The Portland daily press., 1872-11-05
Our New York Letter.

IHE LAST GRAND MEETING OF THE CAM
PAIGN-sECRETARY BOUTWELL, AND
SPEAKER BLAINE-GRANT DEFENDED BY
THE LATTER-THE TRIBUNE PEOPLE SICK
DEMOCRATIC AVERSION TO CROW
THE MAYORALTY IN DoUBT-ABRAHAM
o'HALL AND BOSS TwEED-THE EMPIRE
| STATE FOR GRANT.
NEW YORK, Nov. 2, 1872.
Secretary Boutwell, and Speaker Blaine ap-
propriately closed the great national debate
of the Presidential campaign in this city on
the evening of Both ult. Cooper Institute was
crowded to its utmost capacity with as inteIIi-
gent and appreciative an audience as ever con-
yened within its walls Among the citizens
on the platform, were the venerable Peter
Cooper, Daniel Drew and William M. Evarts,
who had just arrived from his Geneva mis-
sion, and was warmly greeted when he made
his appearance
Mr.-Boutwell made the first speech One
has only to look at his frank ingenious face
to be convinced OF the earnestness, sincerity
and purity Of his nature. His voice is clear
and pleasant, his bearing modest and manly,
and his utterances bear the stamp of truth
fulness. His address was dignified and states
manlike, and as he detailed the operations of
the Treasury Department during Gen.
Grants administration, showing how largely
the revenues had been increased by faithful
collections, and the expenditures reduced by
judcious economy-thereby enabling the
government to liquidate the public debt at
the rate of an hundred millions a year, and
enhance the public credit proportionately he
was listened to with profound interest, and
applauded with hearty enthusiasm.
He dsdained to advert to the ridiculous
libels on the President which have formed
the staple of the opposition crusade, but he
preluded his remarks by declaring as the re-
suit of eight years acquaintance with Gen.
Grant, during the last three years and half
of which he had been in intimate personal
relations with him, that he is man of pure
life, blameless conduct, great aptitude for
affairs. and eminent ability.
You get precisely such testimony concern
ing Gen. Grant, from all reliable witnesses
who have had opportunities of intimate per-
sonal intercourse with him. His old COM
rades in arms, Generals Sherman and Sheri-
dan, and such unimpeachable civilians as
Judge Hoar and Geo. VIM. Curtis, ALWAYS
speak of him in terms of affectionate warmth.
Superficial observers may be deceived by his
customary taciturnity, into the belief that he
is a pullman, but those who know him better
have long since discovered that he is one of
the best informed men in the country, and
when he chooses to talk, no man expresses
his views with more force, clearness and flu
ency. He is an admirable conversatonalist.
The most notable trait of his character is his
remarkable modesty. There isn't a particle
of egotism about him. When he discourses
OF his grand campaigns, he will tell you of
the deeds of others, but never by any chance
mentions himself The ten years of adula-
ton and dazzling fame which the world has
accorded him, and which would have turned
the head of almost any ordinary man, have
not shaken In the least the Spartan simplicity
Of his noble spirit.
"Our greatest yet with least pretence,
Great in Council and great in War,
Foremost Captain of his time,
Rich in saving common-sense,
And as the greatest only are,
In his simplicity sublime.
OF Mr.. BlaiDe's speech need only to say
70 your readers who know him so well, that
IL was worthy of himself. His argument in
iAVor oil the Ku Klux bill was logical and I'M
aAS"eraoie' He held it to be the duty of the
Aniericah government to see that no nation
on earth should with impunity ''touch the
shortest hair OF the baldest head' of one of
its citizens, and he demanded that the nrotec-
ton of the flag which reached out t. save
Martin Kosta from an Austrian prison. and
DR.. Houard from the Spanish galleys should
not be denied to an American on our own
soil, when his home was burned, his body
outraged and his life endangered. The elo-