The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-06
GEN. W. T. SHERMAN.
The Purpose of the War and the Social Power
of Loyalty-TaxatiCn and Votes.


Day services, which were postponed until yester-
day, were in every respecta grand success. sThe
feature of the Gay was the arrival on the p. NJ.
train of Gen. W. T. Sherman, who was accom-
panied by his daughter, Miss Rachel There
was large crowd at the depot, many of whom
had been in the march to the sea and were de-
lighted at the sight of the ''old man." His re-
ception was entirely informal, at his request
AtSP. NJ the Opera-h house was packed, and as
General Sherman appeared on the stage he was
greeted with continual applause. After music
by the orchestra, Hon. E. M. West, in few re-
marks, stated that nothing could be more ap-
propriate than for the old soldiers of Gen.
Sherman to decorate the graves of their com
rades in the presence of their old commander,
and in conclusion, welcomed him to the city.
General Sherman, after the applause had sub
sided, said:
Comrades Ladies and Gentlemen I came
over from my home in st. Louis to night at the
invitation of YOUR commander who said there
were many of my old soldiers here who wanted
to see me again and be assured that was still
in the land of the living and enjoying reason
able good health They can judge for them
selves. Laughter. l always come at the sum-
mons of my old comrades with pleasure and
pride. because we once knew each other well,
and think we understand each other now and
will continue to do so, I hope, until we have
passed from the stage of life.
Thirty four years ago, before many of you in
this audience were born, l had served in two
previous wars, one of which was the Mexican
For services in the latter each enlisted man and
each officer received warrant for 100 acres of
land, which could be located wherever Uncle
Sam had survey land still unclaimed
In Madison county there was much unoccupied
land, and George, afterwards General
Sx-l1n na1 70 fha lov,A
Office at Edwardsville, where we got plats
from the register, very clever fellow. who
directed us to drive TO the residence of Colonel
S. H. Nudge, who lived on the edge of Looking
glass Prairie near the little German settlement
of Highland. We found Colonel Nudge most
excellent gentleman, who up from the
Sonth every summer with his family, servants
billiard tables etc. and lived in most splendid
style. and entertained us royalty. We learned
too, that he was the proprietor of the ST. Charles
Hotel, in New Orleans He drove with us down
to where the Ohio q Mississippi railroad was
then being surveyed. and located our warrants
after which we bought three more, and entered
enough to complete section. So YOU see have
been and am now. taxpayer of your county
Applause L don't know whether they will let
me vote here or not. They won't over IN Mis-
souri,. I've paid taxes till I'm tired. l go upon
the old revolutionary idea that taxation and
voting should go together. wouldn't give much
for vote, and would not be particular where l
voted, whether in Maine, Florida, Georgia,
or Louisiana Applause | have a fondness
for Madison county, as l still have a farm in this
county, which will visit to morrow.
The sight before me of the boys who went
South, not knowing whittier or where they were
going, but with one single purpose-to make
government perpetual--is most gratifying, and
hope to-day that each and all of you may reap
the fruits of your labors during the civil war
Since the creation of EARTH since men have
established systems of government, there has
never been hoier war than the one we fought
from 81 to 60 Applause. We had Inherited
the government from our fathers. In the first
forming of it Washington himself established
certain principles to be followed out, TO be kept
sacred--the Constitutlon-and to preserve the
Union forever from external and internal enc
mics. SO there is no provocation whatever for
the Southerners, anybody else, in raising
their hands against our flag, which we carried
from here to Atlanta to Savannah and back to
Richmond l Hope every old soldier, every member
of the Grand Army of the Republic their families
their children and their descendants will ever
glory in the fame of those who carried
their muskets and knapsacks, or swords
it makes no difference Wilhelm the
bloody days of '6l to 65 Applause The day
has now come when the rising generations look
upon us as veterans. l see before me men, vet
young, who will be careful to point to their chill
dren the danger which beset our country from
81 to '65. There are still plenty of men-the
900, 900 who march under the banner of the
Grand Army of the Republic--to teach the
dangers of wars; men who braved all and stood
by their colors through thick and thin for their
nation, a land bought for all mankind; and to-
day any man may come here who will behave
himself as well as he can even knows how,
and enjoy equally with every citizen all rights
and civil liberties: rights of trade rights to pub
lie schools, and of participating in all of the
advantages pertaining to these. When we were
fighting down South, we were not fighting for
ourselves; we were fighting for something which
all men who came here could love, cherish and
perpetuate
Ladies and gentlemen, / did not come over
here to make speech. Indeed your commander
told me when were coming down here this
evening, that would not be expected to speak,
as there would be other gentlemen to do all of
the talking and would only he expected to say
amen But as usual In commanders and others
in charge at civil meetings, they say one thing
and mean another. OF course. they are honest,
but they have peculiar way Of getting at it. /
have nothing whatever to say, except to my
comrades of the Grand Army of the Republic.
L have few words to say to you, and the ladies
and gentlemen, under the circumstances will
please pardon me if prove uninteresting to
them. You know, my friends and felow-soldiers,
that in great armies there is such thing as
grand strategy. 1t makes great deal of
difference whether or not your army is aimed
against q vital part Of the enemy las we did at
Atlanta, at Columbia and at Riehmond), which
will be of greater advantage than if you strike
out wildly from the shoulder. So in peace there
is grand strategy.
We have system of customs growing up in
America which are more powerful than laws.
Theyalift up the tone of public feeling. Here in
Illinois they are always good-the same as in
Ohio and Pennsylvania. But it is not in Mis-
souri,, nor in Texas.
Therefore, I have always been in Favor of
pushing forward every influence which l call
American. just as would press to the vital part
of an enemy. Therefore, when my comrades
down in southwest Missouri desired my presence
down in Springfield last Saturday, instead of
coming over into Illinois, where did not believe
/ was needed i went to that pleasant city of
some 20 900, and was much pleased to find the
marked change in the thrift of the people, com
pared to the condition of things before the war.
The people who originally settled that section
from North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. A
tinctured with the old slavery doctrine For a
long time the people, the secessionists and I'm
ionists, were about equally divided but be-