Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-10-01

REUNION OF THE ARMY OF THE
sts TENNESSEE.
A Speech by President Grant.

Des Moines, September 30. At the reunion OF
the army Of the Tennessee, last evening. an i'd
dress Of welcome on the part Of Iowa and the city
Of Des Moines was delivered by Hon. 9. G. Cole.
Gov. Fletcher delivered the annual Grafton. he
referred in kindly terms to the confederates who
opposed them, and expressed the hope that the
people Of all sections Of the country would con-
duct themselves toward each other like men
who have common country. President Grant
being called out came forward, and read quite
lengthy speech. After speeches by Secretary
Belknap, Gen. JEFF e. Davis and others, army
songs were sung, and at II o'clock Gen. Sherman
made a speech.
President Grant said he had concluded to dis
appoint those who called on him first, in the ex-
pectation Of getting q short speech, and he jotted
down some things which he wished to say. He
then expressed his qualification in recalling the
days when they had suffered to together to pre-
serve a government they believed worth fighting
for. We will not. he said, deny to any OF those
who fought against us any privilege under the
government which we claim for ourselves, who
come forward in good faith to help build up the
waste places, and to perpetuate our institutions
against all enemies, brothers in full interest
with us in common heritage. but we are not
prepared to apologize for the past; and to guard
against q recurrence of those days, we must be-
gin by guarding against every enemy preventing
the prosperity Of free republican institutions. L
do not bring into this assemblage politics, certain
ly not partisan politics, but il is fair subject for
the soldiers in their deliberations to consider
what may be necessary to secure the prize for
which they battled.
The>President urged the cultivation Of in
teligence among the people in regard to political
matters, and said if we were to have another con-
test in the near future of our National existence,
predict that the dividing line will not be Mason
and Dixon's line, but between patriotism and in
telligence on side, and superstition, ambition
and ignorance on the other. On this centennial
year the work Of strengthening the foundation Of
the structure commenced by our forefahers 100
years ago at Lexington, should begin. Let us all
labor for the security of free thought free press
free speech, pure morals unfettered religious SEN
tments, and equal rights and privileges for all
men, irrespective of nationality, color religion;
encourage free schools and resolve that not one
dollar appropriated to them shall be applied to the
support of any sectarian schools; resolve that
neither state nor nation shall support institutions
save those where every child in the land may get
q common school education unmixed with pagan
atheistc or sectarian teachings; leave the matter
of religion to the family altar and keep the church
forever separate. With these safeguards l be-
lieve the battles which created the army Of the
Tennessee will not have been fought in vain.
The Presidents speech was greeted with ap-
plause, which was repeated again and again.
General Sherman closed the speaking for the
night with humorous speech, in which he said
he 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 toward them.