The Portland daily press., 1862-09-25
Speech of Gen. Sherman at Memphis.

On a recent occasion in Memphis, Tenn,
Gen. w. 7. Sherman, the Military Command
ant of that place, made speech before pub
lac meeting in which he indulged in some plain
talk on the living political issues involved in
the struggle in which our country is now en-
gagged. He took the bull of slavery by the
horns, and bearded the lion in his own chosen
den. He disclaiIned any purpose on the part of
the North to subjugate the South, and suppos-
ed the South did not think it could subjugate
the North. He was for perfect equality be-
tween the sections, making the ballot-box the
ultimate court of appeal. If the slave inter-
est railway interest, or any other special in
terest governed the country, it would be
tyranny. We quote the following extracts
from full report of his speech:
He regretted that the slave question could
not be approached calmly, that people lost
their discretion and good sense when this sub
ject came into discussion; for his part, he only
protested against a special interest being made
the basis of legislative policy, whether it was
the bank interest or the slave interest. Nature
had made this country one, and intended her
people to be one, and the people should set
their foot on all sectional legislation. They
should put stop to any attempt to prevent
the people of one State or city trading or trav-
eling in another. The Mississippi belongs
not to Louisiana or Illinois, but to the North
American continent, and it must be opened to
all. SO the Atlantic belongs to no especial
people: Gods wind blows North and South
without favor, and has no favor for the people
of any particular nation. So the harbor of
Charleston is not the property of the people of
that city; they did not make drop of water
in it. nor shape its conflguration; it belongs to
the wide commerce of the whole country.
In attempting to destroy the government of
the United States the people of the South are
destroying their own rights. Their right to
property, to local government, to the wide lib
critics they enjoy, depends upon the supremacy
Of that flag, call it gridiron or what you will.
Many seem to think because the rebels have
met with some success in Kentucky, that the
North will be subdued. Vain thought! 1t
will wake up the northern spirit and proong
the contest. The North will not be conquered.
1t has been slow to see the vastness of the
struggle in which the nation is engaged; it
hates to leave the pursuits of commerce and
quit the plough and the harvest field; but let
1t only know that such an abandonment is ne
cessary, and its millions will come swarming
from the plough, the shop and the counting
room, until victory is theirs and the old flag
once more waves over the broad lands that
rightly belong to its empire
What does this war mean? mere independ-
ance To the South? That is not all; the lead
ers mean power for them, predominance to the
slave power, an injury to the liberty of the
masses. 1t is an attempt to give one interest
-slavery-the predominance over all others.
1t is an oligarchy they want. and the North
cannot permit such kind of government to
exist side by side with her free republic If an
agreement for separation was made, and such
government well established beside their free
one, the Gerry signers Of that agreement ,rouid
seize arms TO put an end to such gorern-
ment, before the ink ,rds dry ,UiM erhich the
agreement tods signed. The struggle must be
fought ont noW. II is useless 10 dream of
peace tchich tcoutd cut this country in ttco-
such thing cannot be done.