National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-02-24
EARNEST ELOQUENCE
INSPIRED BY A STARRY BANNER.
The Roscoe COnkling Clubs Gift from It's God
Father Speeches by Fred. Douglass end
Stewart L. Wo0dford-An Immense
Audience Present-Guests.

ling Club of Bows in Blue the same being offer
ing to the club by the senior Senator from New
York. The hall was very handsomely decorated
with flags, evergreens, and Towering shrubs by
Mr.. John II. Small, the artistic arrangement oil
the bunting and grouping of foliage being par
hcularly noticeable. The exercises were opened
by Z. W. Oyster, the president of the club, who
stated the object of the gathering, and paid high
tribute to Senator Conkling as he reeounted his
past services to the party. He closed by introduce
ing Frederick Douglass, who, in behalf OF Senator
Conkling, made the presentation, as follows:
Mr.. DOUGLASS SPEECH.
GENERAL WOoDFoRD: For the purposes Of this
brilliant occasion, in this splendid Masonic Tenn
pie, and before this imposing presence OF your TEL
low citizens recognize you, sir, as the happily
chosen representative of the Roscoe Conkling Club
of the Boys in Blue, and have now the honor and
the pleasure on behalf of the great Senator from
New York whose name these Boys in Blue have
proudly adopted, to present to you, and through
you to them. this beautiful flag Of our common
country. present 1t to you, slr, as q graceful
token from that great Senator, and as nit expires
sion of his grateful appreciation of the honor paid
him in coupling his distinguished name with this
Republican Club of the Boys in Blue. commend 1t
to you, sir as the appropriate response of noble
heart TO an act of marked recognition and of gen.
erous approval by his citizens of the Dis
trlct of Columbia. There is, perhaps, no public
man in the United States who does less than ROs-
coe COnkling TO conciliate popular favor or to win
popular applause. He marks out his course, fol-
or fear, by favor or disiavor. But, when approval
comes as does come, and Will come from an hon
est course, when unsought, spontaneous, and free.
no man can prize 1t more highly than himself
For some reason or other this man has gotten q
prefix to his name. He is called the great Ameri-
can Senator, or the great Senator from New York.
cannot tell you just when, where, or how he came
TO have this great handle TO his name. suppose
it came to him as honest" came to Lincoln, or as
great General" came to Grant and Sherman or
as " great statesman" came to Clay, Calhoun, ami
Webster; but come from where it may and how it
may, it is title that even malice viii hardly deny
him, for whatever else may be said OF Roscoe
Conkling, no man who is a man can ever call him
a small man. He takes rank easily with the great
men of former generation-with the grandest
statesmen whose names have come down to us
from the past. can congratulate this Roscoe Conk-
ling Club, then, upon its name, and upon what that
name stands for before the American people. 1t
means, if l understand it, genuine Republican
government for the whole country. 1t means that
this beautiful flag, with its ample folds with all
the stars in its broad, blue field without a single
erasure. shall be respected in every sec
that we, the people Of the United States,
OF America are a nation 10 ourselves, and TO
all the world beside, and that whatever any ma
ton can do to preserve itself from disruption and
to protect its citizens in the enjoyment of life lib
do and viii do.
Sir, much, very much has been written and
spoken of the American flag. Poets, statesmen, and
scholars have exhausted the power of speech in
brilliant apostrophes 10 it, and yet no imagina-
the vast and comprehensive significance Of this
sacred emblem. 1t extends TO all the past, IL in
ciudes all the present, and cOmprehends all the
future. He who can add anything to the volume
OF praise at this altar or can lend any lustre
to its glory, has an imagination more fruitful and
q tongue more eloquent than mine. hand the
subject over TO you, General WOodford. You sir,
and the brave Boys in Blue know better than
how to speak of the power and glory of this ma
tional banner Your fathers made it. You were
born under it. 1t covered Your cradles in your in
fancy. it guarded your manhood and inspired your
patriotism, and has adorned your council chambers
from the beginning until now. Lord, Thou hast
been our dwelling place in all generations" With
feeling almost akin to this piOus utterance you
address the flag of your country Ii has been your
sun and shield during all the viciSStudcs of your
national history. 1t has been the magnificent
standard around which the loyal devotion of the
Nation has rallied in every hour of trial and
danger. commend it TO you sir. Eou can speak
has been larger and more impressive than mine.
