Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-05-30
CRAM aud rhe People.

An enthusiastic meeting was held at Spring
field, ILL.,, on Wednesday last, to ratify the state
nominations Richard j. oglesby, the republic
can candidate for governor, made powerful
speech on the occasion, from which we extract
the following:
am satisfied with my country. have faith
in it. have faith in our grand old constitution
| have faith in the intelligence and the heart of
the great American people. In my heart, before
my God, | love my country and | love its inst-
tutions | am willing to give my blood for it,
1t has made me prosperous and happy man.
| wish it TO endure for generations to come, and
to be handed down to endless posterity as a
grand fabric of human liberty to last and bless
mankind and make them happy. | am willing
TO make sacrifices and, therefore, when see
this party spring up like a mushroom, charg-
ing all kinds of crime and villainies upon our
form of government become decided in opposi.
ton TO it.
| know our national congress means to do
right. Our simple hearted president means to
do right he is not a gaudy president such as
Andy Johnson was; he is not dignifed pres
ident, in the sense generally used in speaking of
persons of dignity. He is plain, simple man,
with an honest heart; he has been tried on many
field, amid the darkest clouds, and led our
hosts on to victory; he conquered what was as
sumed to be the unconquerable host of the
enemy. He brought back the flag and laid it
down, and then in the kindest words he said TO
the rebels, the vehement, hard-hearted, stiff
necked rebels, now go to your homes; take your
side-arms and your personal property; 90 back
TO your own states and live obedient to law, and
that is all that will be required. Can you call
that man hated tyrant2
If this great nation turns its back on General
Grant after the triumph he has achieved, it will
do wrong. To defeat that man now and send
him back into the walks of private life, with the
condemnation of the American people upon
him, would be an act OF ingratitude not TO be
forgiven this side of the great shining throne of
heaven. 1 ask you to go to any soldier OF the
United States and ask him it, in the fearful or
deal of civil war, he ever received an unkind
word from that man. He is plain, simple lit
tie man, poor as poverty could make him, poor
in everything but that quiet solemn mien that
God gave him; never heated, ever ready for the
worst crisis, he led us on TO victory and brought
us back to security and to peace. He has been a
president for four years, and the great American
people endorse and ratify him, and we see by the
sentiment of this grand old convention of to-day
that the people will elect him for four years
more. Enthusiastic applause.)
He is not a bellies lettres man; not at all. He
is a man Of no very great accomplishments:
neither was the immortal Lincoln. He is a
plain man. scarcely able to defend himself in
common speech. He is not hippant with the
tongue, nor glib in speech, but deprived of that
great comfort of being able to make a stump
speech daughter and appaGse.) Occasion
ally we have all taken the liberty to make criti
cisms upon him. We have said if we had been
president we would have done so and SO, but the
trouble is we are not president.
The politicians have been decidedly severe,
and the papers have dealt with them severely.
We permit these American papers to say what
they please. Some of them are very ably con-
Quoted, many of the articles are well written,
and we obtain from them great deal Of inlor-
nation, but still we have no more idea of letting
them run this country than we had of Andy
johnson. The mistake they made is that there
is nobody to reply to the morning issue, until
the editor begins TO believe he has tue thing all
his own way, and thinks he can march out and
take this republican party on the wings Of his
little kite, and make any concern of ii that he
has mind to- Here let me tell you that beyond
the politicians, beyond the papers, and beyond
the statesmen, there is a great undercurrent,
consisting of the masses of the American peo-
pie, which spring up when danger threatens,
from farms, precincts, and villages, and meets
in convention, and there takes hold of these
fellows and shakes them back into their propri-
ETY.. (Laughter)
How came this grand convocation here to-
day. 1t makes the hearts of the democrats and
Cincinnati folks sink. How came this hoary-
headed gentleman here? A distinguished
warm-hearted, sensible old man, profound in
the law. How came he, one of Illinois diStin-
guished citizens, TO preside over this convention
lO-udN kApplduS6.I mat NclleldOle Olu man
is one of the parents of the laws of this state.
Read the reports OF the state and you will see
his learning shining upon every page of Illinois
jurisprudence and laws. He has not attended a
political meeting before for ten years. How
came these people marching up here to-day in
such numbers2 1t is because they believe that
something more than usual has stirred the quiet
waters OF the surface, and they came up to lay
their hands upon it and settle it back again.
Some of you fellows here doubted whether it
was best to name candidate for president; in
fact, it was suggested that it was best not to
name Gen. Grant for president at Philadelphia,
as perhaps some other man might be taken
but they despaired when these venerable men
arrived. You do not know how you did it, You
cannot find any one in Illinois even expressing
the possibility of a doubt of the nomination Of
Gen. Grant and the certainty of his election.
Nobody ever did understand what common
sense Isl it is like the spirit of life. No one can
tell what it is You can disseet the system from
the epidermis down to the tOenails, take out the
heart and discourse upon it; but when you ask
the learned men as to the principle of lfe they
appeal to God. So with this principle of Amer
lean common sense. Who can tell where it
comes fromp Ii takes hold of us and makes us
better and greater for coming in contact with it,
This American common sense says Gen. Grant
shall be president again.