Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1875-10-22
54liscfllnuy,
The Presidents Speech.

sneech on the occasion OF the reunion Vi pl
the Army Of the Tennessee, at Des- SO
moines, Iowa, Sept 80. Being called te
upon he said, he would disappoint some b
of his friends on that occasion and make o.
a brief speech, and thereupon IRON notes r'
which he held in his hand, spoke as fol a
lows
COMRADES 1T always affords me !
much qualification to meet my comrades n
in arms of ten and fourteen years ago, c
and to tell over again from memory the
trials and hardships of those days -oi
hardships imposed for the preservation
and perpetuation Of our free institutions
We believed then, and we believe now,
that we have government worth hight
inc for, and if 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 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 privilege
under the government which we claim
for ourselves. On the contrary, we wei
d come all such who come forward IN good
i, faith to help build up the waste places
+ and to perpetuate our institutions against
IS oil enemies as brothers in full interest
S. with MS in a common heritage; but we
', are not prepared to apologize for the
Of mart we took in the war. 1t Is TO De
boned that like trials will never again
befall our country. In this sentiment
no class of people can more heartily JON
than the soldier who submitted to the
dangers, trials, and hardships OF the
: camp and battlefield, on whichever side
he fought. No class of people are more
interested in guarding against recur
renee of those days. Let us, then, beglr
by guarding against every enemy threat
ening the prosperity of free republican
institutions. | do not bring into this as
semblage politics, certainly not partisa
nolitics. but it is fair subject for tn
soldiers in their deliberations to conslde
what may be necessary to secure I'll
NC. prize for which they battled. In
npblic like ours, where the citizen is Il
sovereign and the official the servant
where no power is exercised except
the will of the people, it is importa
that the sovereign, hepeople, should tc
ter intelligence-th intelligence whit
is to preserve us as free nation. II
are to have another contest in the ne
future of our national existence, pl
- dict that the dividing line will not
Mason and Dixon's, but between patrl
ism and intelligence on the one side, a
superstition, ambition and Ignorance
the other.
Now, the centennial year Of our
tional existence, | believe is good I'll
to begin the work of strengthening
foundations of the structure commen'
ady to by our patriotic forefathers one hund
us IA years ago, at Lexington. Let us all
Dor to aid all needful guarantees for
NTS, security of free thought, free speech
free press, pure morals, untettered re
to the ious sentiments, and of equal rights
privileges to all men. Encourage
nTaSi omptIy schools, and resolve that not one do
III
co, appropriated for their support shall
appropriated to the support OF any
tartan schools. Resolve that neither
state nor the nation, nor both combll
shall support institutions of learn
mo other than those sufficient to atfor
'EO' every child growing up in the land
opportunity of a good common SC
sctfully education, unmixed with sectarian
of offered gan, or atheistical dogmas. Leave
we give matter of religion to the family
the church, and the private schools
;s5 rs 5S % ported entirely by private contrlbut
..2 e Z Keep the church and the state for
......; g g separate. With these safeguards,
.......l 60 lieye the battle which created the 4
- 90 of the Tennessee will not have
fought in vain.