Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-11-19

sneacn ocf,eneral Sherman.

General Sherman delivered speech at st.
LOUIS on the l3sh instant, to the officers OF
the Army of Tennessee The part If his speech
which alludes to the condition Of the South, Is
as follows:
II have often been asked by my fellow so'di-
ers, when troubled by the reports OF the dis
turbcd condition of things at the South, whether
after all, our labors had not been 10 valel
Whether we might. not again becalled on 10
reneat the scenes Of 1863 and 1851 Or
whether the Rebels, defeated in battle, might
not in the hurry. bury Of time and politics regain
their "lost cause" and their lost pride! On
these points T feel no great solleltude' but
whether I can convey to your minds the same
conviction will not say History rarely goes
backward, and events in the past are usually
as real as the granite rock on which we stano.
Surely, no men ever had more glorious cause
than We And never, 10 my Judgment, dld
var 40 completely fulfil its natural Office. When
we laid down our arms and each man returned
to his chosen vocation, not an armed Eebet
remained to question the rational authority,
and if perfect subcrdina ION aud tranquility
have not resulted, we must look for the cause
| in the nature of things or in the civil admins
tration of our Government. The former lies
within nv province, but the latter is not alr
tonic of discussion for the soldier. who is sworn
to obey the laws of his country, duly enacted,
| and the orders of his superiors. That questions
| of great interest should have resulted from our
war was to be expected, such as concern the
rights of States, and the rights OF citizen;
| therein On these questions you, who were
formerly officers aud soldiers, but are no"
citizens, should form and express your opinions
| as freemen, unbiased by the clamor OF the
hour, and should leave to others an equal right,
| bearing in mind that there is room Tor douht,
and that men may differ, and differ widely,
| and yet be honest; but when conclusion Is
once arrived at by due course of law the sub
iect is no longer an open question for discus
| sion, but should be submitted to, simply be.
cause it is the law of the land Each and
every one of you can recall periods Of your OWL
| history when you supposed those IN authority
were acting wrong; but by patient, silent dis
charge OF your own clearly defined duty, you
saw these doubts and contuslOns clear away
| like mist cloud and reveal to you the truth
| triumphant So will it be 10 your CT vii cxpe
rience, when a similar acqulescence IN events
will produce the same results. W.
Near the conclusion of his speech, alter de
scribing the future destiny of the country, he
| remarks:
'Ifour friends at the South will heartily
| and cheeIfully join with us III thisfuu"e course
| I, for one, would welcome them back, GU
equals, but not our supporters, and lend them ;
helping hand But if, like spoiled children
they will cling to the dead past ard shut thel
| eyes to the coming future, would only cal
| their attention to that wave of emigration tina
has swept over our land from the ATLANTIC 'e
the Pacific and must soon turn back and TOW
South They may oppose: but their oppcsl
ton " i'll be as vain as it was for them TO try
and stop the Army Of the Tennessee, which
swept the length and breadth oil t heir land
! The next war Of Northern INVASION will no
| desoate their land, but will fructfy and regen
| crate it, And now, in conclusion. my friends
will say that since the war closed, nothing ha!
given me more satisfaction than to see tho
spirit you have all manifested since you cas-
aside the soldiers garb.