Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1875-10-11
A SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT.

u l
At the meeting of the Army of the
Tennessee, at Des Moines. Iowa, Sept.
80. President Grant delivered the fol-
lowing address
''ComradeS 1t always affords me
much qualification to meet my comrades
in arms of ten or fourteen years ago,
and to tell over again from memory the
trials and hardships of those days of
hardships imposed for the preservation
and perpetuatiOn of our free institutions.
We believed then, and we believe now,
that we have government worth fight
ing for, aad if need be, dying for. How
many of our comrades paid the latter
price for our preserved Unionl Let
their heroism and sacrifice be ever green
in our memory. Let not the result of
their sacrifices be destroyed. The Union
and the free institutions for which they
died should be held more dear for their
sacrifices. We will not deny to any of
those who fought against us any privi-
lege under the government which we
claim for ourselves. On the contrary,
we welcome all such who come forward
in good faith to help build up the waste
places and to perpetuate our institutions
d against all enemies, 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
II be hoped that like trials will never again
y befall our country. In this sentiment
IL no class of people can more heartily join
~ than the soldier who submitted to the
IL dangers, trials and hardships of the bat
~ tle-feld and the camp, on whichever
u side he fought No class of people are
~ more interested in guarding against a
We recurrence of those days. Let us. then,
IL begin by guarding against every enemy
threatening the prosperity of free repub
IT lican institutions. l do not bring int
-0l this assemblage politics, certainly no
=. partisan politics, but it is fair subjec
nu for the soldiers in their deliberations t
ne consider what may be necessary to Sc
eV cure the prize for which they battled
u In republic like ours, where the citi
VI zen is the sovereign, and the official tn
~ servant-where no power is exercise
arc except by the will of the people, it
0ne important that the sovereign, the pee
lSe pie, should foster intelligence-that il
-a0' telligence which is to preserve US as
'ru- free nation. If We are to have anoth,
W contest in the near future of our natiol
Ien- al existence, l predict that the dividir
'niS line will not be Mason and Dixon's, b.
between patriotism and intelligence
ioi the one side, and superstition. ambitiC
'olo and ignorance on the other. Now, I
wiz centennial year of our national existenC
believe, is good time to begin t
a0ue work of Strengthening the foundatio
inc of the structure commenced by our 7
Id triotic forefathers one hundred yea
ieu- ago, at Lexington. Let us all labor
usn aid all needful guarantees for the secl
ANY ity of free thought, free speech, Fl
VII press, pure morals, unfettered religic
sentiments, and of equal rights and pr
they ;leos. 70 al men Fp.onr.no 6
"a schools. and resolve that not one dol
"a appropriated for their support shall
O appropriated to the support of any 5
y AZ tartan schools. Resolve that neither
state nor the nation, nor both combin
/" shall support institutions of learn
sance other than those sufficient to afford
that every child growing up in the land
eddy opportunity of good common sch
pun education, unmixed with sectarian,
lspire gan, or atheistical dogmas. Leave
a re- matter of religion to the family all
done the church, and the private school S
even ported entirely by private contribute
thing Keep the church and the state fore
IN of separate. With these safeguards, l
lieve the battle which created the Al
of the Tennessee will not have /
= y fought in vain.