The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1873-01-02
THE PRESIDENT OF THF UNITED
STATES.
Extract From a Capital Speech, Before
the New England Society, by Henry
Ward BeecheF.

Since Gen. Grant has been the Presi-
dent of the United States he has not
had an easy time. 1 think that, If he
had his choice, he would prefer to go
back and fight the battle of the Will
derness over again than to have to
fight the battles which have beleagu-
cred him since he has been President
of the United States. lido not propose
to discuss now the merits or dement's
of Gen. Grant as he stands in the light
of the present day. think we shall
not know what he is until after he is
dead, or until he is out of Office ten or
fifteen years ; aud in twenty years
any doubt that for general good, for
sturdy honesty, for wisdom, gathering
with experience, he has proved not
simply good President, but as good a
President as stands in the long list Of
Presidents that have sat in that chair
[Cheers We all were glad to take
mis- services at the head of the army,
aud We did not stint our praises over
the services which he rendered in
those trying times, and it was not his
ambition that took him to the presi-
Dental chair. He was soldier essen
TALLY, and not an educated politician.
When he went TO the presidential
chair ut the call of the people of the
United States, the impression which
the whole people had-a most mis-
chievOus mpression-was that this
government could be run by the COM
mon people and the politicians be
kicked out. Now, when you can run
a mandatory with all the trained
operatives turned out and young work.
men put In when you can run COM
merce with ali the wise oil / merchants
on one side and the inexperienced
clerks on the other siue managing the
business, then you can run this COM
plicated government Of the United
States by excluding politicians. You
ought to exclude poor ones, as you
would exclude poor materials in every
daY life but the government must be
conducted by men who study govern
ment; men who are not amateurs, but
who make it the business of life.
There should be a public sentiment
that would make young men cOnse-
crate themselves to political economy,
to legislation, to all the great ques-
tions which belong 10 and are con-
nected with the institutions of such
great people as we are, and which
they should make their life business
they would be politicians in the better
sense of that term-they would be
patriots ; aud, instead of being exclud-
ed, should be the men on whom to
lean and trust. Now, Gen. Grant
went to the Presidential chair bearing
with him this foolish idea of wiping
out the great mass of tha politicians.
They we're described as bargainers,
and corrupt, and desiring their own
selfish ends. Doubtless but II you
d mt have a government until you
have angels to administer it, you will
nave long interreSnum in this coun-
try. daughter. And the first mis-
Jake tnat was made was made not by
Gen. Grant, but by the people who
put him there, who told him to go to
Washington and administer the Gov
ernment after a certain manner-and
ne did, and what was the result ? The
result was that as soon as anybody
else he saw his mistake, and he began
10 lean toward the politicians. He did
not like them he hated them. In
making his earl y selections Of conf
Dental advisers, l don't know that
he was the Wisest man. He was
tTanspianted from a congenial TO an
uucOngenial soil, but my impression
is now that the four years he has been
there he has been learning, and now
he is better prepared to sit in the pres
idential chair than any other man we
could have selected. Applause. You
talk to me about brilliant President
briIliancy is all very well but think
that a man may be an orator, and not
be handsome, and may be handsome,
without being an orator.
A man nay be President without
d particle of Oriiliancy, and be Wise,
steadfast, sagaciOus, sincere, standing
by his friends, carrying out the BE-
hests of the party that elected him,
having his eye on the great interest
of the country, and not on his own
petty interest. Grant has one fault
which 1 will never pardon; he does
not know how TO cut dash laugh
terl-he does not know how u make
a show for the sake of enjoying il. He
is modest; he is simple. When he
was called TO leave the chair when
our lamented friend and neighb0r, Mr..
Greeley, lay in state, he blushed like
a school boy, and walked down the
broad aisle, and had the eyes of con-
gregatiOn fixed on him. He was re-
freshing sight TO me; a bed Of tulips
was not more refreshing than 10 see
a blush on the wariike face of tn G
President Of the United States. He
does not make a great deal Of show.
He Dies not like professions, 70 ap-
pear in uniform, or to make speeches;
he is taciturn; and the American peO-
pie could not have put in the presi.
Dental chair man so unlike the va
riety Of popular men as General
Grant. Our people DO like show;
neveI theless he has grown and Is
growing in the confidence of the great
common people of the country; and
my own impression is that in these
four years he will show an admins
tratiOn that will answer all the great
ends of wise administration. | have
believed in General Grant from the
beginning; / have never wavered for
a moment; I believe in him more to-
day than four years ago, and when he
shall have passed another term and
leave it finally, all men will consent
that he has made thoroughly good
President, and congratulate yOu,g gen
tlemen, of New England, that the
lOins of the man who maintains the
Church in the White House is a man
whose grandfather was born in New
England [laughterl; and have only
To say that If General Grant Is so
great q man when he was not born In
New England, what would he have
been if the fates had ordered him to
be born there? Laughter and cheers. ]
Ifa topper and quart Of whisky