The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-07-27

/ confess that | was one of the last
to see and feel that we were upon the
verge of civil war. / had heard it spo-
ken OF at Charleston. L had laughed
and joked over it at the mess table. l
had heard it talked about by politici-
ans. / had heard Gen. Scott say that
we might have war, but l could never
realize it until the Spring of 1860.
was in the City of New Orleans and at
Baton Rouge. Then for the first time
| began to see that all this talk meant
something-that it was not the mere
cry of wolf" wolf, which we had
heretofore predicted. And sure
enough it came upon us. | no more
dreamed of it three years before than
you dream of civil war now; and what
has been the issue You all know it.
1t has been short war to the world
at large, but long enough it looked to
us during those dark days of its early
and middle period. Now feel almost
as though was sweeping aside sim
pie veil when / speak of three years
ago. But that is now in the pas.
History takes charge of it. You
will see that in the progress of the war
able men rose up one by one until its
close. You may consider, young men,
what were the characters of those men
whom the war developed. Just such
as yours are. Look at General Grant
- great applause "a modest, plain,
bold, brave, unhinching gentleman,
with the simple idea of doing what is
right, and letting no man turn him
aside from it renewed applause.
Look at George Thomas. A more
modest gentleman exists not ON earth
applause, Were he present, you
could not get him to stand up here,
Phil. Sheridan would infinitely rather,
sabre in hand, ride down the rebel
lines than enter this room. Laugh
ter. Gen. Meade is gentleman aud
an accomplished scholar | think he
would fill this place far better than l
can.
Thus you see that in military life
men have risen to the highest emin-
ence, and stand there now. who not
only are not, but do not pretend to be,
more than you may become. From
this | wish you to derive the simple
lesson-and it is a better lesson, / be-
lieve, than you can learn from these
hand-books-that any young man of
honesty of purpose and ordinary intel
lect can master every problem of life
that is brought before him, if he goes
at it with the purpose and determine
ton to master it. There is no doubt
that great intellectual powers are re-
quired to become eminent on the
bench, at the bar or among the literati;
but for the simple business Of life, to
manage marching, to carry on the bust
ness of the merchant, or the farmer, or
to follow any of those occupations
which engage the energies of the great
mass of the people, only an honest
heart and steadiness of purpose are
required.
At any rate, in the military profess
ion, on which SO many honors are now
showered, only nerve and courage, and
that faith in the flag which wins, and
wins always, are necessary. Loud
applause don't intend to occupy
any more of your time, because | have
seen gentlemen and ladies standing
here patiently for five hours, and L
know they wish to go home. / know
you will say amen to the few words l
have said to these young men, and
give them a hearty and cheerful word
as they leave your little village of Han
over, and strike out into that world
which is not so dark world, nor so
full.of bad people as young men some
times think. There are a great many
good people in the world. BY and by
you too will be running after the dol
lar and those things which other men
seek, for you are very much like other
men, and it is well that you are. You
and all men are pretty much as God
Almighty designed you should be.
Laughter and applause / wish you,
gentlemen, a happy passage on the sea
of life; and bid you farewell.
General Sherman took his seat amid
tumultuous applause.