Ovation to Lieutenant General Grant at the Cooper Institute, New York, on the evening of June 7 – Grant saluting the audience Digital ID: (b&w film copy neg.) cph 3c28383 (http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3c28383) Reproduction Number: LC-USZ62-128383 (b&w film copy neg.) Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA; Illus. in: Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, v. 20, no. 508 (1865 June 24), p. 209.
People of New York idolized Lt. Gen. U. S. Grant. They gave Grant and his family a home. On June 7, 1865, he spoke at Cooper Union and got a rousing ovation in return.
In the spring of 1865, Grant made an appearance at Cooper Union in New York; the New York Times described the reception for the war hero: “…the enhanced and bewildered multitude trembled with extraordinary delight.”[3]
Looking for details on that speech. Holler if you have some.
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 
Great find, Mr. Higginbotham! Thank you.
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GRANT’s RECEPTION.
At this moment a stir was made near the side entrance, and instinctively the vast assemblage knew that their man had come. Sure enough, as the band struck up “Hail to the Chief,” Gen. GRANT, supported by Mr. OLIVER, and followed by the members of his Staff, appeared. Walking along to the platform he was made the recipient of an oration such as no man ever had before. As one man the people rose; the men swung their hats, clapped their hands, and shouted themselves red in the face; the ladies waved their handkerchiefs, wreated their fair faces in witching smiles, and fairly glared at the hero of the occasion. The assemblage was GRANT to the core. Such cheers are never heard outside of this city, such enthusiasm even Cooper Institute knew nothing of before. Embarrassed, the Genera advanced to the very front of the platform, where, hat in hand, he bowed and bowed, acknowledging his appreciation of the compliment paid him, as he only could. Sitting at length, in a chair, he attempted to converse with Mr. GRINNELL, a lady threw a bouquet at him with fatal precision — it broke into its component parts upon the nose of the Lieutenant-General. Another lady threw a second bouquet — it struck Mr. GRINNELL who picked it up and handed it to the General. “Let us see you!” shouted a host of voices. Obedient to the call of the people, he rose and walked to the further end of the platform, while every step was a signal for an outburst of applause — a perfect triumph of enthusiastic hurrahing. But they were not to be put off so. A speech they wanted, and a speech they determined to have. The persuasions of Gen. WETMORE were added to the entreaties of Mr. GRINNELL, and these enforced and indorsed by the husky roarings of the shouting populace, secured the desired result. Rising, with hat in hand, the General advanced to the edge of the platform and spoke a few brief words of thanks for this reception.
Had the general uttered weighty words of wisdom-had he announced his confirmed intention of giving to each person in the audience a large farm with modern implements, had he told them that their sins were forgiven “on the spot,” the people could not have been more delighted, nor could they have been more excited. The American vocabulary is inadequate for the occasion; words would fail to convey a just conception of the scene which ensued. The hall was too densely crowded to permit of the turning of summersaults, but from head to foot, from limb to limb, the entranced and bewildered multitude trembled with extraordinary delight, and manifested, in all known and approved methods, their entire satisfaction with the foregoing “speech.”
The General, who conducted himself throughout the entire affair with marked dignity and characteristic modesty, was greatly embarrassed. It was impossible for any one to speak, and no one appreciated the delicacy of his position more than himself, and be repeatedly said he thought it would be better for him to go.
Mr. DICKINSON contined with the remark that nothing but the spirit of slavery could have been so atrocious as the onimus of the late rebellion. The stringest anathemas had failed to satisfy ideas of the enormity with which it deserved to be characterized. Whenever he thought of its unparalld criminality he felt like quoting: “Out vile spot! Take any other shape but that.” [Applause.] He expressed great confidence in JOHNSON as the man for the times; as a true democrat and a man of good nerve. Let all then come together from the north, the south, the east and the west and support his administration. What should be the punishment of the leaders of the rebellion? He would not attempt to say. Let the weeping widows, the orphaned children, the spilt blood enriching the soil of our country, answer in tones which would not be mistaken. [Applause.]
Continued cries for GRANT, from those who had not obtained a fair opportunity of seeing the General, disturbed the speaker to such an extent that the Chairmad was again induced to lead him forward and along the edge of the platform, in view of the audience, the latter uttering deafening shouts of acclamation.
The Chairman then announced that Gen. GRANT would now have to be excused for the evening, as he was to go to the Union Club House. He left the house amidst another burst of three hearty cheers.
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You are on so many social media sites! I will have to check some of them out. I don’t even tweet.
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