The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-10-06


rendered by the leading citizens of GAINESVILLE
to Major General Sherman. came off this even.
inglat the Hyatt House.
GIN. sHERMAH's SPEECH.
Gxx1nKz-I can hardly express how seu-
sible am Of tho kindness manifested BY your
Governor and by yourselves, since I have
reached your town Of Janesville, or to flank
movement catching mo here. You are always
welcome to catch me at Q supper party by O
flank or any other kind of movement ZAP
plause. Were it not for the fact that though
9 soldier am sometimes expected to speak,
would not be unwilling to be out-danked in
reason why object to it, and that is that our
words, uttered for the purposes Of conviviality,
are published to the world. These words are
sometimes tortured to mean what was never
intended, and by omiseious noted and commits
stons exaggerated are rendered very different
from what we would wish tonight. hope
you will excuse me, although you could not
be drawn into discussion Of any subject in
which l have any influence now, for look
upon my task In life as done. I do not expect
war to arise In which can take part; and
as to politics, on which we all talk 60 much
and know 80 little llaugnterl. would cheer
fully leave them to men such as now sit In
my presence. 1t would be Is much ont
of place for me to discuss politics in their
religion in the presence of its priests But
there Is one subject on which I viii speak q
few words to this body, and that is our past
history. Rome could not point to such q his
tory. Greece could not boast of It, nor could
Italy. nor even England. The beginning of
our history was poetic, and as we look back
upon such names as Lasalle and Hennepin, We
trace the history OF our country from its dis
covery until the time that our forefathers
formed the government, with ell of which you
are more familiar than am but I simply
point to Its beautiful workings. They formed
q union Of States, each supposed TO be State
within the Union, compact and strongly bound
together with bonds Of love-silken bonds.
But this war has come and taught as these
bonds were not strong enough, and we have
forged them of steel, and now we have the
Union again which our fathers gave US, In let
ter. spirit and purpose, save that the bonds for.
merly uniting us have been strengthened by not
Q new compact, but new sanctions. Our new
Union is the same to day as that of 81, its new
sanctions properly acquired and its character
the same. and when Congress gives addition.
al sanctions, l would fight for them just as
strongly as do for the present. Applause. |
Never should o soldier, or o man who claims
to be one, set up his opinion in the face of the
constituted authorities. / refer to the past
history OF the predecessor of Gen. Grant and
myself to show we loved peace, but we en-
forced it BY law, and all we have asked or ever
will ask Is, tell us what is the law-what is the
Constitution-and we will obey it or die. ZAP
plause. That is politics enough for me and it
is all l ever want to learn, ana if politics lead
me far from that, will go to some other
country, for look on this as the Republic OF
law, and we should reverence and bow down
before its majesty as the citizens of" other
lands do their sovereign. There is no merit,
however, in obeying the law we love, but
there is in obeying that we do not love, and l
obey with the same respect the law do not
love, and claim the more respect for it. Zap
plause.
beg these gentlemen to remember that
when the laws of Congress have been declared
thus an 50. viii enforce them by my own
physical strength and that of every arm the
government places subject to my command.
Again thanking you for your kind welcome
hope many and many time to be outfanked
by You in any of your towns in Wisconsin.
[ARplaase.I
in accordance with the programme already
given.