Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-01-16
THE BANQUET TO THE GRAND
DUKE.
Ex-senator Doolittle's Speech
IRON the Milwaukee Daily Nexs.l

PROBABLY the speech winch aItFael-
ed the largest share of attention ar
the banquet was that of ex-senator
Doolittle. There has been such a
general inquiry for the words SO
eloquently spoken by him, that we
have succeeded in securing substan-
TALLY correct report, which we give
below. 1t is proper to add that SEN
ator Doolittle expended considera-
BILE portion of the summer of 1857 ia
the Empire of Russia, and while
there became somewhat familiar with
the actual character OF the Govern
ment and with the public men of the
country. In a personal interview
with the Emperor he was much i'm
pressed with his benignant character
and liberal purposes. In response to
the call upon him at the banquet ia
BILE on Tuesday evening, Senator
Doolittle spoke substantially as fol-
lows:
Mr.. PRESIDENT My friend, Gen.
Washburn, in responding to the toast,
"The Governor of Wisconsin" playful
ly said that great many people in
Wisconsin were foolish enough to
think that | ought to have been elect
ed Governor instead of him.
1t is true, before the election, !
was his competitor; l am not now.
The majority decided in his favor,
and the minority, with us, always
gracefully acQuiesce.
In this one thing our distinguished
guests may see the practical work.
ings OF our republican system. Our
elections are peaceful revolutions,
which, in most countries, come only
by the sword.
As soon as the election is passed,
the minority, although defeated claim
the officer to belong to tho whole
people and / now claim that Gov.
Washburn is as much my Governor
as he is the Governor of any other
citizen Of Wisconsin. daughter and
cheers.) But to leave that subject,
and to come more nearly to the oc-
eason Of our coming here.
what is the secret of that sympathy
and friendship between Russia and
the United States, which all the world
sees, respects, and sometimes even
fears La a few words, | can state
part of it.
They are both great powers-great
in their past, great in their present,
and to be greater in their future.
They are both young. There are
men living who have seen all the
years of our republic and Russia,
though a thousand years old, il still
young.
They are growing powers. We
know and feel our coming destiny in
this new world. But the same neces-
sites which, in Jefferson's time, de-
manded the purchase Of Louisiana to
control the mouth Of the Mississippi,
SO that our commerce could flow as
free as its waters to the sea, are laid
also upon Russia, and must control
its policy. Sixty, seventy, q hundred
millions of civilized people cannot
hold free commercial intercourse with
the rest of the world through the
frozen sea, which, tor eight months
in the year, is closed by ice. They
must and they will have other out
lets. They look beyond the Black
Sea toward the Mediterranean, and
they look eastward toward the Pa
cifc, and, Sir, they will go there.
Great and tremendous cheering
And they ought to go there. The
interests of humanity and of free
trade with all mankind demands it,
and it will come. In this the United
States sympathize with Russia
(Great cheering)
But there are other grounds of SYM
pathy. Russia was our friend when
we needed friends. During the dark
est hour of our late struggle, when
Napoleon and Palmerston were ready
to acknowledge the independence of |
the South, aud to brake cur blockade,
Russia said, mo, gentlemen, hands
off. The great republic is my friend,
and shall have fair play" (Tremend-
Gus cheering.)
But, beyond this there are special |
reasons for sympathy and friendship |
toward Russia growing out of the |
great reforms in the interest of free,
dom and humanity, which the pres
ent Emperor has inaugurated, and is |
carrying into effect.
We speak, sometimes boastingly, |
of our act of emancipation of our
giving freedom to 100000 slaves
Let me remind you, the Emperor
Alexander, in 1861, before our act of
emancipation took place, set free 3d.
100000 of serfs. Our emancipation
came in blood. His in peace. And,
when the mobiles, and a majority of
his council, upon the question of CIV
ing the serfs liberty, with, or without
lands, were stoutIy opposed to CIV
ing them land, the Emperor overrul-
ed them, He gave them liberty with
land He gave them freedom, and
he gave them homes. (Cheers.)
He introduced another great re-
form into the army. He abolished
fogging. He opened schools, and
the avenues of promotion to the COM
mon soldier. (Cheers.)
He introduced another reform into
the universities by which the stu
dents are no longer especial servants
of the Gar" but are to remain CIV
ilians-a part of the people, and sub
iuct to the common laws of the en-
pire.
The last reform l will mention
now, the greatest, perhaps, next to
the act of emancipation, he has in
troduced in the administration of
justice. 1t is what all the Americans
and Englishmen feel to be the bull
wsrk of civil liberty-the right OF
trial by jury.
These are some of the great meas
ures of the present Emperor, which
have placed him in me front rank of
the benefactors of mankind.
When we consider that large as