The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-10-22
TIE pr ESIDEN RS SPEECH:

THE PR ESIOEN1"SS SPEECH
The report Of President Grants
speech at the Army of the Tennessee
meeting at Des Moines, Iowa, was sadly
murdered On it's way to the press. Be-
low is a more full, and Il more correct
report:
CoMRADEs-It always affords me
much qualification to meet my COM
rades in arms 10 and IA years ago, and
to tell over again, in memory, the trials
and hardships Of those days hardships
imposed for the preservation and per-
petuation Of our free Institutions. We
believed then, and we believe now, that
we have 4 government worth fighting
for, and, il need be, dying for. How
many of our comrades 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 sacrifices he destroyed. The
Union and the free institutions, for
which they died, should he held more
dear for their sacrifices.
We will not deny to any. one of those
who fought against us amy privilege un-
der the government which we claim for
ourselves. On the contrary, we well
come I'LL such who come forward in
good faith to help build up the waste
places, and to perpetuate our institu-
tons against all enemies, as brothers III
full interest with us III Il common heri-
tage. But we are not prepared to apol-
ogize for the part we took i'll the war.
It is to he hoped that like trials will
never again bcfall our country. In this
sentiment no class of people can more
heartily join than the soldiers, who
submitted to the dangers, trials and
hardships of the camp and the BATTLE
field, OH whichever side he may have
fought. No class of people are more
interested i'll guarding against 4 recur-
renee OF those days.
Let us then begin by guarding against
every enemy threatening the prosperity
OF free republican institutions. do
not bring into this assemblage politics;
certainly not partizan politics; but it is
a fair subject for the soldiers, in their
deliberations, to consider what may lie
necessary to secure the prize for which
they battled. In Il republic like ours,
where the cit;Z. III is the sovereign and
the official the servant, where no power
is exercised except by the will of the
people, it is important that the sover.
eign, the people, should foster intelli-
gence-that intelligence which is to
preserve us IS free nation. II we are
to have another contest in the near FIJI.
ture of our national existence, Ipredict
that the dividing line will not be Mason
and Dixon's, but between patriotism
and intelligence on the one side, and
superstition, ambition and ignorance
OH the other. Now III the centennial
year of our national existence, believe
is a good time to begin the work OF
strengthening the foundations of the
structure commenced Ivy our patriotic
fOrefathers, 100 years ago ut Lexington
Let us all labor to add all needful guar
antees for the security Of free thought
| free speech, Il free press, pure morals
unfettered religious sentiments, and OF
exual rights and privileges to all men,
irrespective of nationality, color OF
religion. Encourage free schools. and
resolve that not one dollar of money
appropriated to their support shall be
appropriated to the support OF any sect
arian schools resolve that neither the
State nor Nation, nor both combined
shall support institutions of learning
other than those sufficient to afford t
every child growing up in the land the
opportunity Of Il good common schoo
education, unmixed with sectarian, pa
gan OF atl,cistical doglnas. Leave the
matter of religion to the family altar
the church, and the private school sup
ported entirely by private contribu
tioas. Keep the Church and the State
forever separate. With these safe
guards, I believe the battles which ere
ated the Army Of the Tennessee, will
not have been fought in vain.