Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1864-09-30
THE TROOPS OF 1876 AND THE COPPER
f-sF 49, HEADS OF 1864.


Mr.. Lorenzo Sabine hasjust published
work entitled 'The Loyalists of the Amer
lean Revolution" filter title would hav,
been ''The Tories of the Revolution" TIL,
preliminary historical essay is full of fact
which afford striking historic parallels t
some of the circumstances of the presen
time The Christian Register says:
II teaches that not single wrong exists
now but existed then to greater extent
Do men now plot in secret against the gov.
ernment? Thirty thousand loyalists, ac-
cording to the lowest computation then
took up arms against the government; and
South Carolina forced Governor Lincoln to
surrender her Capital to the enemyin 1880.
Are there men now to be found who sell
to the enemies Of their country! Wash
ington, while his army was in rags and
starving at Valley Forge, writes to Colonel
Steward, 81 am amazed at the report you
make of the quantity Of provisions that
goes daily into Philadelphia (then occupi-
ed by the British army) from the county o.
Bucks"
Do officers, through personal jealousy OF
a desire to shirk, now throw up their com
missions? John Adams in l777, writes:
81 am worried to death with the wrangles
between military officers, high and low
They quarrelli like cats and dogs. They wor-
ry one another ike mastiffs, srcambling for
rank and pay like apes after nuts.
Are surgeons now dismissed for incom-
potency or speculation 'tMany ofthe sur
geons," says Washington, 'tare very great
rascals, countenancing the men to sham
complaints to exempt them from duty, and
often receiving bribes to certify indisposi-
tions, with view to procure discharges or
furloughs." They also draw medicines
and stores in the most profuse and extrav-
agant manner for private purposes.
Have we "bounty jumpers?" So had
our fathers Men enlisted only to get their
thousand dollars, and then desert. A
thousand after they had voluntarily enlist
ed, periured themselves, in order to escape
the service. Many deserters re-enlisted
under new recruiting officers. 1t was no
uncommon thing for them to desert by
the twenty and thirty at time.
Have we now shoddy contractors who
fatten on fraud, and demagogues who
foment strife? Read Washington's pict-
ure of his time. '9should in one word say
thstidleness, dissipation, and extravaganza,
seem to have laid fast hold of most; that
speculation, peculation, and an Unsuitable
thirst for riches, seem to have got the bet
ter of men, and that party disputes and
personal quarrels are the great business of
the day."
There is, in fact, no possible discourage
ment now encountered by American pat
riots, but existed in a greater degree dur
ing the Revolution, and yet our fathers
triumphed over all them.
Wedo not press this subject on our read
ers to excuse any rascality or treason, but
to show that our fathers had to- deal with
the difficulties which confront us. And we
would warn those men who now plot
against the government, that their names.
in company with their companions of the
Revolution will go down to posterity COW
cred with infamy.
We hope those who are inclined to ex-
aggerate the present evils by false contrasts
with the past, will read the, closing chapter
of MIR. Sabine's Historical Essay, for, to
use his own language, it may s1do some
thing to correct the exaggerated and gloo-
my views which are often taken of the .5,e-
generatespirit of the present times, found
ed on erroneous, because on a. Martial es-
innate Of the virtues of by-goRe age"