Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-11-10
TALKING FOR VOTES.
Gen. Sherman Does a Little Election
eering in an Army Wigwam.


NEW YORK, Nov. 9.-About 900 men,
bers Of the Grand Army of the Republic
rendered an informal reception to Gen.
Sherman this evening in the room of Kol-
Der Post, No. 291, on the Bowery. Gen.
Henry A. Barnum presided. On taking
the chair he said that it had been the in
tention to offer Gen. Sherman formal
reception, but the fact that he was to
leave the city so soon prevented them from
preparing. Besides, Gen. Sherman, when
spoken to on the subject, had said that
he would not 90 to any public hall. He
wanted to meet the boys in one of their
own rooms, where they were in the habit
of meeting, and there be received as one
of themselves. Gen. Sherman's entrance
was the signal for an Outburst of cheer
ing. The veterans waved their hats and
cheered until the sound of their voices
drowned the strains of the band, which
was playing "Hail to the Chief"
After a brief speech of welcome by Gen.
Henry A. Barnum, Gen. Sherman spoke
in reply, talking in familiar cOnYersa-
tiOnal strain. He said: II thank you very
much, fellOw-comrades, for the hearty
welcome you have given me. l have come
here in response to your call, although it
is not customary to celebrate ones own
funeral. l am always glad to meet old
soldiers, whether there are 80 of them or
$4,000. l would rather meet you bows
here tonight, tace to face, than any of
your NanderbiltS, or other nabObs. 1t
requires very little effort to recall the
days when we were soldiers in fact and
when we met together as we are here to-
night Ii is but natural that we should re-
call them. When the first idea of the ap-
preaching war came upon me in 1861, it
almost Stampeded me. | could not see
my way fifty yards ahead. Young
men under me were uttering what
| thought were reasonable speeches. |
reprOYed them for it, but | looked around
and found that their fathers, the South
ern planters, were talking in the same
manner. Then realized in all my bones
that there was going to be a fight, and l
also thought that if there was to be any
lighting done it was time for me to get on
the other side.
1t became plain that sooner or later we
would be obliged to determine whether
we were to be freemen or slaves. South
erners had their black slaves, and if they
were permitted to dominate we would be
their white slaves. Now Anglo-SaXOns
are not inclined to stand that
sort of thing, neither are the
Germans or Irish tOnd of being enslaved.
The Southern gents wanted to rule us.
The minority wanted to override the ma
jOrity, and yet the North hardly realized
that there was going to be a war until five
months after the war had really begun.
They were seiZing our forts and
arsenals, and even our mints, and yet we
did not realize what was coming. When
| went up to Ohio the men were ploW-
ing their fields and attending to their
usual avOcatiOns, without notion of the
war that was coming on them. When told |
them that we were on the eve of war they
laughed at me as a fool, and perhaps |
was one. 1t was not until Sumter was
fired on that the nations heart moved.
The sound of that gun awoke
us from our lethargy. Then the
American people acted. You who
were actors in that struggle may we'll be
proud of the part you played in rescuing
your country. Since that time a new
generation has sprung up. Boys who
were not then born are now voters. The
destiny of the nation has been taken out of
our hands. We are now comparatively
a small minority. 1t is well, however,
that we should assemble together and
keep alive the patriotism of those days;
the memory of the hardships endured
and the memory of the dear companions
whose bodies lie beneath the
Southern battlefields. 1t is we'll to
tell the story of those days over again
to each other and tell 1t to your children
and your children's children that they
may know how their country was saved
and who saved it. Throughout the North
west where l travelled last sum-
mer | was everywhere welcomed
by soldiers of the Grand Army
of the Republic. Everywhere they lead
the column of civilization. They are mer-
chants, lawyers and Judges. think they
have amply paid back to the country in
added civilization the thirteen dollars per
month they received. At one time l
doubted the advisability of forming or
keeping up such an organization as the
Grand Army of the Republic, but l am
now convinced that you did well in or
ganiZing such an association