The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-06-16
THE RECEPTION OF RETURNED
SOLDIERS.

The Union, of last evening, in an article
on the arrival of the Mercer county boys oi
the 1O2d regiment, says:
On it's becoming known that these boys Were
here COL James M. Beardsley ana EA-S ,e.
Laughlin went to work ana nsa Amarc,n and
nared for them at the Jchnson's americas a1
The Rock Island House, and through theH eAer-
ton toe board of supervisors, on the matte, oels
presented to them, made an appropriation 10 Pa,
the bill
"Tbeir exertion" must have been "hef-
tvu one. as no one was opposed to the appro-
priation."
Nv the way-what has become OF the COM
mittee on the matter of returned soldiers,
appointed at the secret meeting in Lawyer
Havley's Office? The Union, on the 4th OF
Feb'y, 1864, said: j.,
A meeting was held last evening at the once OF
J. B. Hawley, Esq, and all the arrangements
made and the principal committees appointed to
give Capt Seymour's company, and any osheF
companies that may arrive at the time, or az any
future time, proper reception, as Uet Us 50 Pr
ride the necessary refreshments and entertainment
for those noble, war-worn veterans. The want oil
some such systematic business arrangement 10
receive these veterans, and provide for their com
fort al thew NAV arrive, has been seriously felt,
and we are happy to announce that such arrange
raents hare nouc been perfected as TH ooriate a"
difficulty in the future.
The occasion of this meeting was as fol-
lows; In January, 1864, Co. ID, 18th LII.
VOL, the 1st company sent to the war, was
on its way home, its term of enlistment hav-
ing expired, and it having reenlisted for
three years more One OF its officers tele-
graphed us that they would arrive on the
29th day of January, and we consulted the
mayor and few prominent men oil both par
ties, on the subject, in order to make the re-
ception united, harmonious and successful
peoples movement, Invested of all party
feeling. and just such a one as would be
pleasing to the soldiers to receive. It was
decided to give them welcome supper that
evening, at the Rock Island House, and we
sent copy of the telegram to the Union for
publication, with notice of what was to be
done, &c., &C. The telegram was suppress
ed, we suppose, because it was addressed to
democrat. But the company arrived on
Friday evening, January Goth, as telegraph
ed, and was met at the depot by large con-
course of people. The fine band of the Grey
Beard Regiment had been procured, and was
on hand, and all marched to the Rock Island
House. The mayor presided at the supper,
the editor of this paper, by request, made
the welcome speech, Ia fact which the Union
studiously avoided noticing} and Capt Koch
Ter, of the company, replied. The evening
was passed very pleasantly, having fine
supper, plenty of champaign, land, by the
way, the only champaign supper given to
any company speeches, toasts, songs and
music.
Those in attendance were nearly every one
democrats, the two or three republicans who
were present having to be urged very hard to
induce them to go. The fact was the polite
al managers of the republican clique in this
city felt bad because the "eopperheads," as
they called the democrats, were doing any
thing towards giving the returning soldiers
just such welcome as they deserved, and
they purposely kept away, in order to make
the reception a failure. The reception, how
ever, was a grand success, and better one
than has ever been given since. But repub-
ican bigotry resolved 10 monop0lize these
kind of receptions in the future, and hence
the meeting described in the above extract
from the Union. They appointed commit
tees but never published their names. They
modestly announced that they would attend
TO the reception of all companies who
should return sat any future time.'-
And they said they had made provisions for
their entertainment.
As a matter of course democrats felt insult
ed that they should attempt make a party
thing of such receptions, and took no part in
them.
Now, we should like TO know what has be-
come of that committee, appointed in Mr..
Hawley's Office: The grand promises it
made, by its organ, are unfulflled. They
said arrangements had been made to proper
~ receive all soldiers who might return, at
any future time,provide all necessary refersh-
ments, entertainment, &c., &c. But now they
come begging the board OF supervisors to ap-
propriate money to do what they said they
had, themselves, made arrangements to do.
And Sup'r Atkinson commits the further dis
courtesy of making the reception a party
things, by about the most Objectionable man
in community. If partisans shamefully seize
upon the management of such matters, the
soldiers will know where to place the blame
The radical press insists that negroes shall