New Orleans Republican., 1875-10-03
President Grant's Speech.

dn this talkative age it is comforting now
and then to find public man who thinks
much and talks little. Our President is
such man. We publish here what he said
at Des Moines, Iowa, to the old soldiers OF
the Army of the Tennessee on Wednesday
last 1t is perhaps the longest speech he
ever made. It. has not the ornate finish
which belongs to professional and silver
voiced orators, but it is characterized by
great good sense, filled with patriotism and
marks of devotion to his country. 1t is q
strong, thoughtful speech, like the speaker
and appropriate to the occasion. After g
speech by Governor Fletcher, the Presiden,
came forward in answer to call, and said
Comrades-It always affords me so much
glorifcation to meet my comrades in arms
of ten and fourteen years ago, to tell over
again in memory the trials and hardships OF
those days-hardships imposed for the. pre-.
servation and perpe uation of our - in
stitutions. We believed then, and Ne be.
lieve now, that we have government
worth fighting 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 utuloTyi lou noE tDe results OF lhelT
sacrifice be destroyed. The Union and the
tree institutions for which they fell should
be held more dear for their sacrifices. We
will not deny to any of those who fought
against US any privilege under the govern
ment 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 in
stitutions against all enemies as brothers in
Tt,1 ,,,to ,stk L
but We are not prepared 10 apologi re
for the part we took in the war.
1t is to be hoped that like trials
will never again betall our country. In
their settlement no class of people can more
heartily join than the soldiers who submit
ted to the dangers, trials. anl harishlps OF
the camp and the battlefield on whichever
side he may have fought No class of peo-
pie are more interested in guards against a
recurrence of those days Let us then begin
by guarding against every enemy to the
prosperity OF tree republican institutions
do not bring into this assemblage politics,
certainly it is not partisan politics, but it is
fair subject for the soldiers in their delib-
Grafton to consider what may be necessary
to secure the prize for which they battled
In a republic like ours, where tae citizen is
the sovereign and the official the serv ant,
where no power is exercised except by the
wiz va iho pooplcs ~ 40 i"poIlhu0 ludL tu6
sovereign, the people. should foster educa-
tion and promote that intelligence which is
to preserve us free nation. If we are to
have another contest in the near future of
our national existence, l predict that the
dividing line will not be Mason and
Dixon's, but between patriotism and
intelligence on the one side, and
superstition. ambition and ignorance on
the other. Now, the centennial year of our
national existence, believe it good time
to begin the work of Strengthening the
foundations of the structure commenced by
Our patriotic forefathers 100 years ago at
Lexington. Let us all labor to add all
needful guarantees fer the greater security
of free thought, free speech, free press,
pure morals, unfettered religious senti-
ments, and of equal rights and privileges
to all men, irrespective of nationality, color
or religion; encourage free schools and re-
solve that not one dollar of money appro-
priated to their support shall be appro-
priated to the support of any sectarian
school; resolve that neither the State nor
nation, nor both combined, shall support
institutions of learning other than those
sufficient to afford to every child growing
up in the land the opportunity OF good
common school education, unmixed with
sectarian, pagan or 8th. tsticsl. Leave
the matter of religion to the family altar;
the church and the private school support
ed entirely by private contributions, and
keep the church and the State forever sep
arate. With these safeguards believe the
battles which created the Army of the Ten
nessee will not have been fought in vain