New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-07-02
SOLDIERS OF VENGEANCE.

since, while commenting upon the meeIihS vi
Congress- to speak our mind Of an ASSOCIATION
known as "The Grand Army of tie Republic"
We spoke with severity, because we felt the
occasion had arrived for a severe expression OF
opinion. We understand the Grand Army or
the Republic to be secret society, composed
of persons calling themselves discharged
soldiers of the army with the purpose OF taking
part in politics Mr. Bennett rather denies this,
but we are not satisfied with his denial. We
scarcely ever can take up certain class OIL
Western papers without finding that some
"Post" of the G. A. r. has had meeting,
and resolved that everything is going wrong,
and that nothing will go right until some one
is hanged, and everybody has cOniiScated
farm.
In the first place, we call this organization
unrepublican. Secret associations for social
purposes, to aid in charity, or to develop virtue
and friendship, are very well. They rarely in
terfere with anybody. If people find amuse-
ment in meeting in guarded rooms, and wear
ing spangled dresses, and calling themselves
sachems,. and brothers, and comrades, soldiers
of Gideon and sons of Rechab, it is their own
business We may doubt their taste, but q
mans tastes concern only himself. Sometimes
we have vestiges of the Orange sentiment in
Ireland in Protestant Associations, who meet
and swear by the immortal memory of King
William, and VOW to walk knee-deep in Catholic
blood. Such vows are harmless figures of speech
as long as the police are about. On the other
hand, we hear of other societies who propose to
reGstablish the Catholic Church, and scatter
confusion among the Professionals. In America,
however, these maledictions are merely rhetorl-
cal. The Catholic and Protestant Churches still
live and flourish We had Fenianism and Know
Nothingism. The one is dead as an active power,
the other has long since departed. In the war
there were Sons Of Liberty and Knights OF the
Golden Circle-but their glory was for a day,
and it faded like the flowers of the field. When
a secret society goes beyond the Offices of char
ity and friendship, it takes no root IN America
This Grand Army of the Republic proposes,
according to Mr.. Bennett, to " renew associa-
&" tons formed amid the roar of artillery, the
"lightning of battle and the thunder OF victory"
We fear Mr.. Bennett but half states his case.
The memories of the recent war are no doubt
very high and holy. There is something sacred
in the comradeship which drank from the same
cantcen. We can understand with what
lusty grasp the comrades of tho mess would
meet in civil life. If this were all we should
be content; but it is not ALL These men COM
bine for political purposes. They propose to
keep alive the wrath and bitterness OF that
dreadful time. They mean to control conyen-
tons to nominate men for ofiice-to pcrpetuate
in cur civil system the bitterness of war. We
believe the soldier should receive abundant
reward. When a soldier and a civilian apply
for Office, all things else being equal, we should
prefer the soldier But we dislike this making
privileged class, and especially we dislike
this getting into a corner, and having pass
words and grips, and making an exclusive class.
Washington fOresaw this when he opposed
the Society of the Cincinnati. He saw i'll that
association the first step toward an aristocracy,
and he declined to ally himself with it, What
Washington said should be remembered now.
Here is an association more numerous and more
powerful than the Cincinnati, which proposes
to ever keep alive war with brothers and fel-
to exult in victories over
Americans, to rejoice over the destruction OF
men in whose blue veins run the blood which
courses in our own, and who, whatever their
crimes or errors, are Of our own country. We
say, let all the fearful memories of the past
sink into the he'll TO which they belong; let us
think only of wounds to be healed, of harvests
to grow again, of seas once more covered with
our commerce, education for the Ignorant pro-
lection to the oppressed, justice to all.
We say this, and sacrifice none of the prin-
ciples defended by Mr.. Bennett. He is, no
doubt, earnest in his belief that his work is
worthy. But there are crafty, bold, bad men
who look upon these societies as so many in
struments for their own advancement. They
propose to ally themselves with this military
sentiment, with no more claim upon it than
Thenarder in Hugo's novel had to be called the
Sergeant of Waterloo. He followed the army,
and robbed the bodies of the slain. The true
soldier sheathes his sword and burys it in his
closet, and it remains an heirloom. He becomes
q citizen and makes no claim for political
honor but that of citizenship. Above all things
he does not carry his epaulets and ribbons, his
wounds and bruises to political convention,
to be knocked down to the highest bidder.
There may be many of these men unwittingly
in this Army of the Republic, who probably
entered with the views of Mr.. Bennett. They
will soon see how they may better occupy their
time.
Especially do we entertain these views when
we find in the declarations of these secret sol
der associations so many expressions of mad
ness. The true soldier is the most generous
of foemen. Take the great captains who COM
manded the contending hosts. Do we find
Grant, or Sherman, or Sheridan, or Thomas, or
Meade, assembling together and bowling for
more blood, more strife, more bitternessi Do
we find Lee, or Longstreet, or Johnston, or
BeaHegard insisting that the hates of secession
shall be prolongedq These men fought their
fight and ended. Their anger ceased with the
echo of the last Guns fired in anger. From this