Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-10-21
The HERALD D.
Eloquent Words.

At Union hall, San Francisco Cali
fornia, August 20, 1875, the Hon.
Thomas Fitch delivered one of the
most eloquent speeches of the cam
paign. Mr.. Fitch is knewn as "The
Orator of the Pacific" His address
was a calm raview of the situation,
a grand defence of the Republican
part, and a scathing rebuke to those
who seek the restoration of power
10 q party who has forfeited all claim
to public confidence and support.
Mr.. Fitch was a Liberal Republican
in 1872, but now, that the question
is between Democracy and Republi-
canism, he has drawn bis sword to
fight under the old banner. The fol-
lowing is the close of his speech.
1t was delivered with dramatic
power, and awoke the audience to
wild enthusiasm. Pointing to the
temple Of liberty, in whose halls
America had placed her grandest
paintings, he said Filing wide
your gates. oh janitor Of the nations
glory, and let the sun OF ultimate
MONDAY light the scene. Look A
ship sinking to her doom in Hampton
Roads!
"Each torn flag waving, challenge as it went;
And each dumb gun, brave mans monument"
An old man, his white hair splen>
did with the halo of battle, dashed to
the miantop, and sailing INTO the
flames!
A horseman, laundering down
from Winchester to whlrl the retreat
ing bayonets into resistless column
of advancing steel.
A soldier, writing history with his
swordpoint upon American soil, and
pGnctuating his sentences with vic
tories, all the way from the Atlantic
to the sea.
A silent general. hurting armies in
tidal waves of bloody spray against
the heart of the rebellion, until the
last citidel of treason fell
A firm, wise statesman, taking ad-
vantage of the hour and writing the
death sentence of human slavery.
A people gathered around their al
tars, swearing by the name and in
the presence of an everything God
shat they would not be deprived of
their heritage, and that they would
not be desp0iled of the fruits Of their
fathers contest; that neither the
might Of armies, nor the treachery
of the trusted, nor the craft
of the vanquished, nor time,
nor toll, nor chance, nor change,
should prevail against those princi-
pies of free Republican government
to which they had pledged them
selves amid the sullen echo of Sum
ter's guns, and to which, through
war and peace, through victory and
defeat, through good and evil report
they had remained faithful-and
woul remain faithful forever.
These are the paintings that the
Republican party have hung ia the
great gallery of ages; those are the
pictures its camera has photographed
with crimson war fire upon the sen.
sitive page of histOry-never to fade
or fall while the world goes round.
Fellow Republicans of California
these memories are yours. By your
val0r on the field and your fidelity 0
tho cause, you have won the right t.
retain power in every part of thi:
Republic.
In the civic contest which ap-
proaches, you are facing the ole
enemy. He is sounding tho ole
cries; he is inspired with the Ole
spirit. Let your souls. then, be full
of the old fire Close ranks! One
moro passionate throb OF the drum
along the line. Column, forward
and against US the gates of hell shall
not prevail.