Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-12-27
The New England Dinner Speeches


and canals.
The New England Dinner Speeches.
The speeches made at the New England
dinner in New York. will be read with in
terest all over this country. With the
true flavor of atter-dinner speeches they
combined words of weghty import touch
ing the politics and the material progress
of this great country in which we live.
| The Boston Advertiser says of them:
Mr.. Eyart> treated his hearers To a
good oll-tashioned rosy picture of our ma
liona futnre We have ceased sectional
wranglng. and are about TO step forward
united people. to possess the world. We
are to feed all the hungry with our agri-
cultural products, to supply all factories
with our raw materials, to build or buy
ships and navigate the globe, carrying the
manufactured articles which every village
in the land will furnish for cargo 1t is a
very pretty sketch, for which the Secre-
tary of State drew partly on his own fan
cy. and partly, with an air of half-amused
credulity. upon the fancy of others. 1t is
to be hoped it is not all fancy. But GER
tainly Mr.. Evarts was right in saying that
it was only by the same courage. enterprise
and untiring industry that gave
the fathers their success which will enable
Us to make the sketch truthful one. The
most that can be said is that circumstances
and past efforts have put this nation in Il
position where by further effort it may be
a formidable competitor for the trade of
the world.
The Secretary of the Treasury. too. had
Il tlattering picture to present to view. but
it was one of the present rs well rs of the
future. The long hoped-for day of re-
sumption, in the preparation for which he
has borne the most conspicuous part, is
close at hand. and il was his pleasant
privilege to congratulate HIMSELF the com
pany and the country on his own assured
success. This with a word of earnest APP
peal to all to help and not hinder the great
change that is impending. filled out a
speech which any statesman might well
covet the opportunity of making. Mr..
Blaine ventured upon the verge of a con
troversy when he criticised Mr.. Evarts' as
pirations for ships even by buying them
The occasion was a tempting one, for the
inconsistency of the Secretary in declaring
that we We're going to make everything
else for all the world, but might need to
fall back upon other countries for our ships,
would strike a person far less quick witted
than is the Maine Senator. The dissent
expressed by the latter with respect to free
ships was mere diversion. The best part
of Mr.. Blaine's speech was that where he
insisted upon an unreserved acquiescence
in the decision of the people as manifested
by an honest ballot. 1t was word that
should be spoken, and it was well said"
Hon. Chauncy NJ. Depew, in his speech at
the New England dinner, spoke of Senator
Blaine as the most brilliant, aggressive
and progressive representative of New
England" At this three cheers were
called for for Jim Baine,'' which
were given and renewed. A writer in
the Boston journal after extoling
the other speakers at the meeting
says: but Blaine woke the boys up. The
mere mention of his name brought the au-
dience to its feet-glasses iingled-knives
thumped the board, napkins now waved,
and men jumped on to the chairs and
yelled themselves hoarse."