have seen il in time of peace; you have seen it
in time Ofwar. have seen it waving from the
masts Of our commerce and from the majestic dome
of the National Capitol; you have seen it amid the
fire, the smoke, the roar, the tempest, the whirl
wind, and the earthquake Of battle, where man
contest with slavery, treason, and rebellion,
in order that the free institutions which make
our country the Watch-tower, the hope, the
throughout the world should not perish from
the earth. Out of this bowling storm of
war there came many utterances which found their
but none more than this: " If any man attempts
to haul down the American flag shoot him on the
spot" The sentiment of the Nation was echoed
by Barbara Frietchie-
"Shoot, if you must, this old gray head,
But spare your country's flag" she said.
Gentlemen, there was time when this flag was
less symbol OF Universal liberty than now when
it waved over slaves as well us frecmen. TWAS
then open 10 criticism, deEISion and Teproach
The subjects of the diFine-right governments of
Europe were not slow in finding this weak point
in our institutions, nor delicate in calling atten
ton to it. Campbell, the war poet of England,
thus alludes tOit:
limited States! your banner hears
Two emblems-One of fame;
Alas! the other that it wears
Reminds us of your shame.
The white mans liberty in types
Is blszODed by your stars;
But what's the meaning of your stripes?
They mean your negroes scarsr
Thanks to the logic of events thanks TO Abra-
ham Lincoln, thanks 10 our great generals our pa
troic statesmen: thanks to the brave Boysin Blue,
thanks 10 the eternal PRINCIPLES of right and ali
the moral forces Of the universe this broad ban
ncr, waving over our whole Nation, looks down
upon s. country where there is no master no slave
ditiOns of all men, without regard to race color,
or previous condition of Servitude." Take the
flag General; hand it TO this club of Boys in Blue
and
Long may il wave,
Ger the land of the free
And the home of the brave"
Hon. Stewart l.. WoOdford received the flag on
behalf Of the club, and replied as follows;
Mr.. woonFoRD'S RESPONSE.
Mr. DOUGLASS AND FRIENDS: could wish that
some resident ofthe District or some active mem
Der of this club had been charged with the duty
of formally receiving this beautiful flag But you
did me 81 great honor when you asked Inc TO come
here from New York and in The name and behalf
of these old comrades TO receive this flag from the
great Senator my native State. We thank you
sir for the eloquent words in which you have made
thie DrpSapt0rjnDs and fhyOTloh fhanE
great Senator for his generous gift. ] shall add
nothing to the fitting words OF eulogy which you
Nearly five years ago at Cincinnati 1 was Sc
leeted by the Republican delegation from
New York to present the name of Roscoe Conkling
rs a candidate for President of the Republic.
During the years since passed New York has had
no occasion TO regret that she did what she could
to nominate Mr.. Coukling. We are very glad, Mr.
the flag of the carpet Dagger, and, although you
are New Yorker, you are q carpet Dagger. As
early in your life as the opportunity was afforded
you, you renewed from Maryland to New York
that you even orerstepped some restraints of the
law which the master race of Maryland had
carpet baggers as they have always added to the
wealth and intelligence OF our State. =
You ask us to tell you the meaning Of that flag II
means power, peace and prosperity TO all our land.
Power in that this land IS strong enough TO assert
its rights and enforce the constitutional amend
Inents strong enough TO make an open pathway
TO pure ballot box, where every man, high or
low, black or white, lcyaist or reconstructed rebel,
shall vote precisely he wants 70, aud have his
vote counted precisely as it is cast That flag
means peace and peace in such land as ours means
Justice 1t means progress and progress means
an education for every child within tile republic
In the North thoughtful men must see We will
have to confront no DANCE, in the future like that
which springs from the growing ignorant and
vicious classes which swell the population Of our
great cities and crowd orr manufacturing and
mining districts. We shall only keep liberty at
hn NOrtl, Inv eIlrpainp the children NJ 10
throughout both the North and the South We
accepted terrible responsibility when refused
% let the Southern States disrupt the union and
depart in peace, and we must HOW educate the |
children in the South SO that race will grow
lp in full sympathy with our own common coun- |
ry and inspired by a common patriotism. !
am reminded, however that on
his day many years ago there passed into eternal
est from the old Capitol one WHO had been Presi-