The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-06-30
saint Paul, Friday, June 80, 1865.

The Twaddle about q Soldiers Home
under the Auspices of Political Con.
ventiOns :
The periodical throes of the Governor,
and the diurnal spasms of the Press, on
the subject of Soldiers Home, would ex-
cite no emotion other than of derision,
were they not inspired by motives at once
partisan and malignant. The revolution
lists of the Republican party, who thrive
only in the midst of disorder, must "make
the meat they feed upon
Dissatisfied with the attitude of approval
which the Democracy of the Union have
with such entire unanimity assumed to-
wards the administration of President
JOHNSON; apprehensive that the "source
of all their tears" the "irrepressible ne
gro" may dry up with bis exclusion from
the government, except so far as it may be
permitted by the action of the States them
selves afraid to encounter the policies of
peace which the experience, not merely of
the United States, but of all the great
commercial and agricultural states of the
world, has demonstrated are those to which
the Democratic organization has always ad-
hered; they would keep alive an organiza-
ton which cannot exist but IN condition
of things abnormal to good government
and chaotic, by sheer denunciation andap-
peals to base passions. This twaddle about
the foundation of Soldiers Home under
the auspices Of political conventions, is
simply finger of the hand" 1t cannot
be supposed that the official head and the
representative organ of party respectable
at least in numbers and power, are so
moon-struck as to conceive that anything
permanent in the direction indicated can
be accomplished by conventions, which
have neither authority, responsibility or life
beyond the occasion which gives them
birth. You might as well organize a
swarm of bees as to organize measures for
an institution for the relief of disabled
soldiers at the beck of party conventions.
You might as we'll expect to raise the
means to carry out such purpose by
passing around the hat at mass meeting
The proposition is ridiculous - absurd.
The labor of the mountain and the birth
of the mouse would be no parallel. 1t is
shameless to deny that all men, of what
ever party, agree in a sense of the deepest
gratitude to the glorious men who have
ennobled the history of the republic by
deeds which have given new blazonry to
the " flag of the Free"
It is more than shameless to assume as
these politicians must do that the soldiers
of Minnesota can be entrapped by devices
so shallow and transparent. The army OF
the country is composed of no mendicants
who come with open palms to solicit the
eleemosynary sympathies of political par
ties. They will not return to ask, but ex-
pecting to receive, not charity but justice,
at the hands of government which has
been at once preserved and indicated by
their devotion.
Does the Press distrust the willingness
of Republican Congress to make provis
ion for those disabled in its service which
all nations time-out of mind have regard
ed as an act of justice! Wedo not, mucl
as we disagree with the party in power
We are unwilling so to believe. Th'
Hospital L'Invalide, the pride of Pari
and the glory Of France will dwindle il
comparison with the system which men o
all parties in Congress will unite to con
cert in behalf of those who have been in
valided by the war. Each of the partie
not merely of this State, but of every
State in the Union will doubtless call tn,
attention of the several State Legislature
to this and kindred topics, and in thi
method will give authoritative expression
to the "voice of the people"
I'VE have no fears that our soldery, com
posed, to say the least Of the average in
telligence of the country, will be caugh
by the clap-trap of bad name, or wry face
at the Democracy, and high-sounding pro
LESSONS of friendship for the soldiers
"The voice is JACOBS voice, but the hand
are the hands of EsAU." "By their work
We shall know them," and when the Dem
ocracy fail in fealty to our country, or il
the fullest cooperation with all measures
of Justice to its preservers, we shall begiI
to doubt that the sun doth shine
Our only excuse for devoting so mucf
space for the puerilities We have beer
commenting upon, is that the discussion
of projects merely visionary and ebulli
tionary may produce harm by dlvertine
the public mind from the only method.
which promise substantial results