The Portland daily press., 1872-07-10
,ERMs $500 PER ANNUM IN ADVANCE.
What the President Did Not Saw.

The Presidents reticence sometimes an
noys the public Perhaps il represses that
general enthusiasm which in its poor wav
loves to waste its foam on candidates who
eflervesce easily. But it is none the less a
satisfaction to reflect that the President has
not said some things which, in his place, 9TH
er men would have said.
fortnight ago the President was at Cam
bridge at the Commencement. He received
there, IN the stately courtesy of the Uniyer-
slty, her highest honor After the ceremo-
nials, he dined with her alumni. and his
health was drunk-as for ninetv-two wears
the health of the President of the limited
States has been drunk-at this animal din
ner. Not often, however, is the President ot
hand to reply. He acknowledged the cour-
tesy in a few modest and simple words :
What would the assembly have said,-what
would the country have said, had he made
this address p
"GentlemeR Of the alumni: 1t has fallen to
my lot recently, as you are doubtless aware to
be placed before the public in a somewhat con-
spcuous attitude. That is to say, we who work
tor the country, work and live in the public
sight and under public criticism to a greater
degree than most people; and yet think to-
day my position is a little more exposed to cav
IL and disparagemept than that of most of YOU
1t has been said of mel do not deprecate,
would not dlsarm criticism,-but it has been
said OF me, and take it as great testimonial
and compliment, that while in the business
pursued through life, L have shown myself very
fairly competent, very fairly diligent and sue
cessful; yet if L were, or should be- invited into
another line of life,-into different and, If Won
please, higher responsibilities, L should be
found unequal to them. Well. gentlemen, /
cannot expect to have anything better said of
me by my friends much less nv adversaries
than to say had done well what have had
to do" '''''
How many of the alumni would have look
ed General Grant in the face up to this mo-
ment? How many of them, on the other
hand, would have hung their heads in morti-
hcation that candidate for office should
nave selected such moment to electioneer
for himself? But suppose he had continu-
ed:-
1T would seem .tolerably safe deduction
that one who had been doing well all his life
that which he has tried to do NAV possibly
may reasonably be expected to do well some
thing else If he were to undertake it. Some of
my critics observe that, though for myself per-
sonally, am tolerably honest and rcspecta-
Bile person, yet my associates are not very desir-
able-an unworthy set. / am very sorry for
that, because my associates through life have
Deen manly the gentlemen whose acquain-
tances made while engaged in the matter of
defending the country, and if any associations
were disagreeable L can hardly hope to find
better in the future life than those L have had.
L trust this was not meant l trust it was not
hedhI " say tHdI sucH gentlemen as L refer TO
have not, ON the whole, performed their work
and have not discharged their responsibilities
with reasonable fidelity, with human error,
with human imperfections, with human faults
doubtless, but still with fair, reasonable fidelity
Atall events, gentlemen, with such as these
officers of the army my fortune has been asso-
ciated through life with such as they it Will be
associated to the end; and if the world shall
say OF me in the end he was a good soldier n
respectable captain and an honest general, all
my ambition will be satisfied. Ladies and geI-
tlemen, will tax your attention no 10 nger."
Ii the reticent President had said all that,
would not his audience have thought that
even electioneering had passed all bounds?
| Would the occasion not be remembered by
every man of them as the most melancholy
public occasion he had ever known?
| This speech, which the President did not
deliver, is the speech of his aspiring rival the
next week at the Peace Jubilee. The occa-
sion was one even further removed from ma
tional partisan politics than commencement
! day. But Mr.. Greeley chose it to eleclioneer
| in the words we have quoted. We have sim
| ply changed the words which described his
occupations and his old companions for words
which describe those of General Grant.--Bos-
ton Advertiser.