Year: 1865




Gen. SHERMAN attended the State Fair
at Janesvile last week, and of course cre-
ated sensation. A suppe, was given
him By the citizens, at which Gen. HOBART
attended. Gen. S. spoke as follows, in
response TO a toast:


GENTLEMEN: can hardly express how
sensible | ain Of the kindness manifested
by your governor and by yourselves, since
have reached your town Of Janesville, or
to flank movement catching me here.
You are always welcome to catch me at a
supper party by flank, or any other
movement. [Appause Were it not the
fact that, though soldier, am some
times expected to speak, would not be
unwilling to be outfanked in this ci:y at
any time. Thele is one other reason why
l OF ject to it, and that is that our words,
altered for the purposes of conyivialtv,
are published to the world. These words
are sometimes tortured to mean what was
never intended, and oy omissions noted
and commissions exaggerated are render
ed very different from what we would
wish to>night hope you will excuse
me, although you could nc. be drawn in
to discussion Of any subjec, in which
have any influence now, for look upon
my task in life as done. l do not expec,
war to arise in which l can take a part !;
and as to politics, on which we all talk so
much and know SO little AppIause], l
would cbeerfully leave them to men such
as now sit in my presence. 1t would be
as much out of place for me to discuss
politics in their presence a. it would bs to
speak Of religion in the presence of it's
priests But there is one subject Of which
| will speak few words to this body, and
that is oar past history. Rome could not
point to such history. Greece could not
boast Of it, nor could Italy, nor even
England. The beginning Of our history
was poetic, and as We look back upon such
names as Lasalo" and Hennepip.' we
cannot but recognize the fact. Soon We
may trace the history Of oui country from
its discovery until the time when our fore.
fathers formed the government with all O.:
which you are more familiar than I am :;
but l simply point to you its beautiful
workings. They formed Union ofstates,
each supposed to be state within the
Union, compact and strongly bound 10
gether with bonds of love-silkeD bonds.
But this war has come and taught US
these bonds were not strong enough, and
we have forged them Of steel. and now we
have the Union again which our fathers
gave ps, in letter, spirit, and purpose,
save that the bonds formerly uniting us
have been strengthened by not a new com.
pact, but new sanctions. Our new Union
is the came to>day as that of 81, its new
sanctions properly acquired, and lis char
acter the same, and when congress gives
additional sanctions, would fight for
them as strongly as do for the present


Appsuss. Never should a soldier, or a
man who claims to be one, Sc. up his
opinion in the face Of the constituted au-
,horties. refer to the past history O:
predecessor Of Gen. Grant and myself to
show we loved peace, but we enforced it
by law, and all we have asked or ever
will ask is, tell US what is the law-what
is the consli,ution-and we will obey it
or die. Applause. That is politics enough
for me, and it is all ever want to learn !;
and if politics lead me far from that,
will 60 to some other country, Tor l look
upon this as the republic Of law, and We
should reverence and bow down before its
majesty as the citizens Of other lands do
their sovereign. There is no merit, how,
ever, in obeying that we love, but there is
in obeying that We DO not love, and obey
with the same respect the law do no,
love, and claim the more respect for it..
Applause beg these gentlemen to re-
member that when the laws of congress
are declared thus and so, will enforce
them by my own physical strength and
that of every arm the government places
subject TO my command. Again thanking
you for your kind welcome, tope many
and many time to be outhanked by you
in any of your towns in Wisconsin. Ap-
plause.