A Stalwart's Words

The Hou. Emery A. Storrs, ut Chicago, soine weeks ago consentcil to cleHver the Fourth of July oration it Grand Rapfds. Upon hearing of the ntteinpte.l ássasslnution he telegraphed tlie eomuiittei: of arrangements that hts'frppoihtmeni must bc caneelled, :is he was n no iikkhI tO gpeuk, and was of the opinión that such n demonunUilUIC .11 n.iu i.uu .iiijiiniitii i .t. -.,... of place. The pÊbple, bdweveï, insisten) upon hls coming, and hc tinally consented to do so, but wouUl not deliver tlic unition he liad preparad for the occasion. In place, however, lie made a short extcinpore speech, wblch was as fcllows: mr. 8torr"s speech. Mb. Phesident and Fei.i.ow Citizbns: I am do itxanger n ttiis heautiful ehy. I know its marrelous growth. I am familiar with its WOnderful material aml physlcal prosperity. I know its boglneH men. I know the breadth of its culture. I know its lofty and spleudid and patriotlc herplsm. I know the Bweétnésa and purity of its homes. I know that I am addre.-.-in-j a liberty-loving, a God-fearing, and a lawablalng people. I come to you on the occasion of the anniversary of the greatést political aml moral event recorded in the aunáis of history. 1 come here, in this beautitiil gvove in this city of happy and contented holnes, under these clear sumiller skies, with niy clieeks refreshcd and cooled tij b&esofl and fragrant breezes, hearing a gaddened soul and i very heavy lieurt. My frieuds, bovr eau 1 speak t you? .My treurt is not here, my soul is not here, your hearts are not here, your suuls are here. But across the leagues aneWeaguea of territory, by the bedside of the patriotio president, with eyery rasp and every moan. by that nearly wldowed wife and üio.-e nearly orphaned etiildren, there my soul and there yonr souls tliis very moment are. FJFTY MILLION' MOIliNEUS. e stand in the presence of an inipending and an awt'ul calamity. We stand under the dark wlogiof a dreadful tragedy. We tand to-day, 50,000,00ü sufferers and mourners, by the couch of one who in ci would liave liarmcd a humas lien;, and whose great soul never entertainecl, and whose altuost inspired voice never uttered, a IhougKt that did not catry with ita blessIng to bis human kind. If there are no tears iu our eyes this duy, it is to the infinite honor of our peopie that our souls are bathed with tbeni tliis in.-tant, admonished liy the wnrds tlr.it come trom him. I bring you no tidingg that you have not already heard. All Ieansay lsthis: [f the hopes, if the [trayen for the interest of a great nation can preval] with an AJnügbty God who balda in the hollow of liis hands the destinies of nátions, our beloveil presieent, praise God, will live. [Applause.] In biich a presence, thus surrounded, blistcred be the tonguc, and blasted b the soul that coulü utler or couccivc onc thought or one idea less comprehensive than the boundaries of the great oceanwashed republic, whose birth wc have met here to-day to celébrate. [Applause.l A TRIBUTE TO THE l'HKSI IENT. The man who OOuld euteitain a thought ir-, lofty, or who in ach a preseoce could renew sectional strife, should be whipped naked around the globe, ohased by the red lightuingsof almighty wrath. [Applause. ] Iu such a presence, how cheap, Mr. 1'k ident, are words! In such a presence, how inadequate is speech! In such a presence, how mean and tawdry seem all the adornments of rhetoric! I have known the president almost as a. brother. I have loved him, and lovc liini as a brother. All the inspiratiou that i in what I utter to you to-day comes fmm the deptbs of the pure affect Ion, comes from the remeinbrances of the friendsbipa of a man who never entertained a thouglit that was not as white and slainless as the unstained snow. Living, there is hehind him the record of an upright and Bplendid lile, there will be liuloie hiln a career ot magnifloenl and heruic aculerement. Dead, lor all the age lo eoiue, theie will be enshrined in the haart of every Ameiiean man and woman as a lacred, as a pathetlc, a au iMpirlng and a tender meinory, the name of James A. Gartield. [ Louil and continuous applause.] THE TltAYKH Ol' TUI. PEOPLX. I know that the breeze now blowing from the west to the cast, wlnged by the Almighty, will carry, as if by niiraeulous agencies" the wal'ted prayers to Lhutstricken wife, to the bed-side of the president, thal the great and the good president may