Speeches of Benjamin Harrison, Twenty-third President of the United States — John Shaqi
Speeches of Benjamin Harrison, Twenty-third President of the United StatesHarrison, Benjamin
History
Speeches of Benjamin Harrison, Twenty-third President of the United States
Harrison, Benjamin
Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901; Speeches, addresses, etc., American; United States -- Politics and government
Senator Thomas W. Palmer was president of the evening; the
vice-presidents were: Hons. F. B. Stockbridge, C. G. Luce, J. H.
Macdonald, Austin Blair, H. P. Baldwin, David H. Jerome, R. A. Alger, O.
D. Conger, Chas. D. Long, E. P. Allen, James O'Donnell, J. C. Burrows,
M. S. Brewer, S. M. Cutcheon, Henry W. Seymour, Benj. F. Graves, Isaac
Marston, Edward S. Lacy, John T. Rich, O. L. Spaulding, Geo. W. Webber,
Geo. Willard, E. W. Keightley, R. G. Horr, E. O. Grosvenor, James
Birney, C. E. Ellsworth, D. P. Markey.
The distinguished guests and speakers of the evening from other States
were: General Benjamin Harrison, Ind.; General Joseph R. Hawley, Conn.;
Hon. William McKinley, Jr., Ohio; Hon. Joseph G. Cannon, Hon. John F.
Finerty, and General Green B. Raum, Ill.; Hon. L. E. McComas, Md.; and
Hon. James P. Foster, N. Y.
General Harrison responded to the sentiment, "Washington, the
republican. The guarantee of the Constitution that the State shall have
a republican form of government is only executed when the majority in
the States are allowed to vote and have their ballots counted."
His speech attracted widespread attention at the time, and is considered
one of his greatest. One expression therein--viz.: "I am a dead
statesman, but a living and rejuvenated Republican"--went broadcast over
the land and became one of the keynotes of the campaign.
Senator Harrison made the first reference of the evening to the name of
"Chandler." It was talismanic; instantly a great wave of applause swept
over the banquet-hall, and thenceforth the speaker carried his hearers
with him.
The Senator spoke as follows:
_Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Michigan Club_--I feel that I
am at some disadvantage here to-night by reason of the fact that I
did not approach Detroit from the direction of Washington city. I
am a dead statesman ["No! No!"]; but I am a living and rejuvenated
Republican. I have the pleasure to-night, for the first time in
my life, of addressing an audience of Michigan Republicans. Your
invitations in the past have been frequent and urgent, but I have
always felt that you knew how to do your own work, that we could
trust the stalwart Republicans of this magnificent State to hold
this key of the lakes against all comers. I am not here to-night in
the expectation that I shall be able to help you by any suggestion,
or even to kindle into greater earnestness that zeal and interest
in Republican principles which your presence here to-night so well
attests. I am here rather to be helped myself, to bathe my soul in
this high atmosphere of patriotism and pure Republicanism [applause]
by spending a little season in the presence of those who loved and
honored and followed the Cromwell of the Republican party, Zachariah
Chandler. [Tremendous applause.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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