The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-08-14
UNCLE BILLY ELOQUENT.


General sherman Addresses the National
G. A. II. Encampment ut san rranci.co--
A Retrospect of wenty Years-Patrlotio
Sentiment.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. Tn the G. A.
Il. encampment yesterday the committee
on resolutions reported unlavoraby on a.
proposition to promote legislation for
pension of eight dollars per month to
every surviving soldier aud sailor of the.
civil war, whether disabled or not. A
minority report in favor of the PROPOSE
ton was made by Mr.. Bennett OF In
diana. 1t was rejected by a vote OF 1927
to Sc.
The majority report against the eight
dollar pension measure was adopted.
After several Intellectual attempts to
get vote as to the next place for hold
inc the encampment, the subject was
postponed until the evening session.
General Sherman read an address yes
| terday, in which he reviewed the history
! of the G. A. r., and summarized the deeds.
of its members duriu9the war Contin-
uing, he made a gGod-natured hit at
the tendency of those who have been en-
! gaged in only one battle or Il single cam
paign, to talk about it as if it was the
only one ever fought or endured. OF a
similar tendency to regard our civil war
as the greatest on record, he said:
"With retrospect now Of only twenty
one years We realize that the war was but
Il single step in the progress toward
| newery and higher civilization. The
revolutionary war demonstrated that the
thirteen colonies planted by Europe on
the coast of America had attained man
hood and had a natural right to assume
all its functions, among them indie,
pendence. The war OF 1912 demonstrate
that this new nation was capable of de-
tending itself, not only within its OWN
domain, but on the high seas and every
where. Then the Mexican war of 1876
AZ demonstrated that our race and lnsti-
tutions must reach from ocean to ocean,
from the lakes to the gulf, with ample
room for development, and finally the,
civil war demonstrated that we, as Citi--
zens, could defend our government.
against the greatest of all enemes-our-,
selves"
General Sherman then gave an account
of the causes which led to the Mexican
war and of the conquest of California by
the United States, and of the part he
played in that conquest. Concluding
General Sherman spoke as follows:
"You, my beloved comrades of the war
of 1861, have abundant reason for your
faith in the security of this new Union,
bound together in harmony by rivers and
mountains, and by bands of Steel each
State controlling it's own property and in
terestS, with strong government over
) all. At your conventions and feasts you
, can well spare some words of cheer to
your older comrades Of the Mexican war,
who did so much to enlarge the National
domain, and made possible the glorious
work you afterWard so thor
oughly accomplished. We can not ex-
pect to larry long to enjoy the
, fruits of our labor, but untold genera
tions of intelligent men and beautiful
women will be here to protect, defend
and maintain these conquests, and, mean
3, time, we have the right 10 be proud and
content that in our day and generation
we have LARGELY contributed 90 build up
, and strengthen the fabric of Govern
ment fashioned by our fathers, sanctifed
: BY the greatness of Washington, made
= doubly precious by the public virtues of
our mHrtyred Lincoln, and crowned by
the achievements of our oomrade
; Grant,