Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-05-07
THE NORTHWEST
Speech of Hon. George III. Pendleton


at the, Gibson House, Cincinnati, in
response 'to the health of George Fl.
Pendleton," Mr.. Pendleton spoke as
follows:
Mr. President-My Friends: If |
should use this evening the language
oi formal acknowledgment and thanks,
would do little justice to my appre'
citation of your most kindly greeting
and cordial reception. My heart is
filled with emotions for which l lind
no fitting words.
Born and reared and honored by
your approval in Cincinnati, this city
commands my warmest affections.
It's citizens are my associates, and my
neighbors and friends. Their good
will and respect and sympathy most
dearly prize, and this expression of
such feelings awakens sensibilities
which can not-do not desire tore.
press. [Applausel I see in this com
pany men of my own age, companions
of my school-boy days, friends of those
earlier, and possibly better, years,
when young life opened with all the
roseate hues of hope, the dawn OF
manhoods day.
see a later, and even still later
generation, on whose broad shoulders
have rested the growth and increasing
wealth of our noble city--whose ability
and enterprise constructed the iron
arms with which she seeks to gather
IN the profits Of commercial inter
course. And | see some who honor
us still more by their presence, the
older men who completed the work of
changing Fort Washington in Losantl-
vile into the Queen of the West, on
the banks of the Beautiful River, and
have lived to the full fruition of the
result of their wisdom and their toll.
IApplause
make my affectiouate salutations,
and thank you for the compliment of
your presence tonight The future
may have long years in store for us.
l do not know, but whenever the
lengthening shadows indicate my lifes
sunset, this memory shall cast mel
lowed light over every sombre hue,
and illumine by its reflected rays the
pathways of the dark valley. Ap-
plause
In these days of marvellous develop
ment, when science has invented the
telegraph and telephone, and taught
machinery almost to think; when
patient education has made the blind
10 see and the dumb to speak; when
European enterprise has more than
surpassed in Western ASIA the grand.
eur of Oriental cities; when Chicago
and St. Louis and other Western
towns have outstripped even these, il
seems idle to recall the story of oul
growth; and yet I remember vel
when our population was only thirty
thousand. when not quarry broke
the beautiful circle of yonder forest
clad hills; when an oat6eld ripened tt
the harvest on Main and Thirteenth
etreets;.wh quail and squirrels played
in the early frosts on the site of St.
Pauls Catholic Church, and no more
secluded spot could be found for the
execution OF convicts than Effluen
street
Then Woodward High School was
almost in the suburb-and garden
with its flowing fountain, adorned the
Cincinnati College at the corner Of
Fourth and Walnut.
1t was not much later than thes,
years that my fellow-c citizens frs
entrusted me with official responsible
ity. They have been very kind to me
1 have represented them in the Legis
larure, in the House of Representatives
in the Senate of the Unified States
sometimes during crises in our coun
try's history which were very grave.
Ihave always been Democrat
partisan Democrat, if you please--be
cause | believed that the principles ant
methods of that party would conduc
to the welfare of the country. But
have always believed that parties wer
useful only when they served tn
highest interests of the country, an'
that he who served his country mos
faithfully served also his part mos
effectively. Applausel Parties Cal
not live except as they deserve t.
live.
have, therefore, sedulously stead
fastly endeavored to put our party o
the highest place of purity and homo
and to stimulate it to pursue loft
aims by honest methods
There is no abuse too, small t
work evil, none so strong as to deserv
immunity. An honest party will at
tack them all, and let no temptatio
swerve its high purpose to eradicat
them. But every abuse has its SUI
port in some groveling selGshnes
and finds Its defenders in some slew
fellows Of the baser Sort" who, whe