Smyrna times., 1873-01-01
Beecher on Presidents.

At the annual dinner of the New England
Society, in New York city, last week, Rev.
Henry Ward Beecher, in response to toast,
" The President of the United States, said
And what is a man in America who is not up
for an office and hasa large income? Laughter
| think that the salary land this l throw in, by
the way, without meaning it to be part of the
speechl of our chief magistrates aud rulers is
Scandao mean. Applause.
We have no Premier, Our President stands
as Disraeli or any other Prime Minister stands;
he has to take the whole brunt Of criticism;
and l call your historic memory to take notice
that We have never yet had President in this
nation that was good for anything during his
four or eight years of office. Laughter If
you 90 back to the early newspapers and dis
cusSlOns, you will find that Washington was
notOrlOusy incompetent President. Thous
ands and tens of thousands bitterly inveighed
against him, and his Presidential life was tar
from being happy one
| John Adams was certainly not a very pOpu-
lar President Tie sat but once, and the politi-
tical literature of that time is as bitter as gall.
Jefferson, who took his place was considered
by one-haf the people of this land as little
better than the devil himself and his ideas
and tendencies and everything about HIM was
lnvelghed against with the utmost liberty-no
ilcense-Of the press. After him came Madl
. son, and Monroe, and John Quincy Adams
We are living in mOdcrlt4 aud temperate
times, compared with then, for they wcr
alternately admired and abominated.
OF course, everybody liked Jackson. Laugh
ter. There were no opponents to him. III
was pre-emlnenty saint-of robust order
Y Laughter But out of his loins poitica
/ came Van Buren, laughtcr, and he was uni
5 vcrsally popular, was he not! Laughter.
Il Then came Harrison, who died too soon. lyle
took his place. | need not recall to your mind
y the sweet times CT that four years. And the
e Polk. Who is James *. Polk? Laughter
II Was there ever an Administration laid open
4 such severe criticism?
If Then Taylor and Mr. Fillmore, and Gener
IT Taylor seeing what there was before him +
1t treated. Laughter. He knew there was
it justice on earth. Then came Mr. Pierce.
le an old farmer in New Hampshire said "E
Mt was rather big man in New Hampshire, b
lg spread him out all over the United States al
OF he would spread thin. " Great laughter
a After Gen. Pierce we had-(and here NJ
ng Beecher, with twinkling eyes, reflective
at placed his finger to his forehead until remin
ur ed by his neighbor)-I am reminded that
mt was Buchanan. Laughter. Happy is I
ed man who sleeps in an oblivion so prrfe,
In Laughter.
es Then we had Lincoln. The glori6caton
S' MS uhtlmely ucaIn, sara tne speaker reVerel
Ire ly, has made his name sacred as the name
ey the gods was of old. But during the 70
ass years i'll which he, with his homely sense,
ar religious feeling, his deep patriotism, the ft
nj weary years in which he waded to the hors
raj brides in blood-was he sustained by
VS. unanimous voice of this nation? Was tn
ing ever man whose name was hewed and hack
md so numerically as his was?
ty Since Gen. Grant has been President of [
United States he has not had an easy time.
es' think that il he had his choice he would pre-
or to go back to fight the battle of the Wildern
ta- over again than to have the battle fought arol
or him which has belcapured him ever since
the became President don't propose now to
er cuss his merits or demerits.. think we 81
and not appreciate his worth until he is dead
nds gone, but in 20 years you will be ready to
em clare him as good president as any in
our long list IAnnlause