The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-03-29
THE PRESIDENTS CENTENNIAL
SPEECH.

THE PRESIDENTS CENTENNIAL
SPEECH.
Gen. Grant will open the Centennial
Exhibition at Philadelphia with q
speech, on the 10th Of May next. We
have obtained, by the spiritual tele-
graph, q report Of that portion Of the
proceedings and hasten to lay it before
our readers, who, we feel assured, are
eager to receive the lightest word from
this greatest, wisest and purest of
Americans:
"Gen. Grant then came forward amid
enthusiastic cheers, supported on the
right by Gen. o. E. Babcock, and on
the left by Boss Shepherd, and when
the cheering, which was prolonged
through several minutes, had subsidized,
he spoke US follows:
Fellow citizens, Gentlemen and
Ladies-It affords me great pleas
ure, in the name Of the Govern
ment, to welcome you to this Elk
hioition where you may learn tho
great superiority which you possess
OtCl HUI WIZ lOuuuCu ~. LII "oAh
ing through the passages Of this mag
nificent building, which reflects great
credit upon the ingenuity and shrewd-
ness Of its projectors. as well as upon the
taste of its architects, you can see and
thus fully appreciate the great progress
which you have made within the cen
fury. [Cheers.l As am wholly unac-
customed to speech making, never hav-
ing made but one speech in my life, that
| at Des Moines last summer, and as l
have very little knowledge Of either
mechanics or science, you will not ex-
pect me to speak Of the steam engine,
the telegraph or the sewing machine.
1 will. however, take advantage Of this
occasion to commemorate the great inn
provement made in those noble animals,
the horse and the dog. Long, con-
tinued and heavy cheering.l A century
ago the race horse that made his mile
in a minute and fifty seconds or four
miles in 80 swept the purses, but now
they wouldn't take any, for mile in
AZ Is not very uncommon, and our
finest animals have knocked the four
miles low down into the thirties and
even over into the twenties. [Cheers.
A century ago there were no fast trot-
tiers, and it is almost no time since two
forty was the proverbial expression for
wonderful speed, and now there are
plenty OF horses that can put the mile
into the thirties. [Cheers.] I myself
have pair Of pom les, purchased at half
price from my unfortunate friend
Mcdonald, who can do it very easy.
1.-THE Improvement dogs, though not
SO marked. is still, think, very per-
ceptible. I have a bull pup, a present
from an inspector Of customs in New
York, by whom it was bred, and
although not a year old, when he fastens
his jaws upon anything it takes an iron
crowbar and two men to unloose them.
His grip is something beautiful to see.
Continued cheering.l
Certainly, when we reflectupon these
things we should feel proud of our coun-
try [cheersl and indignant at those po-
litical detectives who would depreciate
1t by prying into and proclaiming aloud
those trifing Irregularities which are
incident TO all government, and without
which, must tell you, our party can
not retain power, the Union will be
destroyed and the country surrendered
to the Pope. CONTINUED cheering, in
termingled with numerous cries Of
death to traitors."] This I know you
will never permit, for not the least Of
the marks Of the progress made during
the century is to be found in the change
which has taken place in the sentiments
Of the people. The men Of 1776 were
rebels, ready to resort to arms to repel
any infringement Of what they called
their rights. Those Of 1876 are loyal to
the backbone, and tolerate no such
thing as questioning the authority of
their divinely appointed rulers. OF this
we have the most conclusive proof in
the approval and endorsement given by
you to my proceedings in Louisiana
prolonged cheering.l
II will only say in addition that, If it
should be your will still further to
burthen me with the cares and harrass-
ments Of government, shall feel com
PEELED, however reluctantly, to submit,
as did when gave up life position
for one which by law was only tenn
porary, which was a sacrifice you could
not have expected me to make, had it
not been we'll understood that elections
were thenceforth to be only matters of
form. The selfishness which induced
Gen. Washington to refuse third term
might, perhaps, at that time, have been
excusable; but could not feel justified
in retiring from your service while your
right TO education is assailed by foreign
enemies and domestic traitors, and
when its security may need those mill
tary virtues which preserved for you this
glorious Union. IGreat cheering and |
cries OF free schools forever.'l To this
great cause do here devote the rem
nant Of my life; but, as even the great
est and best must die, I feel proud and