live. [Ápplause, and cries of men.] My fellow citizens, this is a great day. It i.s'always to me a soleinn day; a day not so mach for wild and elamorous reiolclng, as fbl ealm. seriolls and j.alieut relleetion. SOU proud a spectacle it is to look UDOE nioh an audlenee as It Is my dUtingulshed honor this day to confront. Every lacbeams with patliotlO all'ection for tlie aillietcil ones. Kvery face earries with it an intelligent and lofty purpose. Iu no vainglorious spirit, hut attvnipting wort hily to rearh the lofty heart Of this splendld audience, to react thegilmmerlngnnnmlti of a greal occasion; In thia spirit sballl speak ti) you to-day. UIT TUK NATION WII.I. I.IVK. natlon will liw fOTever. [ ApplauM. I No assassin can deptroy t. u ixillct hai'vrr licrn ra-t. (ir uill lic, whieh cali feach the Ufe of the United of América. Nd oïiranized eonspiracy can destrny it. The 111:111 Diay die, bnl bletsed lic (oei, the nation s Immortadl [Applause.] Imii,.in,.i',,!i"""''ñ',,jt embalms a trutli thal is pclpclllal. illlH lianen ib umuuiic, nvn, becaiise its territorial ex tent is vast. The iiinii et a huw oatlon is nu more to lic oefebrnteti than tlic birth of au Individual, uniese nation be a worthy onc. Tlic repetltion of despotianis we do nut celébrate. Tlic lecnuliig-annivarearies of tbelr biith wc dn ïiot rejorce over. We rejoice to-day, HOI mcicly because a héw nation uas bom, but because a govemtueot ai its liirtli cleclared that great doctrine that all govenimente must derive tlieir ust powers fi-om t he consent Of the governcil. Tliat is tlic deel ft fation read to yon to-lay. Tliat is tlic living, vital principie whlcli malees the United states oí' America worth living aml worth doing tor. NO OCCASION TO HOAST. As I have said, wc have DO occasion to boasl because of our territorial extent. Why, Mi. ['resident, we (lid not roll out llu se prairies; e (lid not sencl UtOSU 111aje-tie, riveis Howing to the sea, carryiiiji tlic white sails of commerce on tlieir bosomx; wc did nol rear these lofty ïnoiinlains into the clouds; we did pour Into the bowelsof the earth the ihlnlng hcaps of gold and silver, the minea of copper aml eoal. God diil that. Il, is nolhiiifr lor u to hraii of. [ Applause. J This nation Is not ff real liecause its soil is frultful. We had liotlling to do witli that. ili,-,w ..c ., Hflall (.iVi of :, fl'nitorial extent not inuch laryerthan Urana nu.-. The uiliBffi ol' the liili men ,,t have penshed in nttcr lori;ctfiiliiess; and the same sky hcnils aliovc it to-dav whlcll ciu-vcd over (lic w oiiüerl'ul city ¦_.()00 years ajio. The old Atliens s dead, because Sócrates, l'lato, Phidlas, and Perloles, the nuMi who made Atliens, have loni: since pcrished froin the earth. Our nation is greal because ol the uien and wonien in il, :md that is all. Applause. ] Thcre can be no greal nation without reut uien, and there eau hc nu rreat uien without noble anti lêir-sacritlcing vromen. You may show me countlcss worU-.shops, tkrlvlng ctties, aml commerce so extended tliat lts sails ha] whitcti evciy sea, that it shall Stand like the angel of the Apocalvpsc, ith one toot resttnc on the scaanilthc othcr 011 the land. Kut f you show me a I le without intellect -slu-'ivcled in moral conception - as a nation it is utterly worthIr--. T11I.S NATION IS OniCAT, beeause nn these fertile flelds, Insalred bv the doctrina wineh dèolaratioA of Independence aunouncea, we have gatbered togeüier in u quarttj of aeentury people ol all uatioiiaflties And êpfeaklng all languages. We are In-re trom Uermany wllh its clasic and heioic traditions; we are e aiv here trom sunny Frunce ; WB'aré bere from every quartec of tlie habitable globe; we are here from the shadowa of tlie old soutli churcli, baptized. as t lias been, in tlie waters of a rellgious faitli; we are lieve ïrom the flelds of Lexlngton and Concord, Where the tirst shot ol the farmer soldiery was flred; we ara liere from the souih. with its okl cbivalrlp spirit of tht' people who perished willlilgly, tliat the fireat ualion wliieh tliey inauinirated ralglitllvé; wc are here from the restored suiith [applause]) we we liere, brothen to-day; there is do bittorneu of heart; bere, with nnited ambltlona and lofty purposes, resolved tlnit this nation. taktng tlie tighted lamp of advaocing clvlllzation in n band, shall go forward untll it shnil ere long be enthroued on those lofty nunnitta win; ie