Page:The World's Famous Orations Volume 10.djvu/122

 CONKLING

HIS SPEECH NOMINATING GRANT FOR A THIRD TERM^

(1880)

Born in 1829, died In 1888; elected to Ctongress in 1859, 1861 and 1865;

elected to the United StatbS Senate in 1867, serving until 1881, when

txe resigned in consequence of a dispute with President Qarfleld;

came to New York and began to practise law in 1882.

When asked whence comes our candidate, we say, from Appomattox.^ Obeying instructions I should never dare to disregard, expressing, also, my own firm conviction, I rise in behalf of the State of New York to propose a nomination with which the country and the Republican party can grandly win. The election before us will be the Austerlitz of American politics. It will de- cide whether for years to come the country will be ''Republican or Cossack." The need of the

' Delivered before the National Republican Convention on June 5, 1 880. and printed here by kind permission of Alfred R. Conkliug, autlior of "The Life and Letters of Roscoe Conkling."

^ There was cuTent at this time, among the supporters of Grant for a third term, a bit of campaign doggerel which usually ran as follows — lines which Conkling quoted before he began his speecil W an answer to the question: " What State f"

Our sole reply shall be: He hails from Apjomattox And ita famous apple tree.*"
 * Do you ask what State he hails f romT

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