National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-06-09
THE PLUMED KNIGHT.
How che speech Was Prepared and How
It's Effect Was Broken.


NOls lEODbTL IL lNENEtOll IIhb kNNb l1iuthb I
the tito of k"Plumod Knight in presenting !
his uame to tho Cincinnati convention OF
1876. The speech has history which Is
almost as interesting ~ the speech ITSELF Tho
colonel was not as well and widely known
then as now, and few OF the delegates sus-
pected that they would hear anything out of
the usual order of hum drum convention
harangues whenthe candidates wcrcprcsonted.
Many of tho western delegates aud visitors,
VIII woro all for Blaine that year. knew tho
orator. however, and hoped aud expected
something good but probably mono of thom
save one hoped for as much as they got. That
one was T. G. Ingersoll, the colonel5 brother.
As tho world now we'll knows, tho brothers
were wholly devoted to each other, and
when it was settled tho day boioro tho
speech was mado that tho Colonel would
present Blaine's name Clark became very
anxious that Bob should take tho fullest adj
vantage of his opportunity. But Bob seemed
In no hurry TO prepare anything, and to his
brothers oft-repeated inquiries Us TO whether
no had written anything no was always
Obliged to say no. AZ o'clock in tho alter
noon they went driving, and the evening
was spent in chatting with delegates and
callers At midnight they retired
At daylight the colonel got up
quietly, and while his brother
and the three or four other occupants of tho
room were snoring peacefully, went to work
WIN u lltJlb Oll bbuu u ltuu pbhbll dhh sum
scraps of paper Us no could get out of some
old letters in his coat pocket. Before
Clark woke up tho speech was completed,
the scraps of paper and envelopes on which IL
was written wore placed under an empty ink
stand for safe keeping, and tho orator cropt
back to bod.
The original draft began with the second
paragraph. Tho first was suggested by the
speech of tho person who presented Hon. Is.
III. BristOw, and this gave tho whole speech
the appearance of an impromptu utterance.
II took the convention by storm. The
dclogates-tho opponents rs well as tho
friends Of Baine--the altornatcs, and
tho entire audience stood up on their
seats, waved their hats and handkorchiets.
and cheerod and Checrod again aS men have
rarily Cheered before or since. Could o vote
have been taken then, it is tho opinion
of nearly everybody who was there
that Blaine would have been nomi-
mated. But 1t was not to be. 1t
was getting late. An anti-Blaine citizen
OF Cincinnati climbed on the stage and an
nounced that 1t had been found impossible to
connect the gnspipes with the mains, and
there was no gas to supply tho convention
with light 1t was therefore necessary 10
adjourn over, and next morning the enthusi-
asm had died out aud Blaine was beaten on
the seventh ballot by one Hayes.
The following is the famous speech in full {:
Massachusetts may DO satisfied with tho
, loyalty of Benz amin H. Bristow; so am |; but
ii any man nominated by this convention
cannot carry the state Of Massachusetts, l am
not satisfied with tho loyalty of chat state.
IL tho nominee of this convention cannot
carry the grand old commonwealth of Massa-
chusott5 by 10000 majority, l would advise
them to sell out Fanouil hall as democratic
headquarters. l would advise them to take
from Bunker hill that old monument of
glory.
frLo ran,l1to,n, % +ho Tro;to1 cIo4o, 10
mand as thoir leader in the great contest OF
1876 n man of Intelligence, IA man of integrity,
n man of well known and approved political
opinions. They demand statesman; they
demand reformer after as well rs before the
election. They demand politician in the
highest, broadcast, and best sense-a man OF
superb moral courage. They demand a man
acquainted with public atlairs--with the
wants of the people; With not only the re-
quirements of the hour, but with the de-
mands of the future. They demand u man
broad enough to comprehend the relations OF
this government to the other nations of the
earth. They demand n man well versed in
the powers duties, and prerogatives of each
and every department Of this government
They demand man who will sacredly pre-
serve the financial honor Of tho United States
one who knows enough to know that the
national debt must be paid through the pros
perty of this people, ono who knows enough
to know that all the financial theories in the
world can not redeem Il single dollar; one
who knows enough to know that all tho
money must DO made, not by law, but by
labor; one who knows enough to know thai
tho people of the United States have the
industry to make the money, and the honor
to pay IL over just as fast as they make it.
The republicans of tho United States do
mahd man who knows that prosperity and
resumption, when they come, must COME
together; that when they come they will CONT
hand in hand through tho golden harvest
fields; hand in hand by tho whirlng spindle.
and the turning wheels; hand in hand pas
the open furnace doors; hand in hand by thu
flaming FORCES; hand in hand by the chimneyi
filled with eager fire. greeted aud grasped by
the countless sons OF toll.
This money has to be dug out of the earth
You cannot make it by passing resolutions il
q political convention.
The republicans Of the United States want
man who knows that this governmon
should protect every Citizou, at home anC
abroad; who knows that any gOvernmon
that will not dotona its defenders and protoc
its protectors is u disgrace to tho map of thu
world. They demand q man who believes il
tho eternal separation and diYorcemGnt o
church and school. They demand MAI
whose political reputation is Us spotloss as
star; but they do not demand that theii
candidate shall have q certificate of mora
character signed by o confederate congress-
Inc lnan VINO mas, IN lull, helpeu AnC
rounded measure, all these splendid uualiH
cations is the present grand and galan
leader Of tho republican party-Jamos G
Blaine.
Our country, crowned with tho vast an(
marvellous achievements of it's first century
asks for a man worthy OF tho past and prophets
Of her future; asks for IL man who has tn
audacty Of genius asks for man who is TN
grandGst combination of heart, conscience an,
brain beneath her ilag-sugh man is Jamo
G Blaine,
For the republican host, led by this intropit
man, there can DO no defeat.
This is u grand year--I year filed with the
recolleCtiops Of the revolution; filed viii
proud and tender memories OF tho past; with
the sacred legends Oiliberty-a year in which
the sons of freedom will drink from the foun
tains Of enthusiasm; a year in which TN
people call for man who has preserved II
congress what our soldiers won upOn tn
field; year in which thoy call for
man who has torn from the thrOa
OF treason tho tongue of slaudur crowne,
Tor tho man who has snatchod th
mask OF democracy from tho hideou5 fac
of rebellion, for the man who, like an intel
lectual athlete, has stood in tho arena o
debate and challenged all cUmoTS, and who il
Still total stranger 10 defeat.
Like an armed warrior, liSo II plumec
knight, James c. Blaine marched down th
halls of tho American congress and threw hi
shining lance full and tuir against the hrazoi
l9roheada Of the delamers Of his country ant