Evening journal., 1912-08-03
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Republican Orator Who
Had a Confederate Guard
of Honor
By Holland

In the early hfties a young man
who had worked his way through
Dartmouth College went 10 New
York city with FIVE dollars in his
pocket He spent q week or ten days
In going from one law Office to anoth-
er seeking employment as a law
clerk. He lived on that five dollars
in that time At last he got a job in
a lawyers Office which paid him six
dollars a week Fifteen years later
President Grant appointed this young
man United States District Attorney
for the eastern district of New York
in which the city Of Brooklyn was in
cluded. He was reapointed by
Grant, by President Hayes and by
President Garfield and served in all
fourteen years
His name was Asa w. Tenney and
he gained much h-of his political pre-
ferment because of his ability as a
political speaker. He was one of the
young men who took an active part
In the campaign for the second cleo
tion Of President Lincoln in 1864. His
reputation as a campaign speaker
ArNAtN Hili W WN AlA| EAidN utAldIh Au
all of the states Of the North.
u was this reputation which led
the Republican leaders three years
later TO select Mr.. Tenney, who was
then only thirty-four years of age as
the speaker who would make the
first public attempt to organize a Re-
publican party in tho state of Geor-
gia. These Republican leaders went
to Mr. Tenney in the fall of 1867 and
said TO him:
I'VE are going to try TO organize
a Republican party in the state of
Georgia. II is not going to be an
easy job We have got to begin the
organization by holding mass meet
ings. OF course, the mass meeting
will be attended chiefly by men who
served in the Confederate army or by
young men who were too young to
serve They will be sure to be at
tracted TO a meeting If announcement
is made that a Republican orator
from the North rs 10 address the
citizens of Georgia. Now IL may de-
pend upon the orator whether these
people listen respectfully and quietly
or whether they are disposed to make
a disturbance We are going to ask
YOU to speak i'm Savannah, and we do
that because we are sure you have
tact enough TO give no cause of Of
fence TO the people Of that city and
you have skill enough as an orator TO
hold them as hearers while you are
speaking"
Mr. Tenney replied that he would
he very glad Of the opportunity to
speak TO the men of Savannah in
mass meeting and SO that he might
persuade some Of them to begin an
attempt TO organize Republican
party in the state Of Georgia
On his way South Mr. Tenney stop
ped over at Washington and was
there informed that the people of
Savannah would not permit him to
speak
oh, 7 think they will" said Mr..
lennev. And when they have heard
me speak they will not be sorry that
] came among them 10 speak as one
fair-minded man TO another
How are you going to manage
it2 Mr. Tenney was asked
'As soon as J get TO Savannah I
am going TO make the acquaintance
Of as many men as possible who
served in the Confederate army !
am going to say that ] know that
they as brave soldiers will see to It
that !. who bear no message Of III
will, but only of hope and encourage
ment have q respectful hearing"
That was precisely what Mr. Ten
ney did He assured the old soldiers
I'm Savannah that he was not goins
10 allude TO the issues which were
settled by appeal to arms. but simply
/ 10 hold out promise for the future
The old soldiers told him that II that
was his plan they would give him
every opportunity 10 be heard quiet.
~
Therefore upon the day when Mr.
Tenney was TO make his address hs
was escorted TO the platform simply
In the name Of free speech by a large
number of men who had fought ia
| the Confederate army many Of whom
| had been wounded They reall,
| served as a guard of honor. Al
least ten thousand people wer,
/ gathered on the field upon which the
mass meeting was held. They list
ened quietly and respectfully. And
at that meeting Mr.. Tenney demon
strated. as he afterwards said, thai
nothing was needed in order 10 per
/ feet reconciliation, 10 soothe tn,
wounds caused by defeat. except an
/ appeal 10 the sense of honor anc
chlvalry of the Southern people coup
led with the assurance that the Nortf
was willing to let bygones be by
cones and held nothing but m,
friendliest feeling for the people o
/ the South
So greatly was General Grant i'm
pressed with the tact and skill Will
which Mr Tenney addressed the peo
pie OF Savannah in 1867 that. withou
any solicitation on the part Of Mr.
Tenney, he reappointed him Unite,
States district attorney for eastern
New York
Copyright 1919. by r. J Edwards
| All rights reserved)
PEOPLE WHO KNOW THE
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