Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-12-27
FOREF.4TRERS' DAY.

The sons of New England in the city Of New
York celebrated Forefathcr's Day, for the
sixty-seventh time on Monday night, by q
dinner at Delmonicos. There were many
| distinguished persons present, and the speak
ing was the best Of the feast The remarks
Of Henry Ward Beeeher, WHO was present
are epitomized as follows:
Henry Ward Beecher, in responding 70 the
| toast of the President of the United States,
said If he were to take example by The
theme Of which he was to speak, his speech
would not be very short. Iau2hter.) 1t is
very beautiful for those who sat below him
to look st him; but it is like the Indian shoot
| ing his canoe along the rapids, very beautiful
| for those WHO were on the shore, but net for
the Indian " 10 was trying to avoid the rocks
ana the rapids. He did not think that the
vcneration for any magistrate was very great
in America. (Cheers.) Phrenologically lie
thought the Americans had not very large
veneration for magistrates-no mach vener6-
ton even for God. What was a man in Amer
lea who was not up for Office and had large
income? He thought that the salaries Of the
chief officers of America were diSgracefully
mean. (Laughter) There had never heen
President in America that for four years or
went back to Washington they would FIND
that the newspapers of that day regarded him
as a very incompetent man. 1t was the case
W it'll Jefferson, Madison, Monroe and john
| Quincy Adams. He recollected those criti-
cisms the criticisms of modern days were
light compared to those. Then there was
Jackson; he was pre-. emiGently 4 saint
(Ironical cheers Out of his Joins came
Van Buren,; every body delighted in him.
CHEERS and laughter.) Then came Polk
General Taylor, and Taylor seeing what there
was before him retreated. daughter and
cheers.) He knew there was no justice on
earth. (Laughter.) Then came Mr.. Pierce,
who, as an old New Hampshire farmer said,
| "Spread him over the United States and he
spreads out thin loud cheers and laugh
teri Then there was Buchanan. Happy is
the man who dies out into oblivion. Chen
there came Lincoln. Was he sustained? was
there ever man who was hacked so COM
pletey IS be was? Then there was q man
who, against his will, was called upon TO take
the Presidential chair-General Grant-and
| he believed that he would have rather fought
the battle of the Wilderness over again than
be President. He did not think tina. General
Grant would be understood until he has been
out of Office ten years. He bclieved that
Grant would prove to be as geod President
/ as any PRESIDENT VINO mas sat N the cidiT.
| (cheers.) Ii was not his will that took him
! to the chair. He was soldier, with no edit
cation of the politician. The people though.
that they could run government by the COM
mon people. That was mistake. il could
not be done; no more than factory could
be run without skilled operatives. po5r pol
ticiaans could be done without, hut toJr ma
terial could be done without in every profess
sion. Ii government was only to lie done
with angels, we should have TO " Ait very long.
He made the mistake by attempting 10 run
without politicians, bur he began 10 see he
could not, and he leaned to politicians, not
liking them, bu. hoping they would prove
good. He, Mr.. B., therefore thought that
they could no. have put better man in the
Presidential chair. General Grant has one
fault, which America will never pardon him
for-he did not know how to make dash.
When he was called upon to walk down the
aisle in the crowded church, at Mr.. G.eeley's
funeral, he blushed like schoolboy. He
Mr.. Beecher, had believed in General Grant
from the beginning, and when the four years
of his next Presidency were over, he thought
that the country would rejoice to know that
he had been placed there, and the New Eng
| land Society might be congratulated that his
grandfather's loins had pressed the soil of
New England. Immense cheering.)