its luail 1 1 . i ] 1 be halbed in llie perpatual sunshlne of everiastlng lame, [loud applause.] W1TI1 BüCH A THEMi:, iiow {(reen out Belds beconM; with such a Iheiiie how happy our bOBDM aie; with siuh a theme. how politics beeome lit'ted trom the mire and BeweiS of the oaucus up into the clear, pura atmosphere where it embraces nothlng smaller llian an Aineriran citizcil. [Applanse.l I tlnuik Ooil tliat to-day, under this suiishiiie, with the martyred Spirit of xreat souls looklng iipon us - I thank Gou thal apon the goil of the repu b lie ihereUnó lave. [ &.pplaiwe.] No man lireatlies on this Oontllieilt to-day tliat does not draw il tree breath. I Ihuiik God tliat we are DO loOgBf a league of oontendlng states; but that the patriotic purpoM's of a graat people have made all these tates a nation, and they liave made tlie nation tree. Applansi'.] I love to speak o the great city from wliieh I carne. I think of the old Bettlera here and there; I think of the wondert ui forecasl "f üiat people wlm looked upon that malaria! swamp, and saw in it the wondeifnl commercial metropolis; think of the wonderfnl forecast of all these peo(Je that look upon a wilderncss and ee in it :n the Deal future the most stupenduous and inarveloiis empire that the sun in its COUree ever shone opon. This is our jteople. Applaii.-e. Kor around this idea the germinal spirit of our nstitiitions has crystalized all nations and all tongaéa It has made us a 0U6 and a unit, in an Indestructible nationalil.y. .Mv good frieiids, striking this theme, it seenis to me 1 could pursue it forevcr. There is a limit to your eiidurance, and there Is a limit to mine. I can hardly teil you how rratiticd I was to receive an inviiiition lo t ihccityof Grand Hapids on such au occasion as this. I ban hartlly teil you how my heart sank when covered with the Kloon) of this dreadtul calamitv, I had to leleirraph to your people that J had no heart lor public gpeakfnc, and the engagement must be caneelcd. Hut there came back tbrobblug over the wires the spleudid woids from your president: '¦Our president is not yet dead, thank God. lf b e dies we will have a funeral procession of tbe entira popnlation. We want you to deliver the funeral oration. If he Vives we want your words of 000gratulation." And tlie Colanel said: "You must come." And I carne. [Applause.] How gratitied 1 mi tliatl carne, I cunnot teil you; but running througb all that I have been ¦aying.ia that ttrobbhignndrttweofdreadful anxiety whieli nothiug, nothing eau relieve. Mv good irlanda, demoocats and republicana alikt' OH this great OCCUlon we eau know no dlfiferenoes, My good frlendá, north and south, east and we-t alike, on tliis great occasion we know no geography. PatrTodsm koowa nelthar latitude nor longitudes. Il Is not cliniatie. It thrtTSS On Che eold and rugged mountain tops Of our extremest east; it flonrtshes on the fertile Belds and aboundlng prairies of the west; it Bowen out aad blossoms into splendid frultage on the plantatious of the south. Think of your country and live iur your childnii. Il Is worthy of it all. Voung man, never'fall into the error of supposing tliat interest Ui these; great qtietion.s most bc licnealh you. It cannot. The man who think.s himself abovc politica is making A DOIIJLE MISTA KK. Ile is overe.stimating liimsclf, and is uudeiestimating all thal inagnilicent science which should determine how best the interesta of B&.flOO.OOO öf people might be promoted. Voung men, 1 honor your ameitiens, and I honor all your dreanis 1 honorevery visión thatTOU sec in the grealness of our country in the future, and your honorable and distingulshed part in il, I am a young man myself and always shall be. [ Laughter and applause.] I believe n llie visi.ins that young men see. I believe in llie realilv of Mie casues that they buil.l. I believe in the friiition and performance it these spleudld dreanu. For all those golden vlsions, all thoae ffllttering dreams are bot the promUea of the future. " For where, Mr. President, wbere, without the drtamsoi' the young men llghtlng apa]] the future, umi niakinii nuliaut and spleniliil with human popsibilitios. wouhl be the Jeed8 of the olil men glorifying the pasl with human achleVeinents?" [Applanw.] Xdw Joln tli dm n Bendlng on the course of the eaat trarea of wind to V.hiViurmr'üV'Siï'-.V::;,1:1'''"1;.;;11." may tt endure forever." [Applauce '"