The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-08-18
4 Good Ford for the Soldier.

Il GOOd WOfd for the Soldier.
Rev A. III. Quint, for three or foul
years chaplain of the Second Mass. reg't,
gives much truth and good sense in a let
ter about the /" returned soldiers" which
we copy in part:
What Is TO be done
with the returned soldiers, is a frequent
question Especially is it asked in view
OF what the papers characterize as ''out-
RACES by returned soldiers" MANY good
people are sadly afraid, too, of the demor-
alization of the community by the return
OF these men. want 10 say something
on this matter.
1t is undoubtedly true that there have
been some dis turbanees by returned sol
diers- But l wish people would remem-
Der that they are very few: consi,l,. ....
the number of the disbanded troops, the
disturbances are exceptional The num-
Der of badly disposed men is very small
Well, did you suppose there could be so
many men collected and have them all
angels! ! Have You forgotten how YOU
smugggled into the army at one time vasl
number of the worst Gases YOU could find
instead of enliSting yourself: orr,iher be-
cause YOU were afraid of the draft. Dc
you forget that men who have committed
offences were sometimes gwen the option
ot Imprisonment or enlistment Now.
between this class. and the genuine sol
der OF the earlier DAYS, there was a vast
difference This class has come back :
not demoralized by the army. but demor-
allied 10y civil life before they went 10 the
army: demoralized al home by home So
cie;v- The army has improved what
your state of society had corrupted.
Now when a few men make disturbance.
don't 60 to abusing 1.-THE soldiers Ii is
not right. 1t Is wicked. When YOU See
a man III the blue. see one who has periled
his life for YOU 4 man who has brlvel
death again and again that you might
have a home. and stay there making mo-
ney- There are worse disturbances than
these nj railroad stations. Every copper
head IN the land has done infinitely worse ::
The r;iscallv scum. Every shoddv con-
tractor has done vastly worse. | preach
ed-awhlle ago-.o a CONGREGATION. where
l knew before me. Il man had cheated
the soldiers in the shoes he furnished he
l. a respectable man, and church MEM
Der. while Indignation is poured out on
some thoughileSs freak of an idle veteran.
How ached 10 "pitch in - TO cheating
contractors. 1t was great self denial
that did not
Ii Is Sald that some of these men ret
drunk Well. who furnishes the liuuor
DID the soldiers bring ii home. Did thev
import grog shops into this Eden Have
they made every corner u trap to
caich some unwarv volunteer! Was N,
one ever drunk until the soldiers came
home Who are they who lie in wait to
>wlndle the soldier out of his harl-earneti
pay! Who are the self DENYING men who
:" TO keidrllle Ia camp for soldierS) in
tram after tram They did moi look tu
ME like missionaries. Who are those
waiting at the Providence station j! They
dii no; seem like colporter>. Who are
those acco>ting soldiers in the street. They
dill hot appear like those eminent citizens
VIII" vowed eternal sratitu,le-if the men
would only enlist.
People talk of the danger that the re-
turning soldiers will demoralize society.
ilumhug and cant, The total danger j.
that society will ,lemoralize the soldiers.
lou spread temptations around men Jus;
released from wears of hard service: yn;,
weave the nct ill is me>heS are clIs,
YOU LET williams in>i'iiouslv get control OF
open hearted men: vou LET two thousand
liquor shops offer drink: YOU allow houses
OF i'll fame in almost every street in Bo~-
ton; and then YOU talk of the soldier.
"demoralizlng' the eminently pure city
in which vice reigns rampant,
1t Is dangerous period TO a yonnr man
when he is Just released from the army
service. He is accessible 10 temptation in
NJ ordinary degree: because just freed
from peculiar restraints He suppo~e~.
foo. that his gallant dee,Is haze mad,
every man friend The danger is TO him,
not 10 society. Let society do its duty.
The fact is. feel lie.
cidedly indignant when every lapse from
order bv returned soldier is marked anJ
pubiished-wlen society spreads all tn,
temptation around him-tie state Snub
linn. AMI the eopperhead, and the cheat
ING contractor who has grown fat out o
his swindlingS, turn up the whites of thei
eyes in fear of the decentralization
tell you the proudost man in Massachu
sets is honorei by taking the hand of tht
poorest soldier he meets in the street.
insist that the upright, the moral. ant
Christian, should interest themselves il
these men. Efforts are making to secur,
them work. Many are earnest to serv,
them. But all should be- The soldier.
are not pauperS, but Won owe them al
eternal debt of gratitude Show a littl,
OF Ii by ceaslng TO attribute the i'll con
conduct of Il few TO ''ihe soldiers Hav,
IA little forbearance for even those few
who fall before the temptations yos allow
/ 10 exist.
REMARKABLE OCCURRENCE. At Haver
al Mass, On the Sd inst, pleasure party