r:
Grant, Sherman, Rosecrans, McPherson.

"Gentlemen, we have not formed our society from a desire to culture
state pride in any spirit of divided allegiance. No, no! There
has been far too much of that in the past, and can't be too little
in the future. We are first Americans--then Buckeyes. The blessings
and misfortunes of our sister states are ours as well as theirs.
The love of our own state and pride in her history spring largely
from the fact that she and her institutions, in birth and growth,
are purely American. She is the oldest and, so far, the best
developed of all the typically American states. Neither Roundhead
nor Cavalier stood sponsor at her cradle. She never wore the collar
of colonial subserviency. Her churches and colleges are not endowed
of King Charles or Queen Anne. Her lands are not held by grant or
prescription under the Duke of York, Lord Fairfax or Lord Baltimore,
but by patents under the seal of the young republic and the hand
of George Washington, whose name will continue to be loved and
honored throughout the world long after the memory of the last king
and peer of Great Britain shall have sunk in oblivion.

"The early generation of her sons were not reared amid distinctions
of wealth and rank and class, but in the primeval forest and prairie,
where all stood equal and had no aid to eminence but strenuous
efforts; where recollections of the sufferings and sacrifices of
Revolutionary sires became inspirations of patriotism in their
sons; and where nature threw around all her pure, loving and
benignant influences to make them strong and great.

"Gentlemen, I now have the pleasure to present to you a typical
Buckeye--the architect of his own fame and fortune--who stands
below only one man in the republic in official station, and below
none in the respect of his countrymen--John Sherman."

As General Ewing closed, there was a tumultuous scene. There were
repeated cheers, and Colonel W. L. Strong called for three cheers
in my honor, which were given. When I could be heard, I spoke as
follows:

"Mr. President, Brethren All:--I give you my grateful thanks for
this greeting. If you receive every Buckeye from Ohio in this
manner, you will have the hordes of Ararat here among you. Such
a reception as this, I think, would bring every boy from every farm
in the State of Ohio, and what would become of New York then? You
have gathered the sons of Ohio, and those who have been identifi