New-York tribune., 1875-10-20

THE EX-sPEAKER At A REPUBLICAN, MEETING IN
THE OLD wIIMoT DISTRICT
lFRoM 4 SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBrNE'1
TowANDA, Penn, Oct. 19.-An immense Re
publican mass meeting was held here to-day and was adj
dressed by GOV. Hartranft aud Galusha A. Grow Inc
latter has been received with great cOrality by his old
admirers and constituents and his rcappcarance in po
ties after long absence makes an interesting bit OF
local history.
This s the old Wllmot district always 10 be identified
with ts plain downright, old-fasL0ned preventative
who gave his name the Wilmot proNiso Twenty-Five
wears ago David Wmot withdrew from Congress IN
favor Of boy who had just returned from Ncw-i,n
gland college. The district kept this boy in Congress
for IL consecutive years, and the House raised hlm
the spcakership In the most evont period OF the
war He was elected Democrat bnJ ho voted against
the repeal of Missouri Compromise and by so doing
left his party and took his district TO his new position
II SO turned that at the ensuing election in 1854 he
was returned unanimously. His personal popularity in
the district is such that he familiary known IA
Great Majority Grow" When opponents dared to
stand against him, he elected 10y a majority
larger ihan the whole vote gwen him when he ran With
out opposition. Since the war; Grow has taken no part
whatever in politics. to write manly letter in
1872 protesting against the proscrptiye tendency OF the
Republican party and urging reconciliation with the
South and 10 the end heartily approving the
nomination of Mr. Greeley His first public appearance
in politics, for ten years, in Philadelphia, few
weeks ago. when he declared Ia iaNOf of the ~ puDucns
placing his action solely the ground of the imitation
platform adopted at Eric.
His opening words at the meeting in this city today
were delivered with great feeling, and received with
much interest by bis Old constituents. He said:
With mingled emotions OF jov and Of sorrow, meet
You tins OCCASION of joy again TO stand after ~ long
an absence amd these familiar scenes and reciproeafe
the warm g1asp and cordial greeting Of lifelong 1ren
ships. sorrow, that in this throng OF upurned faees
look IN VAIN for many of the Tried and tfne Ia the
struggles of the by-g0nc.
name no uarnes. instinctively ] feel
Each AT some SeliTcmembcie grave viii kne'l
And from the inscription wipe the weeds and moss
For every hear 1tst knowc!h its own loss
To all the voters OF te old Wm0 district Of whatever
poicl uarty owe debt Of lasting gratitude, fOr, at
one Time another have been the recipient OF then
Kindness az the ballotbox either in the uniform and
unaltrring support than decade OF years, or IN
the once unanimous vote Of the III tfet. Whatever my
fortune or wherever my fate In te shall never fail To
rejoice with yon in your joys and sYnpathize with You
in Your sOrrOws. And memory VIII, to the latest hOur
recall the associations of the bygOne M feelings aaln
10 those with which summon up the scenes ana events
of childhood days Twenty Give years your conling
kindness first called mc-then almOt beardess h0y-to
the councils OF the Republic. Twenty-Five eyenful
years. Eyeutful the mighty changes Wrought IN The
dyastie of the Old World Wen az In the institutions
OF the New.
Gov HartIanft was also heartily received There is
prevailing belief in this part OF Pcnn-y yania that the
Ohio defeat nfiatonists pTesages similar defeat
bp