The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-06-16
Words from a Truly Good Friend.

Words from a Truly Good Friend.
Taking IL all in all, we are much pleased
with Deacon RICHARD SMITHS speech to
the BRIsTow serenaders OH Wednesday
evening. In the first plaoe,it was truly good,
aud then il was brief, pointed. sufficiently
humorous for an off-hand speech, wary
and yet decided. These are very desirable
qualities in any speech, hut in one deliv-
cred at this critical political juncture they
are more than desirable-they are impera-
lively necessary. In saying this much, we
do not wish to be understood as agreeing
with all of Deacon RICHARD SMITHS opin-
ions, as expressed in that truly good speech.
We differ from some of them totally. He
spoke Of the great and grand Republican
party" Now, there is no such thing. The
Republican party of to-day is neither great
nor grand. II Is rather mean and rotten,
exhausted of principle, low In aim, and
corrupt ia management. This Deacon
RICHARD SMITH ought to know as well as
we; and perhaps the wicked partners sug-
gested to him, for some sinful purpose of
private gain, to apply those epithets to the
Republican party; or perhaps he was
goodness by the music of the brass band
and the cheers of the admiring populace.
Let us hope, If either of these suggestions
is true, that he will combat in the future
all such assaults with the same ardor with
which he has 80 long conducted his une-
quail fight against the enemies who infest
his newspaper household
Nor do we like to see this truly good
mau protesting his readiness 10 take Nor
ToS with his bloody shirt as n candidate.
MORTON is no man for President, and Dea-
con RICHARD SMITH ought to know it aud
declare 1t. Besides, MORTON is not a truly
good man, whatever the wicked partners
may say. AS Mr.. WENDELL PHILL1Ps re-
marked, his morals are bad. No, Deacon
RICHARD SMITH, you should have omitted
all mention of MoRroS's name from your
speech.
When. however, our distinguished ora
tor said that he regarded this as q critical
time in the history OF the Republican
party. he spoke the words of truth and
wisdom. The assembling OF its National
Convention is always a critical period in
the history of party. II II fails to DELHI
crate wisely, to announce sound principles
in its platform, aud to put in nomination
the proper men, it then invites defeat or
imperils the true interests OF the people in
case of its success. But this is especially n
critical time in the history Of the Republi
can party. for II is suffering from gaugrene,
aud that Is a mortal disease unless the cor
ruption Is cut away with remorscess
scalpel. But in this case the SUI glcal OPP
GRAFTON cannot be performed without kill
ing the patient, for the gaugreue Is wors {
at his vitals, aud the whole body Is tainted
with the poison. Therefore, we thor
oughly agree with the truly good remark
| of Deacon RICHARD SMITH that this is a
critical moment in the history OF the Re-
publican party, which lies langushing
with rcpulsive disease.
There is "a minor criticism which we
have to make OF Deacon RICHARD SMITH :
truly greii, speech. 1t bears upon fly in
the ointment OF ms otherwise pellucd elo-
| quence "A spot on the alabaster OF his trans
| lucent discourse. Perhaps the nimble stem
| ographer failed to catch his exact ian guage.
| Perhaps, If he reported him Alright, the
| telegraph mangled the sentence The re-
! port Of Deacon RICHARD SMITHS praise
worthy speech makes him employ such
language rs this:
him 10 n ke srcech a. Cleveland oa the question
VI rivtr aud harof ann rgt cm,nts, lch Sas disputed
usGe Ia tAe poAues VI thVs- IA a.
II Deacon RicuARD SMITH used this Ian
guage he uttered an objectionable vulgar
ism and INDUCED in an outrage on our
noble English speech for which he should
receive the oensurc Of the judicious. "
attn a little like Gen. CAss tCds!" Why,
Deacon RICHARD SMirH, you never said
that, did your This use of like" for
"as" is a vulgarism common in the South
ana in parts of the West; but it Is utterly
offensive to taste aud hostile 10 grammar,
1t is by little usages Of speech that we de-
tect the cultivation Of the orator, and are
able TO trace up his antecedent education
and surroundings.
| We remember youth in college, who
attained to high rank in his class and
displayed the scholarly tastes which after
ward determined his avocation and made
him a nice critic of literatuTe; yet, finely
strung and carefully tuned as his mind
was, he would at tunes in speech. though
never in writing, offend his nearer with
this use of like" for las, :" and other vul
garsms Of language contracted in a boy.
hood speut among people and association.
not cultivated. Still, the stenoGrapher may
have unsupported, the telegraph may have
sent false rendering Of the speech of Dea
con RICHARD SMITH. or even the wickeC
partners may have garbled the language
Therefore, we refuse 10 hold Deacon RIcH
ARD SMITH responsible for the gramnat
ioal atrocity.
Pinchback on the Warpath.
The speech of Brother PINcHBAcK (col
| oredl the other day before the Lomislnni