The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-12-27

GEN. SHERMAN's SPEEcH.-At the New
England dinner in New York, Gen. Sh herman
responded to the sentiment, ''The Army" The
following is an abstract:
This great land extends from ocean to ocean.
1t is densely populated here, but sparsely pop.
ulated in other parts, and the little army of
$4,000 men Is the connecting link between the
future and the past. They have task to per-
form the same as our pilgrim fathers had, and
some future generation will look forward to
them as they did, and even at Fort Laramie,
and hope there may be banquet then some
what the same as there is here tonight. Gap
plause.) The army is now one of peace, and
should lead our hearts to peace. 1t does
There was space of about few years ago
when everyone was in war, when we were
struggling for our existence, and need hardly
reIer TO 1t. appeal to you all and believe you
will say that there was never such an example
since the time of Christ that the conquering
race gave to the conquered the same rights that
they themselves possessed. (Applause.) The
very moment the war ceased, that very mo-
ment we shared with them our food, gave them
employment and took them to the protection
OF that flag which is to be the common flag of
our home. ,Applause.) 1 say again-and
believe say what others will echo with me-
that every Sodthern man who will come with
US heart and hand to build up this nation, to
make 1t as it were the very perfection of civil
ized nations; where property is secure, where
lie IS secure, and where contracts are enforced,
and where honesty is enforced from the high
est down to the lowest-I say they are as well
come as though they were born on the surface
OF Plymouth Rock. (Applause)
But let them cherish one thought of hostility,
let them have anything in reserve-any boast
OF their old Confederacy-a storm will rise over
their heads tenfold as fierce as the last one
which swept this land. (Applause.) Gentle
men, am speaking now for an army scattered
nj e
army, for that is a small body of men now
put Tor an army of mentor the muscle, and
bone, and brain which now agitates America
(Applause.) We see ourselves day in a sort
OF apathetic position. l hear more complaints
In New York than l ever heard in my life
and used to live hereof bard times, of dull
times. don't see it, but havn't had the
means OF looking behind the counter, nor in
side your ledgers. But the country at large is
not unprosperous. There is more land cultivat-
ed than ever before. There are more mine
developed every day than ever before There
Is more room for the unoccupied than ever be-
fore. will guarantee honest employment for
4O,OOOO0O more people if they will only come
over from Europe, not if they will hang around
the cities to become only clerks or porters.
NOW the trouble with this country is that the
people have 1ocked too much in the cities.
Come out West! There is plenty of wheat
there and plenty to drink, tLaughter.) We
Will treat you all kindly. You wont have such
good wine as you have at Delmonco's, but we
VIII give you an ample meal and a hearty well
come. l do not suppose any of you merchants
VIII go there, but you can tell your friends that
there IS plenty of vacant land in Colorado, in
Kansas, in Nebraska and in Wyoming for all
tue unoccupied men that now infest your cit
les.
Now, gentlemen, 1 have said probably more
than ought to have said, ferries of "No, no."
20 on, but of course, being somewhat of a
rover, wandering about the earth, and looking
at things as they occur to me with my own ewes
and ears, and when l hear your people in New
YORK complaining of hard times, and see so
many people riding about in fine carriages like
princes, can not understand it at ALL 1t don {
seem to me natural at all. If the Plymouth
fathers had had one-tenth of what each and
every one OF the citizens of New York have to-
day, they would have counted themselves rich
and II the people of New York and America
will only practice the economy, or one-half the
economy, of the Pilgrim fathers the national
debt will be extinguished in ten years-in five
years. lCr'es of Good, good."1 As to specie
payments, 1t will come as matter of course.
Ii, however, this great nation of forty millions
OF people, by. the wisdom of Congress deem it
hard and oppressive TO maintain 25,0O0 soldiers
to keep the peace among the Indians and
among our border peOple-if they deem it ex-
travagaLt-et it be done; let us go back to our
own civil employments, turn our swords into
pruning hooks, aud / myself will give the ex-
ample OF going back and earning my own lv-
ing as did before the war, But l hope this
great nation will not forget the lessen of Wash.
Ington, Who bade them always to be prepared
let the danger be ever so little, to he prepared
for the danger, and to MAINTAIN not only the
nucleus of an army, but the knowledge of the
art of war; and the art of naval war, TOO, and
preserve it as something pure and above price,
SO that we wont have again to submit to the
modification of sending to Germany for men to
drill our soldiers in our next war.