telegraph flashed over the
country that under the lead of Hannibal
| Hamlin, Maine had placed herself at the
| head of the Republican coumn. l remem-
Der, too. in $780, how the Republicans of the
| land turned instinctvely to Il e Star in the
| East, and l can never forget the JOY thai
ran through our ranks when the intelligence
came that you had rolled up that magnificent
ma ority for Israel Washburn. We all re-
member the dark years Of the war, and how
| men on the soil of Maine were deneunciDe
| the administration of Abraham Lincoln while
our heroes were pning in rebel prisons. The
bilterest words to-day against Gen. Grant and
| the Republican party are feeble by the side OF
the denunciations that ran through our State
and the others during the terrible years of the
war against President Lincoln. l remember
how the people Of Maine stood by their
country then, and it has gone into the
history of the country. We are tried
again, and tell you that as right to day
| ky Ii arIs ind
tire administrations IS, as We were in 1867,
and during the years of bloody strife Loud
applause the republicans were right then
ON the side Of the country, human liberty,
| and every just cause. We do not want to
turn our backs on all that. Let Ls be what we
were in the past, RENE mbering that God called
the party into being to champion the cause OF
the country and liberty, and justice. (Great
| applause). Let US go on in our great and
good work and trample under our advancing
feet every lie and SANDER uttered against this
admins ,tion. Remember that Abraham
| Lincoln was slandered aSwell as Gen. Grant.
Is there republican here to-day that is sorry
that he closed his ears to all that was low
and selfish in human nature during our war
Is there republican in Maine that does not
| thank God in his heart that he stood by the
republican party in the dark and trying hours
through which it has passed
We have in the Presidential chair at Wash
| ington the next greatest man after Abraham
Lincoln. His great and grand history can.
| not be lied or sneered down, or overcome
LEI me say to you that had rather have
his history to live by, to die by, to go into
the history Of my country hundred years
hence, than to have the history and record OF
all the pretentious men who are covering him
with accusations to-day (Applause.) Hor-
| 70 ha ms ntpf'
and he could not find a place to mention
Pitt Fessenden. Now if that historian could
| pass over the name OF a man like Pitt Fes-
sender, won't it so happen that some future
| historian who shall write of this age will be
quite as likely to forget some of those little
plcayune fellows, that are now travelling
| around the country sneering and denouncing
Gen Grant? That great soldier did not seek
The Presidency the Presidency sought him
| and we took him from the head of the army
for our chief. His administration is before
the country, and 1 am here to say that it
is not fautless. Washington's administra-
ton was not without its mistakes. But
these mistakes are small. The foreign policy
OF the nation, and its financial policy excites
| the admiration of the world, while its Indian
policy stands to-day next to the great policy
of emancipation, If Gen. Grant should die
to-day, his administration would stand as
one of the best administrations the republic
ever knew. (Applause.) But some men
don't like Gen. Grant. The rebels did no,
like him during the war. He was denounced
by them every time he struck them blow.
And there are men in the country that now
dislike and denounce him, but we will pre-
pare in November next glorious Apo.
matox for him and his administration.
The proposition now is to break up the
republican party Of three and half million
OF men for its simple purpose of gratifying
the personal spite of few third-rate men
and to put the democratic party into power
unrepentant rebels with the rest.
Admiral Semmes wrote to friend that he
had not gone to Greeley, but Greeley had
come to him. The rebels have not gone tC
these friends of ours, but these friends have
gone over to the rebels; and to day you dom
hear anything but "clasping hands" and be
ing "reconciled." We are reconciled K
every loyal man in the South, and we are
reconciled to every rebel soldier that ha'
laid down his arms and comes up to the sup
port of the nation. We incurred the ever
lasting hatred of class of men at the Soutl
for giving to the black man civil and politica
rights, and they will not consent to be recon
| c;IoJ pplass xra copsant m surrepdpr w,