General Grant Speech

The only political speech General Grant ever made in his life was at Warren, Ohio in the Garfield campaign, where he presided at a meeting at which Roscoe Cookling spoke. We copy the speech entire. It is good doctrine to day, and tells why every man should be a Republican now. He said:

“It may be proper for me to account to you. on the first occasion of my presiding at a political meeting, for the faith that’s in me.

“I am a Republican as the two great parties are now divided, because the Republican party is a National party seeking the greatest good for the greatest number of citizens. There is not a precinct in this vast Nation, where a Democrat can not cast his ballot and have it counted as cast. No matter what the prominence of the opposite party, he can claim his political opinions, even if he is only one among a thousand, without fear and without persecution on account of his opinions. There are fourteen States and localities in some other States, where Republicans have not this privilege. There is one reason why I am a Republican.

“But I am a Republican for many reasons. The Republican party assures protection to life and property; the public credit and the payment of debts of the Government-State, county and municipal-as far as it can control. The Democratic party does not promise this. If it does, it has broken its promise to the extent of hundreds of millions, as many Northern Democrats can testify to their sorrow.

“I am a Republican as between the existing parties, because it fosters the production of the field and farm, and manufactories, and it encourages the generol education of the poor as well as the rich. The Democratic party discourages all these when in absolute power.

“The Republican party is a party of progress and of liberality towards its opponents. It encourages the poor to strive to better their children, to enable them to compete successfully with their more fortunate associates; and in, fine, it secures an entire equality before the law of every citizen, no matter what his race, nationality or previous condition. It tolerates no privileged class. Every one has the opportunity to make himself all he is capable of.