Year: 1868




to it because l am sorry and ashamed that
our enemies should have so far forgotten
their selfreSpeet as to indulge in
malignant slander of our candidate. /
refer to the ridiculous and contemplate
story set afoat by the Democratic press that
General Grant is a, drunkard. There is no
more reason for the rumor than there would
be for the assertion that General Washing
ton was a drunkard. But the story has
been devised by party malignity, and it is
being circulated by Democratic papers.


Now If the matter is to be treat
ed jocosely we might adopt the idea of
the lamented Lincoln, who when during
the war he was told that Grant was tco
fond of whisky, said with his singular mix
ture of wit and wisdom, " wish somebody
would give me a barrel of Grants whisky.
would like to send it to some OF my other
generals l think we might express the
same wish. If General Grant be drunk.
ard, we wish such inebrity might attack
some other people. | would like to get
hold of a barrel of his whisky, and have it
bottled for distribution. / would like to
send bottle or two to some other headquar.
ters, and see if under its benign stimulus a
little love of republican doctrines might
not possibly be excited. would like to
send dozen to the editors of Camp street,
and see whether it might not inspire them
with little patriotism and little gram.
mar. In short, if whisky Is likely in all
cases to prompt the exhibition of so much
genius, patriotism, courage, and prudence
as it seems to have done in the case of
Grant, we would do well to have the tax
removed, and encourage its habitual use,
especially in this latitude.


But jesting apart, what's the origin of
this extraordinary charge against General
Grant, l can not tell, for so often as have
seen him l never saw a more temperate
LII H.. IL
healthier cheek or more steady nerves.
can only account for the charge on one
theory, and think the theory philosoph-
ical one. We are apt to measure the de
sires of other people by our own. We are
apt to imagine in other people the same
cravings that we feel in ourselves. Now if
there be anything that Democratic editor
is fond of it is whisky. To ''vote the regu.
lar ticket and take his liquor straight is
his idea of duty; and it does not
| enter into his imagination to conceive that
| q man can occupy a position where he gets
regular salary without spending three.
fourths of that salary in drink, remem-
Der year ago being at General Sheridan's
house one evening and he showed me a
copy he had just received Of very filthy
| paper called the Memphis AUddacbe, in
which there was a long article accusing
General Sheridan of being a drunkard-and
/ am sure Sheridan was never drunk in his
| life. And l said to him at the time: "The
man that wrote that is probably drunkard
| himself, and to his diseased fancy it seems
| impossible that you should have salary OF
| four hundred dollars a month and Keep
sober. (Grest laughter.)


And tell you these miserable penny-a.
| liners who malign General G ant in this
way are people of the same style, They
can not imagine a man having fifty
| dollars at time without going
on a spree. They can not conceive of man
with such a salary as General Grants re,
manning sober. l can fancy one of these
seedy writers discOursing on the intemper-
ance of General Grant. | can see the scribe
| bending over his editorial table, his eyes
red with frequent intoxication; his nose


Jolly nose the rich jewels that gainish thy tip
| Were dug from the mines in the county Of Bourbon


His hands tremb ing with continued dissi.
| patton; one of those men who live on free
| lunches, and will write a halfColumn in
praise of grogshop that win furnish them
with free drinks. Ofthis sort are the ed.
| itors who inform US that General Grants
| habits are not good. And, as / said before,
| the secret of their theory is that they can
not conceive of man havinga considerable
| income without spending the bulk of it in
| liquor. They are like the little boy who
said to his sister, Sissy, when get to be
| President / am going to swing on a gate all
| day n That was his idea of life: and the
! ideas of these revilers of General Grant are
| Just about as broad.


said was sorry and ashamed that our
| opponents should manufacture such SLAM
! ders. l am sorry and ashamed for the
| American people, among whom such po
| litical tactics are allowed. But no one need
| be surprised. When General Andrew Jack
son was nominated for the Presidency the
same style of calumniation was adopted
| The opposition press rang with charges
| against his private life. He was murderer
! they said, a drunkard, and a rake.
pam phlet was published in his own State Of
| Tennessee, charging him with hirty t1UC
distinct crimes, including pretty nearly al
| the offenses in the calendar. Yet Jackson
was elected and reelected, his death wai
muurned US loss ~ the country OF a hero
q patriot, and statesman of singular
purity of private life, and to-day
in Jackson Square in our city
you see his equestrian statue statue O.


one Of those men whom New Orleans es
specially delights to honor. The same per.


secution followed Henry Clay almost to hii
grave. He was freely denounced by his
political enemies as an corrupt man, q


gambler, drunkard, and a rake. The
public press of the country disseminated


these ISLANDERS broadcast, and / doubt not
| there were people who believed them, But
. WHO DcllGNth LlHul uOWE hEuIIOlhN ultu. q


nation wept for him as for one Of her dear


est sons, and to-day at the corner of Cana
and Royal streets in our ciy YOU see hi
colossal statue-the statue Of Northern


man whom New Orleans especially delights
to honor, and l dare say thai some of thu
! very men who tried TO break his hear


while he was alive helped to build his mon


ument after he was dead. No fellow citi
| zens, the idea that General Grant is mar


of Incorporate habits is nothing but


cheap slander.


We have then noble leader in Ulysse


S. Grant. He is soldier Who was neVe


defeated. He is statesman Who has neve


gone backward. He is a politician who ha


struck the true key note bf Americal


politics when he declared that if elected


would be his highest care to execute til


will of the people. He is a nan of libera


education and large eXperiehee, He wa


graduated at the best school in Americs


He has since that time had a wide eS


perience ofnatfairs. Above all he is a ma


of honest purpose, of perfect personal il


tegrity, of clear perceptions aad determine


purpose. He must be elected. He will


elected. Cloud applause.)


FellOW.citizens, some of us were in tn


army of General Grant during the war, an


some were not. Some of us were called {


serve our country in the field, and some jus


as good were called to serve her in OthC


ways. The war is over, but the great poll


ical campaign which is to secure us, "
hope, the legitimate fruits of the victory
the Union arms has just begun. In th


peaceful struggle for the supremacy of OF
} principles we are all soldiers, and Grant
: not as a soldier, but as a cltizen-is OF
| leader. We will move on like true army
The true soldier is an unseldsh man.
fights not for himself, but for bis flag;
will we contend. The true soldier is
} brave man. He cheerfally risks healtl
comfort, and life for the good of the caus