Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1866-09-26
Mr. Willis and his war Service.

blessed with editors, No. 4 having made
his debut last week, and is we presume
tie JFTlttS editor. Baron Munchausen's
stories, the new editor says, are only
!" harmless errors" while our corrections
contain - several false and malicious inn
endOes." The writer then goes on IN
aver that Mr.. Willis did raise comnanv
that he paid the printing bills-that he
was offered commission of Lieut.. Colo
mel, but declined, and then accepted the
post of Quartermaster-at Fort Steadman
was in the thickest Of the fight and n
cap the climax Of absurtlity in making
Mr.. Willis a military hero, Editor No.
trlumphantly prociaims that lit was not
his cMr Willis business to shoot rebels
or to be shot at by them!' Is not that
proving exactly what we said?
Our own opinion is we did not deal in
inuendoes at all, bat said distinctly that
certain statements We're destitute of truth.
Like numbers of others Mr.. Willis had
authority to raise company and di1col
in doing so; Others assisted. Tosay that
no one else, with the offer of double ho,iu-
ties, could raise a company, is all non
sense, as companies were raised both be-
Tore and after. Besides, if Mr.. Willis. as
Is alleged, induced men to enlist under Il
belief that they were to serve under him.
was ii fair TO leave them? This question
Editor No. As defence suggests, and in
connection with the statement that he
was offered the second position in the re-
giment, but declined it, only proves. if
proof was needed, that he raised men to
shoot and be shot at, while it was not
his business to shoot rebels or be shot at
is the language of the Democrat. not ours,
and brings up the query What aOu8 his
business? Public opinion answers thus
he took Il position of no danger, in which
he could make money, and it is admitted
on ali hands that he did make it-MoRE.
PROBABLY, IN THAT BRIEF SERVICE.
THAN \ LABORING MAN COULD EARN IN
MANY YEARS OF HARD WORK FROM EAR
LY MORNING UNTIL NIGHT
We find no fault with the fact of any
pursuit but there are positions which one
set of men could consistently hold while
another would be condemned for doing
the same thing. Thus, We're a preacher
to open a tavern, keep q ball room, a bill
lard table, a lager beer saloon, or other
similar occupation, even his customers
would be apt to shake their heads or give
him a knowing wink whenever his SER
mons contained some pointed allusions.-
Now, Mr. Willis is not exactly a preacher,
but he processes religion, attends prayer
meetings and Sunday School, holds
Bible Glass, and we believe has Sunday
School in the country. Such man must
not act inconsistentIy with his professions,
for if he does he intiicts an injury on the
first great principle he processes to teach,
and gives room for scOffers to talk. His
advocates alege he went into the service
from patriotic motives alone; yet, accord
ing to their own statements, he declines
commands, but accepts a well-paying sit
uation which involved the sale of liquor
to officers, who of all men in an army
ought 10 keep sober, for if it is not good
for privates. we cannot see how it can be
for officers. "Oh, but" says one, 1.-THE
government required him TO keep it," SO
it did-but il did not require him to ac-
cept the office nor was he bound in any
way whatever to enter the service in that
capacity We know there were good cit
izens at the time who expressed surprise
that MI Willis should take a post involv-
ing such Il condition, and we know also
that others sneeringly used it by alleging
that where money was to be made pro-
fession of religion was but a light imped
iment. We leave it to Editor No. t TO de
termine what the motive was.
OF Mr. Willis personally we heretofore
had good opionion, far better than some
of the men who are now lauding him as a
model of honesty, virtue and patriotism.
We were somewhat surprised to see hlm
adapt himself topolitical mountebankism;
more surprised to hear that he lent hlm-
self to further the schemes Of political
demagogues of every shape and hue, for
whom he used to express the most un-
feigned contempt; but after circulating
paper last aUeek, containing q lO1D and
conten1pti6Le aHdck on the senior editor Of
the Gazette, and draa0iag attention to it,
as we know he did, the inference is plain
that he has already adopted that part of
an office-hunterls creed which deems any
| thing fair and honest in politics. In con-
trast with his own conduct in this respect
4 we tell him here that more than one per-
son has given us particulars respecting
I his private character to which we utterly
/ refused to give publicity, for, whether
| true or false, we have no desire to drag
4 such matters before the public against any