Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-21
GROVER CLEVELAND.
HE SPEAKS TO Jour COUNTRY AT
THE JEWELLERS BANQUET.
A RousinR and Humorous Patriotic Adj
dress-Why 1t 81 "Our Country
The Duty of Every American.
rBy ,olegrspb 70 tho Dispatch.

NEW YORK, November 20.-The jew
ellers' Association gave its annual ban
quet tonight. Among the guests aud
principal speakers of the evening was
Grover Cleveland. He said
Mr.. President and Gentlemen. The
sentiment assigned to me suggests q
theme so vast and 20 animating that am
embarrassed in my attempt to deal whit.
You surely will notexpect me on this oc-
casion 10 voice all the thoughts and feel
ings which the mention Of "Our Coun-
try inspires. II should do this should
merely tax your time and patience 10y the
expression of reflections which spon-
taneously fill your mind. Besides, if |
should launch upon this subject in true
American style | know could not avoid
the guilt of making n Fourth-of-July
speech late in the month OF November.
"I LOVE IT."
I hasten 70 declare that I do not fight
shy Of my subject because do not love
it. On the contrary. love II so well
that am anxious to observe all the pro-
prieties related TO it, and cannot nd
mvself of the idea that our American
eagle scars higher and better in the
warm days OF July than in the cool at
mosphere Of the present season.
And yet ! am far from believing that
at any time and in any assemblaGe OF
Americans the sentiment "Our Coun-
try" is not proper one to propose,
though / have sometimes thought that 1t
speaks 80 eloquently for itself that 1t
needs no interpreter.
There seems absolutely to be no ne
cessity for the arousing Of enthusiasm on
this topic, and there is not the slightest
danger that any Of us will forget what
we have accomplished asa nation or what
we propose TO accomplish or that we
will fix too narrow limit upon the pro-
Rress, development, and greatness of
our country. Sometimes those who
unfortunately cannot claim this as their
country accuse us of dwelling with
exaggeratiOn upon these things, bat
every American is entirely certain that
such imputations arise from ignorance OF
our achievements or from envy and dis
appointed rivalry. At any rate. it is our
udDlt 10 ElOtily our country, tuu We plC-
pose TO continue it. We all do
it without prompting, and we like 1t.
We can stand any amount of it without
disturbance, and whether others like it
or not we know, and we propose to de-
clare on every occasion, that America IS
the freest and best and greatest country
on the face Of the globe. Tho PROPOSE
ton is not original with me, but has
been q settled fact in the American mind
for many years. Though this might be
said to dispose Of the subject by a short
cut. and though / have declined to
deal with it in all its aspects, Americas
disposition to glorify our country IS
strong with me and l am disinclined to
abandon my allotted sentiment. II am
10 retain il for few moments | know Of
no better way to deal with it than to di-
vide it and consider one branch or part
OF my text rs is sometimes done with
long texts in pulpits. therefore propose
TO say something about the word com ~
ms related to the sentiment " Our Coun-
try"
THE PEOPLE