Year: 1870

militia men, but it could not have q


standing army, or expect to excel as


a military power They are huge


and strong, but their strength is so


distributed that it can not be con


centrated. War means concentra-


ton of power, and, therefore, this


republic conld not be q warlike na


ton. l refer you to any nation on


the face of the globe, no matter how


rich or extensive, who could in so


short time muster million ofsold-


iers as the North did land nearly the


same mum Der in the South When


the people thus determine their laws


they get them when they determine


their policy they carry it out, and


when the people say war there is no


other government on earth like a


fir e popular government to make


army, if you have the officers pre-


pared. God forbid that old West


Point should go down-that is your
standing army. Put West Point
down and you either become feeble


or else you are obliged to enlist
twenty thousand men to uphold the


Government. Educate officers and


you can dispense with the army, for
it takes bat little time to discipline


the men and put them into perfect
organization. Educate the officers,


or you must substitute for them a


standing army. They are cheap, too.
rT1boro 10 no hnJu 1,f ,,,a,, lass Nov


like than military officers laughter


therefore we are not in danger from


them. | set out to make that sober,


but [ could not resist the temptation,
though 1 Go assure you 1 had not
Mcclellan in my thoughts Great


laughter. We have raised a million


and a half of men, and never was an


army better served, better clothed


and handled ana better organized,
just SO soon as they had learned to


adapt their military education to the


pattern of the magnitude of this
continent. And three or four years
such fighting as they experienced l


hope never will again be seen in this
land. The conflict that las been
settled could not be avoided But
!. methinks, there has been enough OF


bloodshed, and that the sacrifice


made should stand for ages before
J God. Well, it was predicted loudly


that just as soon as our army be-


came disbanded there would be no
earthly power to restrain the am


bilious officers, and that there would
be no peace from the disbanded
, soldiery who came home with the


habits of the camp. AS near as ]


can observe, it is certain that they


spoiled a good many boys, and it is


just as certain that the camp saved


as. many Others. A great MANY went
into the war good, and broke down
) under temptation and became bad


and came home sorrows to thei1


friends; but it is just as true that
there were hundreds and thousands
| of lame -limbed, purposeless boys
who went into that camp-their
/ patriotism became fired even to theil
) fingers ends-and they came home
; citizens, of whom we should fee
!, proud. And as to the demoraliza-
) ton of the army, the snow that
melts on the hillsides fails to leave
| a freshet; nor is it possible for the
} storm which bursts over the noun
| talns not to upturn banks and under
mine some trees; but you are wit
| nesses that in the disbandment OF
this army, in no city or county O,


town in these States was any com


, plant made that any one suffered
J 10y the incursion, or by the miscon-


duct Of our soldiers. TCheera.1 Il


IS testimony desire to have borne
over the world, that million OF
American soldiers went back to the
: farm and shop, and no order Of So


ciety and not one law of the com
} munity tarnished by their return


1t IS testimony they deserve. 1t is
! testimony to the Institutions under
which they have had their training.
, 1t is said that a republican GOV


ernment could never pay great
debts. The bonds of such
a government could never be
negotiated,and the people would not
, pay them if they did not like to be
taxed. Well I will admit that if you
, had studied, and got the devil to
| help you and he is a good student)
} you could not have brouffht to beal
on this American people tempta


ton that would be more irving


This Government was encountered


with a debt of three thousand mill.


ions of dollars, and on its effort to


repay that debt, I looked with in


terest. [ prophesied 1t would pay


it. l have proyhesied other things,


and, let me say, that one half of me


is as good a prophet as you could
find, and if you could bring up the


other half, [ would be better salts


fed with myself. ! was abord at
the time. I was aware Of the peo-
pies willingness to pay national
debt incurred in maintaining the


unity of the Government, and J had
a personal interests in its fufillment.
! And how is it now? I do not only
declared that we have proved our


selves great people, bat I aver.
take it man for man, that there is


not such wealth producing popu-
lation on the globe as the American
people. We make more money per
year than and other people on the


globe, and it will be joyful tidings
to most Of you when | say we shall
) continue to make it. We are peo-


pie to whom proverty is a spur. and
| Ii rirfiS us III 10 make rs work har.