Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1862-07-22
Urern &1lt. freeman
MONTPELIER VT.
tuesday Morning, July 22, 1904.
The Soldier.


ura condition Of man to acknowledge soma ru.
Ing power.
In baybarous nations, We see men uniting in
tribes ana yesting thelr supreme power IN g
chief these tribes uniting Income nations. and
in all degrees II advancement, come torn Of
government is necessary, Or reach person acts for
himself. and there Is no security OF property or
life. Every government must have some power
to enforce Its laws; and that power Is found I'll
timatcly IN the soldier. We believe there never
was, aud we venture the assertion that there
never will be people 50 unanimously disposed
to do right, that penalties and punshments,
may, with safety be dispensed with.
True, there may be instances where alter a
government has been established tho civil au-
thority may protect it I'LL some powerful enemy
ariscs--as mus been the case IN jar own country
but then the soldier IS again brought into
rc4usiton
And what is the character of the true SOL
der? We have been accustomed to regard The
soldier as poor, hard-heartcd being, who
adopted this occupation because he was TOO X
norant or ndVent to obtain an honest llyell-
hood. But is this correct IDEA Have we
not been deceived BY the long years OF peace
which We have enjoyed? Have we not !orgot-
ton those revolutionary heroes and those scenes
OF blood in which the foundation Of our nstitu-
tiou5 Was lalJ,
The true soldier IS not composed OF gay
uniform, brass buttons, ana nOustache Meth
cr Is he lnat low, degraded being with tho stain
OF blood upon his hands, winch some have im-
agined but he IS a man, Win the soul and feel
ings OF man.
Let us examine more closely let uo look
deeper INTO the neau Of TIE soldier, and see by
what motives he Is aGtuateJ
Observe the sell sacrificing spirit OF the trac
soldier ana by tins term mean all such as
bear arms Tor Tie protection Of Their ri hts, for
the Liberation Jl tha Oppressed, Tor the over
throw Of tyranny, ana of ,hose eternal princ-
tles Of justice and right, q love Of which the
uroqtor has Implanted III .ne human breast
lie leaves hone, friends, and ali those scenes
Ji peace and quiet which are 50 dear to us all;
sewers those ties winch bind the human heArl to
the associations aud companions 1l youth tears
himself from the arms VI his family 10 may be,
a. the call Vi suffering humanity. lie thinks
not Of hlmse,l. Of perp0mi danger being will
..,, to sacrifice o.s life ,i the c,lse in which he
is engaged. Iu only aske " hat is my duty?' !
and wuere that CALI he is realy to follow,
tbo,l,h the uatb leads TO certain death. Actu-
ated b. none but the purest motives. taking NJ
arms only to delenG his country's honor. or 10 |
nrotrct her institutions, lie is not mercenary.
nut q patriotic man. ii. bears no analogy 10
the grey-eyed man OF destiny, Robert j.
walker. HIS followers. though sometimes call
ID soldiers. had not TIE least shadow Of claim
10 tbat t,tlo. fAe; deserve only to be called
But he true soldier never causes one drop Of
human blood to llow needlessy never willingly
dcsolates one hearlh never adds one pang to
the human heart, when 1t can be consistently
4yoided such III The present conflict are our
soldiers. God bless them. See the devoted
spirit manifested uy Lyon who went to battle
because he hAd not been reinforced
desperate, Tor tao aas painfully conscious that
little less than a miracle coulu save him from
defeat almost hopeless, a,r he knew the over
whelmiug odds against him, Still the cause
forbade INN to retreat without battle. He
obevsd the voice of patr.o,ism, and went out to
dsnger aud to death, that lovely summer morn
me His holse had boen shot under him he
himself had received two wounds, when rallying
his woarled but valiant troops for l desperate
bavonet charge. A regiment whose Colonel
had been shot, cried Genera, come lead us. -
He obeyod, aua while rushing upon tho enemy,
waving his sword aloft and cheering on hls men,
he received the fatal bullet, and died like true
soldier aud hero, dealing death 10 his oountry's
foes.
Note the solEsacrfclng conduct of Col Ba-
ker, who had grown old IN the service OF ms
country still ecoulJ 4ot RESI-. while the tral-
torous llnd was raised gains, the Government
which no loved And with hrm conviction
th,t he should perish ere die rebellion should
he crushed, said - / cannot afford to turn my
face from ,he enemy and he died rlori.
ously rather tban take one step backward
How appropriate at his grave seem has own
wo-ds snokeu over ;he murdered Broder!ck
!, Good blend brave heart gallant leader
bai, and FAREWELL
Suea spirits as these are now engaged in this
,ontes. r5r as contest them with those who
,retep,nced against as. Eternal nfamy rest