Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-07-04
SENATOR M0RT0N'S SPEECH At
pIIISBURG.
An Extract Worth Reading.

An Extract W o1fn Ike 0uin..
They say there is " similar ring -
Mt the Executive Mansion-that Gems.
Babcock and Porter are taken from the
army to act as private secretaries to
Grant. All very true, gentlemen.
They are well qualified to perform the
duties required of them. They are
simply detailed to perform these du-
ties Grant, as Commander-in-Chief
of the army, has the right to appoint
them. 1t entails no additional expense
on the government. There Is not very
much for the army to do. The pro-
proportion of officers is much larger
than is needed in the present strength
of the army They have no more to do
with the administration than the
Private Secretary of Governor Gearv.
During the war had half a dozen while
acting in the capacity OF Governor of
Indiana These generals write Grants
letters, relieve him OF his official
drudgerv, carry bls messages to Con-
gress, and perform numberless other
duties. Gems. Babcock and Porter have
brought messages to Congress from the
President nearly every day since the
sitting of that body, but they had no
more to do with the messages than the
letter-carrier has to DO with the con-
tents of the missives he brings to your
doors. / know that you all feel that
this is a very contemplate thing, and
it is absolutely mean that on this ac-
count they wish to overthrow the very
best administration this country ever
had
THE PRESIDENTIAL GIFT-TAKING.
There is another thing. They say
he has received presents. Well, he
did receive presents-betore he was
elected President of the United States.
| never heard OF him receiving presents
after that event. He performed great
services, and the people, knowing that
he was poor man, took this method
of showing their gratitude. When cur
fashionable generals had failed-those
from whom the country expected the
most-General Grant restored victory
to our banners, and did more than any
other man to crush the rebellion. When
the war was over a grateful people,
from their abundance, sought to make
him some presents in order to relieve
him from his poverty. Great APP
plause General Mcclellan, who nev-
er won victory of any consequence,
received more and larger pre-
sents yet the Democratic party
placed him in nomination in 1864.
There is no objection, / pre-
sumo, to an unfortunate general re-
ceiving presents. 1t is only when CIV
en- to victorious generals that they be-
come reprehensible. Applause. ] Now,
my friends, some people never get
presents. They never did anything for
which anybody had any cause to be
grateful. Such persons are extremely
virtuous on that subject. Whenever
you meet these virtuous people, look
out for them; in nine cases out Of ten
they will steal [applausel, because lar
ceny and hypocrisy have always been
| intimately connected. ] think | have
gone over the three things which
politicians are urging as objections to
| Gen. Grant, and you will agree with
me that they are mean, small, and ex-
ceedingly contemplate. While thus
speaking Of Gen Grants part in the
war of the rebellion, | do not wish to
| disparage the careers of Gems. Sher-
man, Sheridan, Burnside, and the
many from tins great state; yet his
! tory will write it down that Grant was
| chief of all.
BLACK FRIDAY.