Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-08-01


Last Thursday night, Hon. Roscoe Conkling ad-
dressed one of the largest meetings ever held in
Cooper Institute. The speaker had most enthu-
sias-ic reception. and-made powerful speech on
GRANT AND HIS DEFAMERs-DEEDs AGAINST
WORDS"
The Senator said
For twenty years it has been my privilege to ad-
dress my neighbors upon political issues Too
m0ch ardor has perhaps been among my faults, yet
no canvass has ever stirred me SO deep this. No
election has ever appealed strongly to my sense
OF tlir play. No canvass within nay memory has
ever been so full ot 1ou play, injustice, and malice
None has ever more strongly tested the common
sense and generosity OIL fne American people
Eleven years service in Congress has made me a
c!oSe observer OF tour Presidents and many public
N A. II among them ali there is living or
dead who never knowingly tailed in his duty that
one IS biysses Sidney Grant. There was a forecast
IN giving him the name of Sidney. tor his greatest
Oecn hign official ever ready to admit and correct
an error; II there has been one who did wisely
firmly, well the things given MIN i'll charge, that
one L a soldier IN war, quiet patriot peace,
who has been named again by every township in
fOry-slX States and Territories for the great trust
ne now holds. ct this man, honest brave, mod
est and proved by his transcendent deeds to be be-
slowed with the genius OF common sense and NOR
IA qualities adequate TO the greatest affairs; this
man who saved MS country, VINO snatched our ma
tionalty, our cause from despair, bore them on his
shield through the flame battle III which but for
him they would have perished. This man under
whose administration our country has h0urlshed,
as no one dared predict; this man whom the ma
TONS gratitude and benedictlon due is made
the marx Tor rlbald jests, and odious, groundless
slanders. Why Is all this! Simply because he
Stands IN the way or the greed and ambition OF DO
1ticians ana schemers A war OF mud and missiles
has been waged Tor months. The President. mis-
family, and nearly all associated with him, have
Ieen despatched. Truth and decency have been
driven lar away. Every thief, cornorant and
drone who has been put out; every bafed mouser
Tor place or piunder; every man with grievance or
grudge; ali who have something to make by a
change, seem to wag an unbrdled tongue or drive
foul pen. The President cannot enter the lists
OF controversy and defend himself. The propieties
OF his station forbid it, His chief competitor,
managing behind the curtain of newspaper from
winch he pretends TO have retired, is free to defend
and puff himself feels free to ill his paper with base
scurrllous falsehoods, in the hope of backenng
name which is one OF the treasures of the nation
winch VIII be the pride OF posterlty. All this pol
luton wall, IN the end, disgrace only its authors
II VIII not disgrace Grant or the nation, because
tne nation viii spurn anu resent it. The disgusting
personalities emptied upon Gen. jackson secured
his reelection. An offended people struck back
and they viii strike back again.
RIBALED RENEGADE REPUBLICANS.
Had the cool veterans of Democracy formed or
selected the issues to be presented, they would
have been wise enough to so frame them that the
people could decide in their favor without fixing a
Stigma upon Gen. Grant, without blasting his
name or doing wrong. But the Democratic states
lookers-on. The leadership has been assumed by
Republican renegades and outs; men SO eaten up
Whlth envy, or so maddened with loss or refusal of
place and patronage that nothing would satisfy
them short of a rancorous, revengeful. personal
rad. When man turns Turk he spits on the
cross, and when wide-throated ultra Republicans
clandest!ney trade with the enemy, and then turn
open traitors to their party they become the mean
est, hercest OF the opponents, just as the Yankee
slave overseer from New England was ALWAYS more
brutal than those born in the South. When the
hurt ,dr.t1, H.,
ambition and cupidity, went out to ruir the party
which they could not rule madness drove them on
Ihey had no polar star except hatred of Grant and
ms supporters These lusty patriots, who modest
ly assumed the name of reformers, would not have
an ordinary Presidential canvass or a fair discus
sion OF political questions; such proceeding would
nave oeen too tame and insipid for them. Their
stomacns craved stronger, more game-favored
meat. Hard names must be called. Vengeance
must be satisfied. The President must be pcliti-
caiy cour-martiaed or dragged before the national
assize to be tried as malefactor, In the Senate
tne democrats proper kept silent or talked about
business. give them credit for wasting but little
sne. But half the last session, eight mongths in
iengtn, was worn out and wasted by slanderous
eiecuoneerlng harangues, aimed at the Adminstra-
tlon and Its friends by men badly in need of being
reformed themselves. These self-righteous, noisy
oiacies pitched the key in which the Anti-Grant
chorus was to be sung. Hence comes the absence
OF ponucal questions and the presence of person
ana scandalous issues. Public journals, and newspa-
al per correspondence from Washington, con-
trolled by these Liberals-liberal in nothing so
much as in defaming honest men, praising and
helping themselves--took the cue from heartburn
ings, distempers, ard ambitions, which set them
on. Anything to beat Grant" was the motto. 1t
grained their cate and spite to assai the President
personally, heap malignant charges upon him.
mus MS character, his integriy and his standing
as man have been put in issue. The people are
compelled to pass upon his guilt or innocence.
Inc case has been SO put that the question is not
merely whether Grant shall be President, but
whether Grant shall be pronounced by the nation a
100, knaye, an impostor, and an enemy of his
country. Had the issue been taken upon public
measure, or public question been raised, whether
new questions or those which have divided parties
heretofore, the popular verdict would have been a
verdict only between parties, policies, and princ-
pies Such verdict would have rested upon pub
nc grounds, personally disparaging to no one. In
mat case Gen. Grant could not complain.