The Portland daily press., 1872-08-28
Gen. Burnside was then introduced to the au
dence He spoke as follows:

dience He spoke as follows:
SPEECH OF GEN. A. f. BURNSIDE.
After referring in high terms of praise to the
services of Maine soldiers in the late war, Gen,
Burnside said:
CoMRADEs:-It is but few short years since
you returned from the field threw aside your
uniforms and arms, and again entered upon
peaceful pursuits. AT that time you represent
ed well nigh million of men. You have glad
ly allowed yourselves to be absorbed in the
peaceful enterprises which are rapidly carrying
our dear country to the extreme advance in the
race of the civilized nations of the world. Dur
ing the war and at its close carpers predicted
that you could not be disbanded without Great
ing discord and anarchy; that your education
and experience as soldiers in the field would I'M
fit you for civil pursuits; that you would be
idle and vicious, and quite unfit to again enter
upon the industrial pursuits which you left
when our country was in danger, and when you
flew to arms in order to restore it, Little did
those carpers know of the spirit of loyalty that
moved you to leave your firesides and your fam
lilies, to bare your breasts that our nation might
live. You returned to your homes and became
peaceful, industrious citizens; and venture to
say that no intelligent person in our land will
hesitate to say, that as body, the soldiers and
sailors Of the Union army and navy are good,
intelligent, law-abiding citizens. 1t is neither
strange or unreasonable, my comrades, in view
of these facts, that you should feel a deep in
terest in all that concerns the welfare Of our
country. Every political agitation of import
ance, especially if there is danger that the
great statue of universal liberty which the
loyal people erected may be marred, must be of
great interest to you. You do right in claiming
the privilege of meeting together in peaceful
manner, and expressing your opinions, and us
ing your best efforts to gather the fruits of the
great victory which was won by loyalty, with
you as champions over treason and rebellion.
field and upon the ocean, are now carping be-
cause you chose to meet together as comrades
to decide upon the course you will pursue in the
present political contest. Some of them have
concluded to say that there is no objection to
soldiers assembling together to talk over their
with view to political action. In answer to
this let it be said that soldiers and sailors seek
not to form political party, neither do they
seek to influence political party, but they do
seek to ally themselves with that political party
which is striving to carry out and perpetuate
the great principles for which the Union army
and navy fought upon land and sea. At this
point allow me to make some remarks personal
to myself. When l speak of soldiers and sail
ors, L refer to the main body of them. That
they should all think alike is impossible and
for myself | am free to grant that some of our
comrades differ with us. In view of the fact
that am the commander of the G. A. r., my
action with reference to the call for the Pitts
burg Convention has been criticised by very
few of our comrades of the Grand Army. The
only criticism l have seen in print was from the
pen of one of myipersonal friends in Rhode Is
land
have not answered it because of the con-
viction that within short time he will discover
that my action was quite proper. Whilst in
attendance at the Philadelphia Convention a
meeting of the soldiers and sailors then present
was called, and L was asked to preside. AT
that meeting a committee was formed to call Il
meeting of soldiers and sailors and l was
named as chairman. The same meeting voted
unanimously to sustain the Philadelphia nomi
nations. The members of the general commit
tee, who were then in Philadelphia, met and
named Pittsburg as the place of meeting, and
appointed sub committee to draft and pub
lish an address. The sub committee performed
its duty, and in the address invited all the sol
diers and sailors to join them in the support of
the Philadelphia nominations. 1t was known
that the invitation would be accepted by nearly
all the men who had fought for the suppression
of the rebellion, but some were expected to de-
cline. Now my position as Commander of the
Grand Army of the Republic does not deprive
me of the right to act with any political party
| choose, so long as that party is composed of
and led by men who were loyal to their country
during the late war; neither does it deprive me
of the privilege of joining other comrades in
inviting all soldiers and sailors to aid in plac
ing in the Presidential chair a man who fought
for his country from the beginning to the end
of the war, and never for one moment faltered
in his determination that the rebellion must be
crushed and the Union saved, rather than to
place in it a man who had distinctly stated that
we had no right to save the Union by coercion,
but when the war began urged on the raw levies
to battle in the most vindictive manner, and
when dark and dreary days came catered to
rebels and cried for peace and compromise with
our Union Observed, slavery maintained and
our arms disgraced.
