The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1866-03-01
Speech of the President.

YELLOW CITIZENS, for presume nave
Alright to address you as such: l come to
tender to you my sincere thanks for the
tee in their personal addresses, and in the
resolution submitted by them rs having
been held in this city to-day.
These resolutions, as understand them,
are complimentary to the policy which
has been adopted by the Administration,
and has been steadily pursued since it
came into power. am free to say to you
OH this occasion that it is extremely graft
flying to me to know that so large portion
. OF my fellow citizens approve and indorse
the policy which has been adopted, and
which it is my intention shall be carried
out. [Great applause.l That policy is one
which is intended to restore all the States
TO their original relations to the Federal
Government of the United States. tltenew-
cd appiause.] This seems to be n day pc
culiarly appropriate for such manifesto
lion; 1t Is the day that gave birth to that
man who, more perhaps than any other,
founded this Government; il is the day
that gave birth to The father Of our coun-
try; it is tn, day that gave birth TO him who
presided over that body which formed the
Constitution under which all the States
entered into this glorious coDfederacy.-
Such & day is peculiarly appropriate for
the endorsement of Il policy whose object
Is the restoration of the Union of the States
as it was designed by the father of his
country. [Applause.l Washington, whose
name this city bears, is eASalmed in the
hearts of all who love free government
Washington, in the language of his ealo-
gist, was first i'm war, first in peace, and
first in the hearts of his couutrymen. No
people can claim him. No nation can APP
proprate him. His reputation is coriinen-
snrate with the civilized world, and his
name Is the common property ofail those
who love free government. To-day l had
the pleasure Of visiting an association who
have been devoting their efforts to the
completion of the monument which is be-
Ing erected to his name. was proud to
meet them, and, so far as I could, to give
them my influence and countenance in aid
OF the work they have undertaken. That
monument which is being erected to him
who, L may say, founded the Government,
is almost within the throw Of a
stone of the spot from which l addresses
you. Let it be completed. [Applause.l
Let those various blocks which the States.
and individuals, and associations, and cor
poratioGs have put in that monument, as
pledges of their love for this Union, lie
preserved: aud let the work be accom-
plished. In this connection let me refer to
the block from my own State-God bless
her Applause which has struggled for
the preservation of this Union in the field
and in the councils of the nation; and
which is now struggling TO renew her re-
lations with this Government That were in
ferrupted by Il fearful rebellion. She is
now struggling to renew those relations,
and to take her stand where she had ever
stoed since 1896, until this rebellion broke
out. [Great applause.] Let me repeat the
sel,tillseHt that that State has Inscribed up
on the stone which she has deposited in
that lpOpument of treenom which is being
raised in eommemor atiop of Washington.
She is struggling to get beck into tho I'm
on, and tn stand by The sentiment which
twas enunoIated by her distinguished son,
the immortal, the illustrious Jackson
The ,fcd"ral Union: itmust be preserv-
eu. Ai.al appiaa.e