Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-05-14


Their Homage.
BUFFALO, May 1l.-Ex-President Grover
n Cleveland arrived in Buffalo this morning.
" II is his first visit here since election day
1890. While his reception did not assume
n the proportions of an ovation, il was
No cordial and respectful With Mr.. Cleve-
" land were Colonel Dan Lamont and DIR.
6enner, the speaker of this evening.
The party was escorted bya reception
committee composed of prominent citizens
70 the lroquois House, where there is a
constant stream of visitors calling to pay
their respects.
Mr., Clevelands welcome to Buffalo has
been entirely fitting his position as n dis
tnguished citizen and a former President.
BUFFALO, N. Y, May 1.-THE German
N Young Mems Association of Buffalo, cele-
"A DRAFTED its 5Uth anniversary here tonight in
Music Hall. The principal event OF the
festival was the presence and speech of ex-
President Cleveland. 1t was his first public
D appearance here III almost eight years. He
received an ovation In the boxes, crowded
n with ladies, far away i'll the back rows and
throughout the hall there was common
n rising of the people to their feet, waving
OF hankerchiels and prolonged cheers.
Again and again. as the wave of enthusi-
asm seemed about to subside, IL was caught
up and renewed with tremendous vigor. A
nore gratifying welcome was never ex-
tended TO a citizen. Mr.. Cleveland spoke
as follows:
MIR. cLEvELAYD's SPEECH.
M. President and La,iieS and Gentlemen. |
understand that among the prominent
purposes of the German Young Mems As
sOCntion are the propagation and promo
ton Of Il knowledge of German literature
and the cultivation and encouragement Of
the best elements of German character.
So far MS the first of these objects ID con.
cerned hope may be permitted to say
that while the efforts Of the association in
the direction mentioned are most praise
worthy and patriotic, such an undertaking
can by no means be monopOlized by any
association. The value and Importance Of
German literature is too keenly appreciated
to be neglected in any part of the world
where there are those who seek to know
the past triumphs of science, poetry, music
and art, or where there are those who
strive TO keep pace with their present de
Yc.Opmcnt and progress. II is not too
much to say that ali nations which make
claim to high civilization encourage the
study of German literature, and that the
extent to which this study is pursued by q
people furnishes a standard of their
enlightenment.
ON behalf of the American people am
inclined also 70 claim tonight that the
German character which the association
undertakes TO cultivate is 50 interviewer
with all the growth and progress of our
country that We have right to include il
among the factors which make up . sturdy
and thrifty Americanism, With our early
settlers came the Germans. They suited
themselves to every condition OF our new
world. Many of them fought for American
Independence, and many who, in the trade
of war, came to fight against us afterward
settled on our soil and contributed greatly
to the hardihood ami stubborn endurance
which our young nation so much needed.
Love OF LIBERTY AND THE UNION.
Az a,lb tod TO l,a,
the tide of German immigration increased
in volume. Those who thus came to us
brought with them a love of liberty which
readily nssimilated them to our institu-
tOns and their natural love of order made
them good citizens. by their love of
music and social cnjoymCnts they shed n
bright light upon the solemn and constant
routine Of American work, while ut the
same time they abundantly proved that
reasonable recreation was entirely consist
ent with wholesome and conservative ac-
cumulatIon, They We're found in every
part of our land. Among the pioneers Of
the far west they struggled against dis
courayements and hardslips-counteraCt-
ing prvation by frugalty, and never for
moment losing sight of the better day
promised by the future to undauntcd
courage and persistent industry In our
cities and towns they were found in the
front ranks of successful business and
trade, and by the choice of their fellow
citizens they held public positions of trust
ami influence. Everywhere they illus
tratcd the value and the sure reward of
economy and steady work.
Thus, before the American nation had
lived 100 years, our German population
had grown to millions, and constituted an
important ingredient in the mass OF Amer.
lean activity. Then there came time
when the government of the country of
their adoption was assaulted by rebcllious
hands, and then our German fellow-citi.
had presented tn them n Onpnrtttpityy
to prove the depth and breadth OF their at
tachment to the land in which they lived
and wrought, and to exhibit how COM
pletely they had become patriotic American
citizens. They allowed not Il moment for
uncertainty, but ilocked by thousands to
the standard of the Union and bravely
devoted themselves TO its defence.
In every battle the German soldiers
fought with courage and persistence
and died with fortitude. This common
baptism of blood and this partnership
in peril brought closer together every ele-
pient of our people and made them all
more than ever and in every sense
Americans. This leads me to say that any
opposing claims to ownership in the valli-
able traits of German character admit of
fair compromise. No one will begrIidge
the satisfaction to be derived from ana
Lying these elements and establishing
their German origin, and all will coneede
that the more they are cultivated the more
our country will gain. But when all this
is done let us call these traits, so far us
they are here exhibited, American. They
have been with us since our beginning;
they have influenced every day of our
country's life; they are among the traits
which our government was formed to
foster, and they are essential to our coul-
try's safety and prosperity.
THRIFT AND PROGRESS.
! hardly think there is any city in the
land that should appreciate the value of
German population better than Buffalo.
On every side within your limits are seen
the evidences of the thrift of your German
fellow-townsmen and monuments of their
industry and enterprise. No one can dis
pute their contribution to your immense
municipal growth and you do well to
recognize it in the selection of those
charged with the administration of your
city government. Even now there stands
at its head, performing his duties accept
ably to the entire community, one who
has won his way to the confidence of his
fellow-citizens solely by the German
American traits of honesty, industry and
economy. / know that he will forgive
me for saying that when knew him first,
not many years ago, he WIS occupying an
honorable but very humble position and
gave no symptoms of his present prom
nence. will not dispute the right of any
one to call him n German. but claim the