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Show GENERAL. ExiainvE tirsK'. The l'rifiMent'f Lone est Speech. Des Moines, Ia.t 20. President Gran, t upon being called in front, said be had -concluded to disappoint those who called him, first, in the expectation of getting a short speech, and had jotted down something be wanted to say. He then expressed gratification I'm recalling the days when they had suffered together to preserve a government they believed worth fighting, and even dying for. " We will not," said he, " deny to any of those who fought against the United States any privileges under the government which we claim for ournelves, on the contrary, we welcome wel-come all such who come forward in I nood faith to help build up the waste places, and to perpetuate our institutions insti-tutions against all enemies aB brothers I in full interest with us in- a common com-mon heritage ; but we are not prepared to apologize for the past. To guard againat a recurrence re-currence of those days we must begin by guarding against every enemy preventing tho pioeporty of free republican re-publican institutions. I do not bring into this assemblage politics certainly not partisan politics; but it is a (air subject (or the soldiers in their deliberations de-liberations to consider what may be necessary for them to secure the prize for which they battled." The president urged the cultivation of intelligence among the people in regard to political makers, and said "if we arc to have anothor contest in the near future of our national exist-once, exist-once, I predict that tho dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon's, but between patriotism and intelligence, on the one side, aud a superstition, ambition aud ignorance an the other. In this centennial year the work of strengthening the foundation of the structure begun by our forefathers 100 vears ago at Lexington, should be "begun. Let us all labor for more security of free thought, free speech, free press, pure morals, unfettered religious sentiments and equal rights aud privileges of all men. irrespective of nationality, color or religion; encourage Iree Bchools and resolve that not one dollar appropriated appropri-ated to them shall be applied to the support of any sectarian school; resolve that neither state nor nation nhall support institutions save those where every child in the land may get a common school education, unmixed un-mixed with atheist, pagan or sectarian sec-tarian teachings. Leave the matter of religion to the family and keep the church and state forever separate. separ-ate. With these safeguards I believe be-lieve the battles which created the army of Tennessee will not have been fought in vain." The president's speech was greeted with applause, repeated again and again. Gen. Sherman closed the speaking for tho night with a humorous humor-ous and short speech, in which he said he wished all the speeches made here to-night could be printed in full and scattered broadcast through the south to show the people there bow the ex-soldiers of the north felt towards them. |