The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-09-06
Illinois Soldiers and the President

Illinois E0ldHrS anu Inc iiOSiuOn"
srecial Disnatch to the Chicago Evening Journal |
SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,, August 80.
The soldiers of this portion of the State
have had their feelings greatly outraged oy
President johnson, by his appointment Oh
r +, Merritt, editor Of the copperhead, reoel
.vmnatbising State Register of this city, their
syootbered wrath found vent last night, at a
Tneeting of the springfield Post Of the
Grand Army of the Republic" which was
pumerousIy attended. The following en-
phatic preamble and resolutions were adopt
ed by unanimous vote:
WHEREAS, The President Of the United
States did, in obedience to the express will
of Congress, on a recent occasion, announce
it as a part of the Executive ''policy, that
he soldiers of the Union should be appoint
ed in places of honor and trust under the
Government and that thus treason should
be rsade ''odious," and rebels and traitors
made 10 take "back seats" etc.-a policy
which was then heartily Endorsed by every
soldier of the Union army; and,
WHEREAS, Notwithstanding this announce
ment, many good Upion Office holders,
against whose ability and integrity no &C
cusation has been brought, have been re-
moved fpm such offices, and, In numerous
instances, persons appointed thereto whose
sympathy with rebels and traitors during,
and since. the rebellion has been undisguiS-
ed and notorious, while the faithful Union
soldiers have been studiously neglected,
overlooked and ignoredS and,
WHEREAS, 1t has come to the knowledge
of this post of the Grand Army OF the Re
IL editor of a notorious rebel 'sympathising
sheet in Southern Illinois, now editor and
proprietor Of a daily newspaper published
in the city of Springfield, of known and I'M
disguised rebelIious principles, has been ap
pointed by the President Of the United
States Pension Agent of the Springfield
Pension District of this State-a position of
large emolument and great trust, and one
which relates eGcluS6UeIy to the soldiers, and
competent veterans had made application
and
WHEREAS, The said Merritt, in said news
papers, did, both openly and covertly, ad-
vocate desertiou from the Union army, and
resistance to the lawful tdraft' for the re-
cruiting of the depleted ranks of the same
and did, also, in said newspapers, traitor
ously, villiapously and persistently, SANDER,
malign and traduce the soldiers Of the Re
public as ''vandals,'' ''mercenaries," ''Lin-
coin hirelings," ''Sherman's bummers,"
thieves" ''inurderers,' ''incendiaries,"
whose motto was booty and beauty" and
I'D heap upon their heads every vile and OPP
proprious epithet that could be conceived or
Imagined by his traitoroas and malignant
brain and 80 thoroughly and VIGOROUSLY
was he in sympathy with the insurgents
that he never failed to manifest the most ju-
bilant feelings over rebel victories, and to
disparage, sneer at and morun over the, sue
cesses Of the Union arms all of which can
be abundantly established by reference to
the files of the said newspapers, edited and
published by the said Merritt, sud to which
die members of this Post have access +; now,
therefore, be it
RssoIUed, That in this appointment the
President of the United States has not only
faIsified his own avowed policy and set at
nought the express will of Congr ess, but
has openly and wantonly insulted and out
ragged the feelings and sense of honor and
self7respect of the Union soldiery of said
Pension District, and at the same time done
despite to the memory of our martyred
comrades,
Resolved, That in this appointment we
see treason not made ''odious," but respec-
table, and traitors advanced to front ''seats, -
while loyalty to the flag of our country is
made ''odious," and to have borne arms in
its defence is thus made cause for proserip-
ton
Resolved, That we call upon our fellow
soldiers all over the State Of Illinois to re-
sent this base insult to us and to the wild
ows and orphaned children of our fallen
comrades, no one of whom in this District
can receive fraction of the provision made
for them by the Government, except as il
passes through the hands of this vile tradu
Ger and slanderer of the noble dead, whose
memory is still fresh among us, and who
have bequeathed to us the guardianship OF
their honor, and the proud remembrance OF
their gallant deeds
ReSoL0ed, That the Adjutapt of this Post
be, and he is, hereby instructed to commu-
nicate with every Post and District of this
organization in the counties embraced in
this Pension District, with view to the
adoption of such measures as shall secure
united expression of sentiment upon the
subject of the foregoing resolutions.
The district over which Merritt was APP
pointed as Pension Agent embraces the
counties of Adams, Brown, Calhoun, Cass.
Champaign, Christian, Dewitt, Fulton,
Greene, Hancock, Iriquois Jersey, Livings-
ton, Sangamon, Maeoupin, Madison, Schuy-
Ter, Scott, Shelby, Logan. McDonough, Nc
Lean, Mason, Menard, Montgomery, Nor
gan, Moultrie, PEORIA Pratt Pike, Taze-
well, Verrnillion and Woodford. In addition
to the above resolution was passed re,
questing their publication by all the Union
newspapers in the State and nation. A
cnmmittee was also appointed for the pur,
pose OF giving practical effect to the same,
as indicated by the fourth resolution Ger.
tilted copies of the entire paper were ordered
to be placed in the hands of President John
son and each member of his Cabinet, and
also in the hands of the subject of the
same.