Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-07-09

The Presidents rctcence sometimes annOys
the public Perhaps it represseS that general
enthusiasm which in its poor way loves to waste
its foam on candidates who efferveSce easily
But it is none the less satisfaction TO reflect
that the President has not said some things
which, in his place, other men would have said.
A fortnight ago the president was at Cam
bridge at the commencement. lie received
there, in the stately courtesy Of the university,
her highest honor. After the ceremonials, he
dned with her alumni, and his health was
drunk-as for ninety-twO years the health of
the president of the United States has been
drunk-at this annual dinner Not often, how
ever, is the president at hand TO reply He ac-
knowledged the courtesy in few modest and
simple words. What would the assembly have
aid,-what would the country have said, had
he made this address =
"Gentiemen Of the Ah,nlni:-lt has fallen to
my lot recently, as you are doubtless aware, to
be placed before the public in a somewhat con
spcuOus attitude. That is TO say, we who
work for the country, work and live in the pub
lie sight and under public criticism TO a greater
degree than most people; and yet think to-
day my position is Il little more exposed to cavil
aud disparagement than that of most of you.
1t has been said of mel do not deprecate,
would not disarm criticism,-b it has been
said of me, and take 1t as great testimonial
and compliment, that while in the business
pursued through life, have shown myself very
fairly competent, very fairly diligent and sue
cessful; yet if were, or should be, invited into
another line Of lile,-into different and, if you
please, higher responsibilities, | should be found
unequal to them. Well, gentlemen, cannot
expect to have anything better said of me by
my friends, much less my adverSarieS, than to
say had done well what have had to do"
How many of the alumni would have looked
General Grant in the face up TO this moment
How many of them, on the other hand, would
have hung their heads in modification that "A
candidate for office should have selected such
moment to electloneer for HIMSELF But sup
pose he had continued:
at would seem toerabe safe deduction that
one who had been doing well all his life that
which he has tried TO do may possibly, may
reasonably be expected to do well something
else if he were TO undertake it. Some of my
critics observe that, though for myself. person.
ally, am tolerably honest and respectable
person, yet my associates are not very desirable
AN unworthy set. ! an very sorry for that,
because my associates through life have been
mainly the gentlemen whose acquaintance
made while engaged in the matter of defending
the country, and if my associations were dis
agreeable can hardly hope TO find better i'm the
future life than those have had. I tIust this
was not meant. trust it was not meant to say
that such gentlemen as | refer to have not, on
the whole, performed their work and have not
discharged their responsibilities with reasonable
fidelity, with human error, with human imper-
tectionS, with human faults doubtless, but still
Win lulT5 IcdsOHdDlc llueIlly. AT all events,
gentlemen, with such AS these officers of the
army my fortune has been associated through
life, with such as they it will be associated TO
the end; and if the world shall say of me in the
end, he was good soldier, respectable cap.
tain and an honest general, all my ambition
will be satisfied. Ladies and gentlemen, | will
tax your attention no LONGER"
If the reticcnt president had said all that,
would not his audience have thought that even
eleeioneering had passed all h0unds2 Would
the occasion not be remembered by every man
of them as the most melancholy public occasion
he had ever knOwn2
This speech, which the president did not de-
liver, is tue speech Of his aspiring rival the next
week at the peace jubilee. The occasion was
one even further removed from national parti-
san politics than commencement day. But Mr..
Greeley chose it to electioneer in the words we
have quoted. We have simply changed the
words which described his occupations and his
old companions for words which describes those
of Gen. Grant Boston AduertiSer.