And State Papers 209 



We are one people absolutely. The memories of 

 the Civil War are now heritages of honor alike for 

 those whose fathers wore the blue and for those 

 whose fathers wore the gray. There is one curi 

 ous and not inappropriate coincidence to-day my 

 mother's brother served under Mrs. Wright's father 

 in the Confederate Navy. I am proud of his valor ; 

 and I can say this freely, for if I had been old 

 enough I would myself have surely worn the blue 

 uniform. 



I come here to-day to greet General Wright be 

 cause it has been given to him to render a peculiar 

 service to the whole country. A man can render 

 service of the very highest character at home, but 

 owing to the very nature of our system of govern 

 ment, he must, in his election at least, represent par 

 ticularly a given party. I say in his election at least, 

 for after election, if he is worth anything, he must 

 be a representative of the whole country. But there 

 are certain branches of the public service in which if 

 we are wise and far-seeing we will never allow par 

 tisan politics to enter. There must be no partisan 

 politics in the army or the navy of the United States. 

 All that concerns us to know about any general or 

 admiral, about a mighty captain by sea or by land, 

 is whether he is a thoroughly fit commander of men 

 and loyal to the country as a whole. In the same 

 way if we are wise, if we care for our reputation 

 abroad, if we are sensitive of our honor at home, we 

 will allow no question of partisan politics ever to 

 enter into the administration of the great islands 



