Litchfield enquirer., 1865-06-01
OUR RETURNING HEROES.
BY HORACE GREELEY.

yet have passed through Richmond Two hundred thousand in all-from the grand old
 Army of the Potomac, the sturdy Army of the James, the Army of Tennessee, of the Cum. l berland, and of Georgia-wili, on or about t.e first of June. be assembled at the Federal Me tropolis, preliminary to their speedy and hon orable discharge from the service. Some of them bore part in the disastrous experiences of our first campaigns-of either Bull Run, Wilson's Greek, Lexington, Mo-, Gaines's Mill, Secessionville, and the earlier attempts on Vicksburg-far more of them recoiled from the deadly fire that reddened the frozen, slip pery steeps of Fredericksburg, or shared the modification melted by our bafled effort at Chancellorsville, or glowed with the valor which wrested victory from the jaws of ruin at Stone River-while the hearts of tens of thou sands among them thrill with patriot pride at the mention of Shiloh, of Fort Donelson, of Antietam, of Gettysburg, of the campaign which calumniated in the surrender of Vicks- burg, of Shsrman's magnificent march from the Tennessee, to Savannah and to Raleigh of Grants tenacious hold on Lee, which noth- ing could relax or shake until he had, through months of bloody persistency, through every shade of fortune, hunted rebellion from it's cuirased capital, and chased the rebel Gen. eralissimo to surrender of his entire army. In that bronzed host about to be finally mus tered at Washington, there are the relies of a hundred desperate conflicts, individuals among them having participated in more than twenty. Some of them have marched in de- fense of the Union much further in the appre- gate than the distance from New York to Liverpool; and. though there are some recent recruits in their ranks, the regiments that will answer at roll-call in this muster have 1os, more men by wounds in battle than will now respond to their names Some of them have not seen the face of a paymaster since last September or October; many are poorly clad and shod, and are going home to resume life of constant, rn99ed lahnr- far mana s1,h-- sistence; mauJb the carnage of many battles, hsRRallt ltS hhearths made desolate in their ab- sence by the death of those they most deeply loved. It is not probable that their country, during the remainder of their lives, will ever call them again to the tented field. They leave at least two hundred thousand veterans in the field, nearly half of, them cavalry, who are amply adequate to the speedy stamping out of any future outbreak of the now smothered fires of the Rebellion. The like number who are olr probably never be called to recover thein.--
 God grant that their children also may never be summoned to repeat the stern experiences of the last four years Most certainly know that our soldiers are not al heroes. Some of them enlisted for the bounty, intending to earn 1t at as slender cost and risk as might be - Some of them attempted desertion; others have disgraced their colors by cowardice or robbery. As whole, however, hold the armies of the United States, while at least equal in intelligence and moral worth to their fellow-citizens generally, decidedly their su- periors in average bravery. patriotism, and l the spirit of self-sacrifce. How generally, how patiently, how buoyantly they have borne fatigue, exposure, privation, suffering. for the salvation of their country, 1 trust that ceuu- try is not likely to forget. >a.-
 Yet write to urge my fellow-citizens to a persistent, all embracing, systematic remem- brance and requital of the obligation. write to urge that everywhere the loyal men and women of these States form local associations. whose constant care and special work it shall be to see that no Union soldiers widow or orphans want the comforts of life, and no crippled or invalid soldier has personal reason to feel that republics are ungrateful. And l would like to urge, further, that every town. ship and city hold stated annual meeting on the 4th of Jnly, when no other day shall be deemed preferable-to inquire and consider whether this duty has been fully discharged.
 have small faith in alms-giving. save il
 exceptional cases. It is not benevolent, i. ii
 wrong, to support any one in idleness who il
 able to work If some weak, rich philanthro
 pist were to leave by will two dollars per da,
 to every adult and one to every child tha I WOulV appear tV oi6tnA HIS uVuutys uo WOul'
 thereby have done far more harm than good
 So much for so much, is the memorable law Q
 the universe, which man is impotent to evade
 He who would rather live on aaother's bount
 than by his own honest labor is fool in intel
 lect and slave in soul. If could make ever
 rich person in America open wide his purs
 and give therefrom dollar to every one wh
 might ask for it, would not. Far from m
 be any such debauchery of the poor.
 But our Union soldiers and their families but especially our disabled heroes, have claim
 on our sense of justice that may not be eva ded. Here is one who enlisted on the tiding' of the first shot fired at Sumter, or in response to the call after Bull Run, receiving no bounty
 and discarding vocation which gave him competence, for the rude chances of the b' youac and the battlefield at thirteen or six teen dollars per month ; and he has returned } minus a leg or an arm, with crippled hand ) or with a bullet in his side, whereon he re ! ceives a pension ot eight dollars per month. : Can you consider this man as devoid of clair l; upon you as though he had been thus disable F in bar-room scufle or midnight orgief