Press enter after choosing selection

Grant's Oration

Grant's Oration image
Parent Issue
Day
8
Month
October
Year
1875
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

We print below the full txt of tho ixvch delivered, or rather road from manuscript, by President Grant, it tho late Anny of the Temiessee reunión at Dos Moisés, Iowa : Coau liways affonlB me miu'h gratifteation to inect Bi y coatrades in arm.-, ten and fúurtecu jears go, aud to teil over agsin in mcinory the tríala and hajdnhipa of Miohc dava - bardsbipa endured fot tlie preservatioa perpetuatinn of our free iuBtitutions. Wo beUeved tbun, and beiieve uow, tbat ive liave a fiovtrnmeiit worth flgbtipg for, and, if need le. living for. Uow many of our eomrodes iai:l the latter price for our preHerved Union ! Let their heroism aml nacriñce be ever greou in opx memory. Iet not tbe renult of tbeir (crifice bo dentroyed. Tbe Union ajul tb o freo lostitutiona ttt which they feil bould be beid more dear for tlieir Hacrifices. We will not dcuy to auy of üiosc who fongbt agaiust uh auy privileges under tbc governinent wbich we olaim for ourselvea. On tlio contrary, we welcorno all Buoh wbo come forward iu good faith to bolp build np tlio ivaHte placel, sud to perpetnate our institntiona asrainst all cnemieH, au brotbers in full hitèfogt with hm in a oommon beritage; but we ai'e not prepared to apologie tor tbe part we took in the war, It íh to be hoped tliai like trials will liever agaiu bcfall our country. Iu tboiraettlement no clans of people can more heartily join thaii the solcliers lm Bv.bmiltcd to the dangers, trials, anl hardships i of the camp and the battle-fields. On wliicluvrr ■ ide he ma have fought. no claas of people are . more interested in guarding againtit a renoe of thoe days. Let us, then, begin by gnardlng agaiust overy enemy preventing ' tho prosperity of freo ltepublicau inntitutions. l do not bring into this Husemblage politics, certainly not partisaii politics, but it in a fair subject for the soldiere in their deliberatiou ■ to oouaider what may bo necessary to Hecure ; the prize for which they battled. Inarepublic i liko ours, where the cit'izen in the sovereign, and the official the aervant, where no power is exercieod by tho will of the people, itiH important that the sovereign, the people, Bhould fOHter i telligence, the promotion of that intelligence ! wbili 8 to preserve uh an a free nation. If we are to have another contcet in the near future of our nation '.1 exwtenoe, 1 predict that the fli-vidiüg line will not be Masón and Dixon'a, but fcetween patriotiam and inteiligenco on the one side, and snperstitiou, ambition, and ignoranco on tho other. Now is the cententuaJ ycnr of our national existonce. I believe it a good time to begin tho work of strenptlieuing the foundation of the etructme commenced by oiu.' patriotic forefathers 100 years ago at Lexiogton. Let na all labor to add all needful gnarantees for the greater secunty of free thought, free speech, a free preas, pure moráis, uufottered religious seutimentB, and of equal rights aiid privileges to all men, irrespeetive of nationalitv, color or religión ; eneourage free schools, aud resoive that not one dollar of onr money appropiiated to support uhall be appropiiated to the support of any sectarian school ; resoive that neitber tho State nor natiou, nor both combined, shall support institutions of learning other than those sufficient to affor i to every child growing up in the land the opportunity of a good commoii-school educ&tion, unmixed ; witb sectarian, Pagan, or Atheistical bias ; leave the matter of religión to the famüy, the church, and tho private school, supported entirely by private eontributions; keep tho Church and the State forever separate. Witb these safeguards, I believe the battles which creatcd the Army of the Tennessee wlU not have boen fought ia vaiu.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus