Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-09-08
WE PRgs1DENTIAL EXCURSION.

pftD1tege 81 CHuHytHy POStVU'V0'
THE PRESIDENTIAL EXCURSION.
The reception accorded President
Hayes and party at Marietta, Chic, yes
terday, was cordial and spontaneous. 1t
was an expression of respect for the
chief magistrate Of the country, mem
bers of bis cabinet and family eminently
proper aud becoming on tho part OF the
people. The speech of welcome made
by Mayor Palmer, OF noon, appeared IN
our Geographic dispatches yesterday
The occasion was an encampment of ex.
Union soldiers, some Of whom served
under the President when he was a field
officer. The representatives Of sixteen
Ohio regiments, with their tattered battle
flags, we're present and greeted the Pres
idential party with patriotic enthusiasm.
The reunion had no political tone or sig
n~ifcance, and was therefore heartfelt
and unmarried by political discussion
1t is good for the old soldiers on
either side to come together and re-
vive the friendships formed for life by
the camp fire, on the long march and in
the heated strife, and it ia a happy sign
of the times that these reunions are be-
coming more frequent in the North and
in the South, and that ex.Union aud ex-
Confederate soldiers often mingle togeth-
er as brothers, proud to honor each
Others valor and sincerity. Such was
the spirit Of the large assemblage at
Marietta yesterday, to which ex.Confed.
crates had been invited and were cordial
" welcomed. The President made a
neat and appropriate speech, Astounding
in national sentiments and common
sense views, and omitted to hold up
Judge Key as a prodigal son on proba-
ton. And we are happy to say that
Postmaster General Key recovered from
the embarrassment which SO visibly af.
feeted him before New England audi
ences, and rose to the dignity Of the
hour and the high position he fills. His
speech was manly ard sensible, and SO
unlike his former weak utterances, sub
sequently explained as grim jokes, that
we reproduce it entire, as transmitted by
telegraph:
Judge Key said: Fellow citizens-I
appear before you under peculiar cir
cumstances. You have assembled here
to recite the victories which you have
won in former days; to recount the tri
umphant result which you achieved.
appear before you IS one of the soldiery
from whom your victories were won;
your triumphs achieved. But, my friends.
the cordially with which | have been re.
ceived makes me forget hat we have
been enemies. | assure you | would
much rather meet you as | have met yoI
here to-day, as friends, thar in the con
hict of arms, as we have met heretofore
[Applasse. Ny friends, the flag
fought for four years has disappeared
from the face of the earth. The govern
ment | attempted with my compeers d
establish is no more. We have but on
flag and that floats over every foot of on
territory. We have but one constitution
and that is the constitution as it il
lCheers, Our quarrel, my iriends, va
inherited. Slavery was established b
the constitution of our fathers; it wa
established by the men Of the North q
well as Of the South. 1t was q relic q
a former age as the ages progressed, q
the country progressed. The free State
became profoundly impressed wit
the idea that slavery was wrong; tha
it was a great national crime; tbs
it was the sin of the age
that it was a sin against heaven and lii
erty. IA voice-"And it was" TIL
people of the South had been educate
under different ideas. Their statesme
upon their platforms defended it, an
their ministers before the holy ALTA
taught the people that it was right, an
the people Of the Southern States b
lieved it was right. A conflict from tin
TO time, a conflict OF opinion grew n
We had the Missouri compromise, Il
compromise Of 1850, but yet it would NJ
suit At last free IDEAS so lar %prevailC
that Lincoln was elected to the Pres
dency Of the United States. The Poop
of the South, afraid that the institute
OF slavery was in danger, said: ~
have debated this quarrel in legislati
halls, on the stump, in the judiciary Il
bunals-we have debated it everywher
now let us fight it out" aud they tot
up arms, and they said, we leave the
debatable questions to the power Of arr
and the sword. and we fought a.
fought brayely. Each section of Il
country fought for what it thought W
right. CHEERS. What was the Iesul
Why the South was defeated. and as m
and soldiers they were bound to subn
with good grace to the result, aud to O
nit that the result wal right; that {
tribunal selected had decided the cont