The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-10-14
A Speech by President Grant.

Iowa, OF the Society OF the Army of the
Tennessee, loud calls were made for
President Grant. Alter i few humorous
remarks in referenceto the calls for him
self and Gen. Sherman, iii which he said
ithad been customary at the reunions Of this
army to call upon him just because he al
ways made the shortest speech, the Presi.
dent said he had concluded to disappoint
them this time, and he had, therefore, jotted
down what he wished to say, when he
read as follows:
CoMRADEs-It always affords me
much qualification to meet my comrades
in arms of ten and fourteen years ago, ia
tell over again the trials and hardships OF
those days-hardships imposed for the
preservation and perpetuation of our free
institutions. We believed then, and we be.
lieve now, that we have Government
worth fighting for and, if need be,
dying for. How many of our com.
rades paid the latter price for our
preserved Union! Let their heroism
and sacrifice be ever green in our
memory; let not the results of their sac
rifice be destroyed. The Union and the
free institutions for which they fell should
be held more dear for their sacrifices.
We will not deny to any of those who
fought against US any privilege under the
Government which we claim for our
selves. On the contrary, we welcome all
such who come forward in good faith to
help build up the waste places and to per-
petuate our institutions against all enc
mics as brothers in full interest with us
in common heritage; but we are not
prepared to apologize for the part we
took in the war. 1t is to be hoped that
f1, II f,sSo 1c mil
country. In their settlement no class of
people can more heartily join than the
soldier who submitted to the dangers,
trials and hardships of the camp and the
battle field, on whichever side he may
more interested in guarding against a
recurrence of those days. Let us, then,
begin by guarding against every enemy
to the prosperity Of free republican insti.
tutions.
Il do not bring into this assemblage
politics, certainly not partisan politics
but it is fair subject for the soldiers in
their deliberations to consider what may
be necessary to secure the prize fol
which they battled. In a Republic like
ours, where the citizen is the sovereign and
the official the servant, where no power is
exercised save by the will of the people, il
is important that the sovereign people
should foster education and promote that
intelligence which is to preserve us as a
free nation. If we are to have another
contest in the near future of our national
existence, predict that the dividing line
will not be Mason and Dixon's, but be-
tween patriotism and intelligence on the
one side, and superstition, ambition and
ignorance on the other.
"Now, the centennial year of our ma
tional existence, I believe is good time
to begin the work of strengthening the
foundations of the structure com.
mcnced by our patriotic forefathers 100
years ago at Lexington. Let us all
labor to add all needful guarantees for
the greater security of free thought, free
speech, free press, pure morals, unfet-
tered religious sentiments, and of equal
rights and privileges to all men, prospect
i've of nationality, color, or religion; en-
courage free schools and resolve that not
one dollar of money appropriated to their
support shall be appropriated to the sup
port of any sectarian school; resolve that
neither the State nor the nation, nor both
combined, shall support institutions OF
learning other than those sufficient to af
ford to every child growing up in the
land the opportunity of good common.
school education, unmixed with sectarian
pagan or atheistical. Leave the matter OF
religion to the family altar, the church.
and the private school supported entirely
! by private contributions, and keep the
church and the State forever separate
With, these>safeguards l believe; the battles
whichSEpated the Army of the Tennessee
will not have hhen- fought in vain