The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-07-01

general was to blame. 1t was his fault,
for he did the work and sent them home
TO be citizens again. They were there
to-day because of his skill, and, in all
that assembly, there were none so glad
to see him as the boys in blue.
GENERAL SHERMAN's SPEECH.
General Sherman being received with
three cheers) replied as follows:
FRIENDS OF MY BoYHooD: I thank
you for this most hearty welcome. am
especially thankful for the kind words
of the tried and valued friend of my
family, Mr.. Hunter, and for the warmth
with which Colonel Council and the
soldiers have received me. With the
latter can deal in very few words, for
they know that with us words are few,
and mean much, and that when the
time comes again, We will go where the
stars and stripes lead, without asking
many questions. (Cheers.) My old
friends and neighbors, knew your faith
ers before you better than yourselves; for
it is near thirty years since left here a
boy, and now, in full manhood, I find
myself among you, with a name connect
edwith the history of our country. During
the past four years my mind has been SO
intent upon but one thing-the success of
our arms-that have thOughto nothing
else. claim no special honor, only to
have done full mans share; for when
ones country is in danger, the man who
will not defend it, and sustain 1t with
his natural strength, is no man at all.
(Cheers,) For this 1 claim no special
merit, for I have done simply what all
the boys in blue have done. l have only
labored with the strength Of single
man, and have used the brains inherit
ed and the education given by my coun-
try. The war throughWhich we have
just passed has covered wide area of
country, and imposed upon us task
which, like vast piece of machinery,
required many parts, all of which were
equally important to the working of the
whole. Providence assigned me my
part, and, If / have done it, am well
satisfied. The past is now with the his
torian, but we must still grapple with
the future. In this we need guide,
and, fortunately for us all, we can trust
the Constitution which has safely brought
us through the gloom and danger of
the past. Let each State take care of
its own local interests and affairs, Ohio
of hers, Louisiana of hers, Wisconsin
of hers, and l believe the best re-
suits will follow. You all know we'll
that I have lived much at the South,
and 1 say that though we have been bit
ter and fierce enemies in war, we must
trust this people again in peace. The
bad men among them will separate from
those who ask for order and peace, and
when the people do thus separate, we
can encourage the good, and, if need be,
we can cut the head of the bad off at one
blow. Let the present take care of the
present, and with the faith inspired by
the past, we can trust the future to the
future The Government of the United
States and the Constitution of our
fathers have proven their strength and
power in time of war, and we can safely
trust them now in peace, and I believe
our whole country will be even more
brilliant in the vast and unknown
future than in the past. u
Fellow-soldiers and neighbors, again I
thank you. do not wish you to con-
slider this a speech at all, for do not
profess to be man of words. prefer to
see you separately, at your leisure in
social way. ! shall be with you for some
days, and shall be pleased to have you
call in whenever you feel like it, in the
old familiar way, without any of the for.
mality and reserve which were proper
enough in the midst of armies. -