Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-09-30
Army of the Tennessea-Preside
Grants Speech.

Dies MONIES, Iowa, Sept 80. AT the even
ing session, yesterday, of the Army of The Ten
nessee, the opera house was crowded. Gov.
Fletcher delivered the annual GRAFTON. Presi-
dent Grant being called on came forward and
read quite lengthy speech. He said be had
concluded to dlsappont those who called on
hlnl first in the expectation of getting q short
speech, and had jotted down some things he
wished to say He then expressed his gratif
cation 10 recalling the days when they had suf-
Tered together to preserve government they
believed worth fighting for, and even dying
tor We will not, said he, deny to any of
those VINO fought against us any privilege no
der the government which We claim for our.
selves On the contrary, We welcome all such
who come forward 10 good faith to help to
build up the waste places and perpetuate our
| institutions against all enemies as brothers in
full interest with US in common heritage. but
| we are not prepared to apologize for the past
10 guard against recurrence Of those DAYS
we must begin by guarding against every enc
my preventing prosperity of free republican in
situations. Said he: do not bring into this
assemblage politics, certainly not partisan poll
tics, but it's fair subject for the soldiers, in
their dellberation, to consider what NAV be ne
cessary to secure the prize for which they bat
tied. The President urged cultivation of an
Intelligence among the people in regard to DO
lltlcal matters, and said If we are to have
another contest 10 the near future of our
national existence | predict that the dividing
line will not be Masoo's and D.xop's, but be
tween patriotism and intelligence on the one
side, and superstition, ambition and ignorance
90 the other. 10 this centennial year the work
OF strengthening the foundation of the struc-
ture commenced by our forefathers hundred
years ago at Lexington should be begun. Let
US all labor tor the security of free thought,
tree speech,tree PRESS pure morals, uuiettered
religious sentiments, and equal rights aud
privileges for all men, Irrespective OF nstionali
ty, color or religion; encourage free schools,
and resolve that not one dollar appropriated to
them shall be applied to the support of any
sectarian school; resolve that neither State nor
patton shall support institutions save those
where every child in the land may get COM
mon school education, uumixed with athers-
tic, pagan and sectarian teachings; leave the
matter OF religion to the family altar, and keep
the Church and State for ever separate with
these safeguards. | believe the battles which
created the Army of the Tennessee will not
have been fought 10 vain. The President s
speech was greeted with applause, which was
repeated again and again. After speeches by
Secretary Bclknap and Generals Jeff G. Davis,
Force, Baiue, Meyers ard Others army songs
were sung Gen. Sherman closed the speak
ing for the night with humorous and short
speech, in which be said be wished all the
speeches made here tonight could be printed
in full and scattered broadcast through the
South to show the people there how the ex-
soldiers of the North all feel towards them.