Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-10-04

ITeSIueDt meets the issue SquarelY, ana
never for ;sn instant allows himself to be
diverted from its discussion. He went to
New Jersey to see something. He didn't
see it at Elizabethtown. He saw little
else but people there; then, at the Newark
Exposition, he saw but little of what they
had there to see, but he hoped the next
day to see what he went the night before
to see. This, we submit, is a calm, I'M
prejudiccd and teTSe statement of facts,
and it is to be hoped that he saw the next
day what he didn't see the night before,
and that he enjoyed it when he saw it,
and that, if he didn't see it that day, he
saw it the day after that, or some other
day."
But tastes differ, and there is no 'sputin
bout tastes" 50 we shall not crticise the
taste of those who prefer the following bit
Of eloquence our President got offin a mo-
ment of happy inspiration one evening last
week, in Philadelphia, in response to some
merchants who serenaded him, after having
held mass meeting at Concert Hall. Our
| Presidents soul was evidently stirred to
! its GLOVER deep still.'' And having said
this, it may possibly be as well for us to
| disclain any reference either to turpen-
tine or to a whiskey still But to the
! speech.
Our tuneful Ulysses "said OF sung" as
! the rubric hath it.:
" Gentlemen and Merchants of PhtLadet
phi0 You have made much better
speeches tonight than [ could make if
we're so in lined. 1 am very glad to see
YOU, and am pleased to hear that you have
| 70, how
| you have been engaged Tonight"
Now, brief as this speech is, there aI(
some things in it worthy IF commentator
As a II IS "0mment. Iii the first place iii,
! man las learned to tell the truth, and thi;
il, in Itself, Il very commendable thing
! There is 10 doubt that the merchants haC
made better speeches than Grant coul(
| make. even if lie were to try, and bis frank
honest admission Of the fact shows that b.
has improved in his habits since his unfor
tunate :. differences" with eX-Presiden
Johnson and Gem ral PleasantOn.
But our worthy President has improve
III n:nprs as well as in morals, for b
IS lctually polite enough to tel! the mel
chants IF Philadelphia that he was ''gla
to see them" and this, too, although ther
is not a particle Of evidence that the
brought with them even so much as a
extra cigar, or a spare chew Of tobacco
This was genuine polteness, though
neither paid nor cost anything.
Ncr is this all. Our eloquent Preside1
has improved in diplomacy also. See whs
a cunning complime Mt the plain, blu1
soldier injected into his remarks and 10
slyly he did it ! He first tells the me
chants that they had made better speeche
than the President of these United State
could make. That was merely g demon
stration," that might be real thing c
} might be only a feint to throw them in
state of uncertainty and open the way ft
the real assault. 1t might we'll be doub
5 full compliment for Grant gravely to te
: men that they could make better speecht
: than he could make; but when he tell
these very merchants who made tt
l speeches that he is "pleased to hear thu
5 they have been to hear such fine speeches
e all doubt is set at rest and the complime1
: stands out in bold relief, especially whe
). there is added thereto the talisman
words, "And how you have been engage
5 tonight ~
Sc we see that there is great cause ft
: congratuIation upon the manifest improv
S ment displayed by the President in manner
4 in morals and in the great art of diplom
cy. 1t is a good thing to have a truthfi
, President it is good thing to have a wei
/ hammered President, and it is a good thr
e to have President who understands IL
g art of diplomacy. Bully for Grant Ii IL
= course of another half century, by diligel
S study, experience and practice, he give
, promise of-being quite forgotten as a
orator