Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-05-03
GRANTS BIRTHDAY.

ONS FOR BEING 4 REPUBLICAN.
In response to the toast T. 5 Grant, :"
Senator Sherman said:
l deem it an honor to be called upon by
your club on this sixty-sixth anniversary
of the birthday of General Grant to pre-
sent in brief words this typical American
citizen, this illustrious soldier, this patri-
Otic President BY his tenacious courage
and skill the armies of the UniOn were led
from victory to victory, from Belmont to
AppomattaX, until every enemy of the
Republic laid down his arms in uncondi-
tiOnal surrender He won from foreign
nations reparation for injuries done to us
during the war. He did more than any
one else to preserve untarniShed the pub
lie credit and honor.
Heroic TO the end, in the hours of death
he won his greatest victory by the story
of his life, told in words so plain, truth
full, charitable and eloquent that it will
become as classic as the commentaries of
Cesar, but more glorious as the record of
patriot who saved his country, instead
of a cOnqueror who Overthrew its hber-
ties. His services in the army include the
whole history of the war, an epoch now
! being told in huge volumes of Records of
the War of the Rebellion, and in innumer-
able memoirs of those who participated
in it. 1t is enough to say that in these re-
cords the name of Grant will be Oftener
mentioned than any other, that he fought
and commanded III a greater number of
battles than any other soldier of that war,
living or dead, that with rare and doubt
full exceptions his battles were victories.
that in the number of his command. in
the wide extent of the field Of his opera
tionS and in the completeness of his sue
cess no commander of modern ages, not
even Napoleon, excelled him.
Not only will the image of Grant, as the
great military hero of the war, rise higher
and higher in the role of fame as time
goes on, but the object of the war, its mo-
tive and aim, the intense desire to perpet
uate the Union which guided the councils
and inspired the hearts of our loyal peO-
pie, will become mere manifest, so that
all classes of people, whether children of
the North or South, of Federals or Con-
| federate, of white or black, Will speak of
it and think of it, not as the War of the
Rebellion, but as the War for the Union,
and of Grant as the preserver, as Wash
ingtOn was the founder of our country.
| As to the civil life of General Grant, |
| have always doubted whether it would
not have been better for him to have re-
manned General of the Army during his
| life rather than to have undertaken the
civil duties of President of the United
States. This doubt is not founded so much
upon what he did as President but upon
| the striking differences in the duties of
the two offices, and the training, qualifi
cations and personal traits demanded for
each. But whether this view is correct
or not, the earnest desire of the people of
the United States was that General Grant
should be rewarded with the highest Office
in their gift And this feeling was shared
| by many Confederates, who were touched
| by the generous forbearance of Grant IN
arranging the terms of the surrender.
| But it is not as great hero, the com
mander OF armies, or as a President of the
United States, that you wish to hear of
! Grant. 1t is as man. said he was a
| typical American. No strut, no parade,
no imitation of royalty or aristOcracy, no
egotistical pretensa of superiority because
he held great command or high positions.
The most marked characteristic which
chung to him in all periods of his life was
his extreme modeSty.
He was always the same plain, simple,
contiding. brave, tenacious, and generous
man, in war and peace, as the leader of
vast armies, as President of the United
States, as the guest of Kings and Empe-
rors. and in his final struggle with grim
visaged death.
Gentlemen, you do right to commemO-
rate his birthday 1t was his good for
tune to be the chief instrument of Divine
Power to secure to you and your posterity
the blessings of free, strong and united
country. He was heroic to the end, and
you should be equally heroic in maintain
ing and preserving the rights and privil-
eges and policy for which he contended.
Mr.. Shermans speech took hold at every
point. lie was cheered when announced
and when he rose was not allowed to pro-
ceed till the company had cheered to its
hearts content. Concluding he said:
General Grant never was a politician
He made but one political speech in his
life, and that a short one in your neigh
boring town, Warren, o., September 28
1880 1t was in favor of General Garfield.
1t was in the presence of and supported
by the eloGuence of Roscoe COnkling. 1t
is creed in itself. | will read it:
GENERAL GRANTS SPEECH AT WARREN.
1t may be proper for me to account to
you, on the first occasion of my presiding
at a political meeting, for the faith that
is in me-.
am a Republican as the two great po-
litical parties are now divided, because
the Republican party is National party,
seeking the greatest good for the greatest
number of citizens. There is not a pre-
cinct in this vast nation where Demo
crat can not cast his ballot, and have it
counted as cast. No matter what the pre-
ponderance of the opposite party, he can
proclaim his political opinions, even if he
is only one among thousand, without
fear and without persecution on account |
of his opinions There are fourteen States |
and localities i'll some other States where |
Republicans have not this privilege
There is one reason why am Republi- |
can.
But am Republican for many other |
reasons. The Republican party assures
protection to life and property; the public |
credit and the payment of the debts of the
government State, county and munich
pal-aS far as it can control. The Dem
ocratic party does not promise this. If
it does, it has broken its promises to the
extent of hundreds of millions, as many
Northern Democrats can testify TO their
sorrow.
am Republican. as between the ex-
iSting parties, because il fosters the pro-
duction of the field and farm, and of man.
ufactories, and it encourages the general
education of the poor as well as the rich.
The Democratic party discOurages all
these when in absolute power.
The Republican party is party of pro-
gress and of liberality toward its oppO-
nents. 1t encourages the poor to strive
to better their children, to enable them to
compete successfully with their more for
tunate associates: and, in fine, ii secures
an entire equality before the law OF every
citizen, no matter what his race, nation
ality or previous condition. 1t tolerdtes
no privileged class. Every one has the
opportunity to make himself all he is ca
pabie of.
THIS is passage from Chauncey NJ.
Depew's Grafton in New York on Grants