= ha To Is 10
wonder that single Union soldier or sailor in
this broad land is willing to cast his vote for
Mr. Greeley in the coming contest; and it is
equally strange that single Confederate SOL
der is willing to support him. Contrast for
moment the course pursued towards them by
Gen. Grant and Mr. Greeley. Gen. Grant was
quietly at home attending to his business,
whilst the leaders of the South were firing the
hearts of their people, teaching them treason,
and in their diabolical work they were aided by
Mr.. Greeley, who was advocating the doctrine
that the Southern States had right to secede.
After the war began Gen. Grant was an open
consistent and persistent enemy in the field
never for moment holding out false hopes to
the enemy, but in the hour of victory most
magnanimous even to the extent of saying to
the highest officials of the Government when
severe measures were in contemplation with
reference to Gen. Lee and some of his officers,
that he had paroled Gen. Lees army, and the
honor of the nation demanded that they should
not be disturbed so long as the parole was kept.
Mr.. Greeley oN the other hand met the con-
federate agents in Canada and held out hopes
of peace upon conditions which never could
have been accepted by the loyal people of the
country, and gave their agents the impression
that our people were tired of carrying on the
lion. And not only did he create these false
hopes, much to the harm of the South and the
whole country, because it encouraged useless
resistance, but he expressed that the soldiers of
the rebel army might return with shattered
fortunes to ruined desolated homes and fire.
sides. Comrades, did you ever know a Union
soldier to express such a wish-did you ever
feel so vindictive towards your enemy, even in
the heat of battle. l am sure you never did. |
was reported AS having said at a political meet
ing in New York few evenings since that since
the war L had not given my support
who was not true to his country during the war
This report was incorrect. l did say that
had not supported politically any man who was
not true to the country during the war. 1t is
not proper for me to say what my personal re-
lations with confederate soldiers since the war
have been or what aid L have given
them, but L will say that my expe-
rience has shown me that the
Union soldiers, as body, have been ready to
aid their former enemies in all lawful indus
trial pursuits whenever it was in their power.
But as the rulers of this great country, COM
rades, let us for few years longer insist upon
supporting men who never for a moment falter-
ed in the belief that our cause during the late
war was just one; that God would give us the
victory if we were only true to ourselves and
our country, and that the nation saved would
promise to be bright and shining light to all
people seeking self-government and universal
liberty. Such men are U. S. Grant and Henry
Wilson. will not detain you comrades by dis
cussing the triumph of General Grants course
as the civil magistrate of the nation. You
know of them as well as l. You know that he
has seen that the revenue has been honestly
collected, thus creating surplus fund which
has enabled us to rapidly reduce the public
debt, and at the same time reduce our taxes
You know that he, as General of the army, and
President of the United States, has recommend
ed and carried out the reduction of the army tC
peace footing, and established as far as pos
sible peaceful relations with the Indians You
know that he has preserved peaceful relation;
with the whole civilized world and this in face
of the opposition of carpng malcontents, wht
have early and late abused and misrepresenteC
him with a view to driving him from his posi-
ton, even at the expense of breaking off
friendly arbitration with nation to which W,
are allied by kindred, language, education anc
all else that tends to the advancement of civil
ization, and constitutional government
Little do these malcontents know of war il
the field, otherwise they would hesitate befor
casting obstacles in the way of a peaceful, hon
orable negotiation, simply to secure their owl
personal hate. You know that Gen. Grant ha
been firm friend to amnesty and has Away
used his influence to have wise and just law
| passed bearing upon that subject, and now, wit
| the exception of few hundred persons, ever
| soldier and citizen enjoys the same rights an,
| privileges that you enjoy and the few exceI
tions can enjoy the same by taking the oath q
| 4 ~