Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-12-03
JAMES
Talks to the Ohio Electors.

Talks TO the Oh1o ELECTORS.
CLKvELASp, December 2.-During a
visit of the Ohio electors at Mentor to-
day, in response to the address OF Gen.
lGrosvenor in their behalf, Gen. Gar.
field addressed them in the following
language:
lam deeply grateful to you for this
call, and for these personal and public
congratulations. II II were to look upon
the late campaign aHd its results merely
in the light OF personal struggle and y
personal success, it would probably be
as gratifying as anything could be in
the history OF politics. II my
own conduct during the campaign has
been in any way help and a strength
to our cause, ! am glad it is not always
an easy thing to behave well; if under
trying circumstances my behavior as n
candidate has met your approval, l am
greatly graiified, but the larger subject,
your congratulations to the country on
the triumph Of the Republican party,
opensa theme too vast for me to cater
upon now. / venture, however, to
mention reflection which has occurred
to me in reference to the election of
yesterday. suppose that no political
event has happened in all the course Of
the contest since the early
spring, which caused so little
excitement, and indeed 30 little public
observation as the Presidential election
which was held yesterday at midday.
The American people paid but little at.
tention to the details of the real Presi-
Dental election, and for very signiti.
cant reason: Although you and al the
members OF the Electoral College had
an absolute, Constitutional and techni
cal right t. vote for anybody you chose,
and though no written law directed
or suggested your choice, yet every
American knew that the august SOW
ereign OF this republic-the 5000, 900 OF
voters-on an early day in November
had pronounced the omnipotent fiat Of
choice, and that sovereign, assuming as
done that which he had ordered to be
done, entertained no doubt but that
his will would be implicitly obeyed by
all the colleges in all the States. That
is the reason why the people were so
serenely quiet vest .rlay. They had
never yet found an American who failed
to keep his trust as Presidential elec.
tor. From this thought | draw this les
son, that when that OmnipOtent SOW
ereign, the American people, speaks to
any one man and orders him 10 do a
duty that man is under the most solemn
obligations of obedience which can be
conceived except which the God of Uni
verse might impose upon him. Yester-
day through your votes and the votes in
The various States OF the Union, it is
probable (the returns will show that our
great political sovereign has laid his
commands upon me. II he has done
80, am az bound by his will and his
great inspiration and purpose as ! could
be bound by any consideration that this
earth can impose upon any human be-
gin that presence, therefore l stand
and am aided by the majesty and au
thdrlty of such command. Insofar as
| can interpret the best inspirations
and purposes OF our august sovereign,
bhall seek TO realize then that you and
| aid those who have acted with us in
theLyears past believe that sin sovereign
lows liberty and desires for ali inhabt.
antS OF the republic peace and pros
perhy under the sway Of the just and
equkl laws. Gentlemen, thank you
for Ibis visit, for this welcome, for the
Suggestions that your presence and
your words bring and for the hope that
you have expressed that in the arduous
and great work before us We may matt
tain the standard of nationality and pro.
mote all that is good and worthy
in this county, and in the coming four
years We may raise just as large a crop
of peace, property, justice, liberty and
culture as it is possible for forty.nine
millions of people to raise"
Governor Foster was master OF the
ceremonies, presenting the visitors to
Gen. Garfield. After an interchange OF
greetings, two hours were passed in in.
formal social intercourse, after which
the company returned here and dis
persed for their homes, except Governor
Foster, who remained at Mentor.