The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1865-06-14
Work for the soldiers.

Work for the Soldiers.
The world witnesses with amazement
the orderly disbandment of three-fourths
of our great armies and their peaceful re-
turn to civil life. 1t is all very well for
the world to wonder, and an emotion of
complacency on our part is not amiss---
but re want something more than emo
tions. Ours is a practical nation, and
showed It's practical turn by the readiness
with which it took hold of the war We
look for the same talent to be exhibited
in the return of peace. Society has now
to absorb into its ordinary industrial oc-
upations some hundreds of thousands of
men with the same easy readiness with
which it dismissed them from the paths
of peace to the rough ways of war 1t is
not an appeal to the charitable. The no.
tion that any soldier is to be relieved or
employed from charitable motives ought
to be rejected at once. Upon Govern
ment and People alike, the soldiers have
the first claim. 1t is they who have
saved the Republis-God forbid the Re-
public should forget them when there is
no longer need of their heroic virtues in
the field. They come back to US, wheth-
er sound or disabled, with such claims as
no other class of persons can possibly
present. For four years they have re-
nounced the safety of peace, the comforts
of home, the profit of business They
have endured all and dared all for country
and we should be the meanest of races to
forget now the right of these returning
veterans to every vacantpost of remunera-
tive occupation.
Nor ought it to be supposed that these
men come back to us untitled for the
duties of common life. War is stern
dlsciplinarian and has turned many
worthless fellow into good citizen. But
the material of our armies is not and never
has been of a worthless character. The
standard of personal character among the
soldiers is so high that to have been in
the army is presumption of merit
Thousands from every State entered the
ranks, leaving honorable and lucrative
pursuits, and they are no worse, but bet
ter, for the experience they have under
gone. Out of the same number of men
taken at random from other occupations
it might be in vain to search for the same
talent and good qualities that will be
found among the soldiers who in these
weeks are getting mustered out of service,
and who are looking about them for new
occupation. We trust every one-every
individual, will feel that it is his person,
al duty to interest himself in the welfare
of each soldier with whom he comes in
contact, however slightly or incidentally.
The obligation we are all under to these
noble defenders of the Republic, cannot
be discharged except by individual effort.
Last week we had from Washington the
account Of resignation by an Office hold
er in favor of a soldier who needed the
place. Such an example ought to be
contagious. The Government will,so far
as it can, discriminate in favor of the
soldiers, but there are few places in pro-
portion to the number of applicants, and
the People must do what the government
cannot. Every farmer, every master
mechanic, every employer in whatever
business, must not merely answer appli-
cations from soldiers, but should take pains
to search them out, and put into their
hands whatever work he has to be done.
A hearty and general cooperation of this
sort will make it difficult to find dis
charged soldier out of employment, or in
any way dependent on charity Tribune.