The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1911-08-19
Speech Opened Grants Eyes

feat, and 1t was then that some of the
Republican leaders appealed to Gen.
eral Grant to make one speech. sug.
costing that It be made In General
Garfield's home district
But have never made a political
speech" General Grant replied. Il
wouldn't know how to begin one"
why. General" said the spokes-
man. AL that Is necessary for you
to do Is to talk to the people exactly
az you would talk to a friend. You
tell your friends that this is no time
to cultivate resentment; you say that
It is necessary for Republicans to get
together; and you have pointed out
some of the reasons why II is of the
highest Importance that the Repub-
licans should win this election. That
Is all you will have to do in any pub
lie speech you make"
Grant considered for q few mo
ments.
well. he said finally. ''if Roscoe
Conkling will go with me and make
a speech from the same platform.
will do the best l. can. but I haven't
much faith in my ability to make q
speech"
In a few days It was announced
that General Grant and Roscoe Conk-
ling would speak upon the same plat
form, In the town of Warren. Ohio.
The bare announcement that Grant
was to make his first political speech
at least. upon the stump-changed
the whole aspect Of the campaign.
The curiosity to hear the, ex-presi-
dent. who had been called the Silent
Man." and Of whom It was said that
he couldn't make a speech. served to
focus the attention of the entire
country upon Warren. Ohio. People
fiocked into the town from all around
the state on the day of the speech:
the great newspapers were represent
cd there. Grants speech was re-
ported in full and. Of course, was
read by every Republican voter. Il
changed the tide from ebb to flood.
for from that moment the Republican
prospectus frightened.
Said General Grant to Roscoe
Conkling after the meeting: "Sen-
ator. after I had got started In my
speech. lost all my nervousness. Do
you think was able to make the
people hear mef Ny voice seemed
not very strong"
They heard every word" Senator
Conkling replied.
Mark Twain was chatting with mo
q few years ago about General
Grants book OF personal memoirs.
which was published BY the frm Of
which Mark Twain was the chief
partner.
II have always thought that Grants
political speech at Warren. Ohio.
showed him that he had an unsuspect-
ed gift for writing said Mark His
facility with the pen was a. great
in its way az was his power with the
sword He might have suspected Il
had he realised the real literary quail
ity and the capacity for terse. cpl
grammatic statements which many
Of his dispatches from the field Illus.
tratsd. But II remained for his War
rem speech TO open his eyes IN this
respect. and II was followed year
and half later BY the FIRST magazine
article he ever wrote. He was %
pleased and interested with the work
Of composition that he was persuaded
to accept an offer for q series Of
articles upon his experiences in the
Civil war. these articles being the
basis Of bis personal memoirs. am
sure that had II not been for the
political speech General Grant made
at Warren he would not have dared
to attempt writing for the magazines,
and therefore. would not have writes
his personal memoirs"
tcopyrisht isli, BY y. J. Edwards. An