The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1872-04-26
ylIsfs5 NssFlyG IN NEW YORK.
Able Speech Of Henry Wilson.

49,
last week, was an enormous affair. lhe
demonstration has, in point OF numbers
and enthusiasm, but especially in the So
cial and representative character of those
composing it, been rarely equaled in New
York. By seven O'Clock the vast hall of
Cooper Institute was crowded, every seat
occupied, and thousands remained out
side. The list of Vice Presidents COM
prises some of the most influential mer-
chants and prominent men of the city.
Several addresses were made, during one
Of which a ~disgraceful attempt at inter-
ruption was made, but the police finally
auelled the disturbance. Immediately
afterward the true and tried Henry Will
| SON, of Massachusetts, took the stand,
and delivered one of the best speeches we
have ever read-eminently fitted for the
occasion. We subjoin aportion of it,
and only wish we could give it in full:
thank you, fellow citizens of New
York, for this kind greeting, and | have
a favor to ask of you, and | trust you
will unanimously grant it. | have but a
few plain words to say to you tonight; |
| have but little time to utter them in, and
| ask you to give me neither applause nor
| disapprobation, but to listen to the few
| words l have to say.
lam a Republican from conviction
and by desire. l care more for the Re-
publican party of the United States than
| | do for the interest and the aspirations
or ambitions of any thousand men in
America. [Applause.l l believe it was
| brought into being to meet the needs of
an endangered country and to carry out
in America the providence of Almighty
| God. And so believing. from the time
II was created to this hour l have never
consciously uttered a word or performed
an act to drive a man out of its ranks !;
and here tonight, | say whoever may
leave us, he will leave US against my wish
es and my protestations, and would on
my knees, if l could do it, ask him to
pause, come back, and stand with US and
light the battle this Year, and march on
with US in triumph to. the future. Zap
plause.1 l am not here to tell you that
the Republican party is a perfect organ
i~zation. 1t has great masses of the no.
blest and purest and best portion OF our
countrymen. 1t has some men, %ofcourse,
who are not all they should be, and We
know it but, gentlemen, l would not dis
rupt it because it is not perfect. would
fight on, work on, toll on, pray on, and
make it better, if | could. 1 think this is
- ~-o,& la,f,na f,ap in 20 nnp,n
[Applause.] And, gentlemen, l would as
soon 60 home and disband the little
church in the town where l live, and of
which my wife was a member, and | am
not a worthy one, because some Christian
minister proved false to his God, or some
poor mortal did not live up to the profes-
sion he had made.
Gentlemen, there was a meeting here
the other night. | do not propose to say
anything wrong Of the men engaged in it
[ did not come here to initiate their ex-
ample, or to utter reproachful words Of
old comrades, or utter words of condem.
nation of the party with which l have
acted, and whose measures l have sus'
tanned; but, gentlemen, | want to notice
!. kindly a few of those remarks.
Why, gentlemen, they talk about this
! convention al philadelphia as a convcn
ton of o~ficeholders. We'll, suppose We
, say the Cincinnati Convention is to be al
ofice9seeking convention. Laughter.
But twill not say it. Laughter ant
cheers.] However, You may think wha
|, you like about it. Laughter But thi
much l do say, that the National Con
~vention that will meet this year at Phil
, adelphia will have fewer of oficeholder
: and fewer of members of Congress thai
= any that has met for thirty years of part
in power. [Great applause And nov
take this home and remember it. Go t
any section Of our country, where there i
' little in the shape of government patron
f age, and you find the Republican part!
: united and supporting the measures O
, the administration, and are almost unani
mously for President Grant. 60 to Othe
: sections; look at New York, where yU
: have great patronage, and you have dis
sensions and divisions. | tell you it
oficeholding, ofice-secking and petit
ambitions that ar: disturbing the unityo
7 the Republican party, and that threate
+ disaster. [Applause.
l These men tell you they will 60 to Gin
%cinnati for civil service reform. | say t
you, tonight, that all though these thre
years past the departments at Washing
ton have been struggling night and day t
| improve their condition, and they hav
= succeeded in doing so, and never had W
as good clerks in our Offices in the city {
Washington, and as we'll filled, as the
are filled now Applause.
!, But there is another matter abou
which Trumbull told us. l want t
, call your attention to that, too. He tOl
you it was contrary to law for militar
: men to discharge civil duties. am sorr
that he told'you that, for it is o a fac
We did not pass any such law. We hay
a law that will not allow military me
appointed to civil Offices, but we have Il
law to prevent men in tbe'army being d
e tailed to civil duties. Mr. Trumbu
t complained hat an army officer brougI
$ us the Presidents message. Laughter
i, If he looked into the history of the cour
7, try, he would find that it was done befor'
The first message ever sent to the Senat
{ Of the United States was on the 18th q
Au.Ist, 1889, and was borne by Majo
Genera Henry Knox. [Cheers.] Whe
General Jackson came in he appointe
Major Donaldson secretary. When Abrs
: ham Lincoln care in he took John Ha.
f an army officer, anu detailed him for dut
in the White House. .LApplause.] Blu
when Andy johnson CAM in Laughter
: he filed the White House with militar
: men. p
: Gentlemen, Trumbail should know o.
/ this, and when a Senator of the Unite
States leaves his post at Washington ar
goes up and down the country speakin
to the people, he aught to understan'
whereof ho sp.axs, aud be acquainte'