The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-10
Cen. shemon's Fourth-of-July Grafton.

An old.iashioned Fourth.oEJuly celebration
was held at a little place called Salem, IN
Southern Illinois. There were forty thousand
persons present, the largest gathering ever
known IN those parts; but what gave the scene
its greatest interest was speech by General
Sherman. His reception was enthusiastic. He
dWet upon the early history OF the country, the
causes OF the recent conflict, and entered into
defense OF his Atlanta campaign, He said:-
~ know that all the world over there are
parties that denounce me as being inhuman.
C1hat's sO'-'can't see n.O appeal to you to
say if have not always been kind and conside-
rate to you. ("Thats SOY l care not what they
isay. (That's right.O l care not what they
say, but say that it ceased to be our duty to
guard their cities any longer, and had gone on
stringing out our column, little by little, little
by httle some OF your Illinois regiments would
have never got back home and YOU would have
been crushed, Therefore | let go the whole
country; took one army myself ana gave my
friend George ii. Thomas one, and we whaled
Them both. (Great applause.)
'TherCl tore, IL Atlanta were destroyed, and
Columbia and Savannah, and all the cities of
the South had been destroyed, | say 1T would
have been right, because it was necessary to
produce the results in view. 1t aid produce the
result; and now, ladies, you see your young
friends returned to you; wives see their hus.
bands and all are reunited here in this hand
some grove in Illinois; and God knows [ hope
you may never go forth again; but II you are
called forth, / know you will respond quicker
than you did before, If possible (Cheers.>
GAS to the future, assure you have been all
over that part OF the country which is assigned
to me, and have never yet, during any part OF
my history, seen the country looking as pros
porous, the grain growing as well, the people as
well dressed, the houses as neatly furnished, the
tables as bountifully spread, and that, 100, away
out on the plains oil Kansas, where SIX years ago
it required an escort of two or three hundred
men 10 guard an officer going to pay off a garri
son; and now can go with single horse away
out OF the limits OF Kansas to Colorado without
an escort, and that, too, in the midst of long
and terrible war.
$50 say that we are progressing, we are all
pursuing one end, ard whether the polite ans
Statesmen will call them-the Judges and the
LAWYERS labor In the production of results | do
not much care, because l know it Will be done
anyhow. l say If the farmers and mechanics
business, the people of Missouri Will do the
same, and Iowa the same-Ihe same way ali
over the country-and the politicians aud the
lawyers will be compelled to adapt theur policy
to that end, ald that Is the true thing IN my
view to secure the prosperity OF our country.
''TheIeiore it is unnecessary tor me even to
refer to the position in which national affairs
affairs are placed though do not pretend to
comprehend or under stand them. 1t is not my
task. My task is to use the force that is placed
at my disposal to put down opposition to the
laws, quickly and forever. (Applause,) When
ever the United States Marshal comes TO me and
tells me that his laws and his power are resisted
and that he has not power enough to execute
those laws, II have soldiers will 90 and make
his laws ana DEGREES enforced; and, my friends
if that rule Is enforced throughout the land i
the laws otCongress are enforced wherever th
flag hoaTs, then are we in truth a nation,
naJion 70 al intents and purpo ses, at home anC
-, abroad. (Cheer5.p