The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1867-07-31
THE G. A. r.
SOLDIERS OF VENGEANCE.
From the n. Y. Tribune, of July End.

| our mind of an association known as The
Grand Army of the Republic We spoke
with severity because we felt the occasion
| had arrived for a severe expression of Opin-
! ion. We understand the Grand Army Di
| the Republic to be a secret society, com
! posed Of persons calling themselves dis
charged soldiers of the army with the pur-
pose OF taking part in politics Mr.. Ben
nett rather denies this, but we are not sa It's
fed with his denial We scarcely ever can
take up certain class of Western papers
without finding that some Post" of the
| u. A. X. has had meeting, and resolved
| that everything is going wrong and that
nothing will go tight until some one is
hanged, and everybody has a confscated
| farm.
In the first place, we call this orgqniza,
ticn unrepublican, Secret associations for
social purposes, to aid in charity, or to de.
yy,e,lop virtue and friendship, are very well.
| They rare'y interfere with anybody. If
people find amusement in meeting in guard
ed rooms, and wearing spangled dresses,
and calling themselves sachems, and broth
ers and comrades, soldiers of Gideon, and
sons of Rechab, it is their own business.
| We may doubt their taste, but q man S
taste 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 re-
establish the Catholic Church, and scatter
confusion among the Protestants In
America, however, these maledctions are
merely rhetorical. The Catholic and Pro-
tpstant Churches still live and flourish -
We had Fenianism and Know Nothingism
The one is dad as an active power, the
| other has long since departed. In the war
there were Sons of Liberty and knights of
the Golden Circle-hut their glory was for
a day, and it faded like the flowers of the
field. When secret society goes beyond
the offices of charity and friendship, it
takes no root in America.
~. Glani army of the Republic pro-
poses, according to Mr.. Bennett, to IRE.
new associations formed amid the roar Of
artillery, the lightning of batde, and the
thunder of victory" We far Mr. Ben
nett but half states his case. The memo
RIGS Of the recent war are no doubt very
high and holy. There is something sacred
in the comradeShip which drank from the
same cantecn. va can understand with
what lusty qlSspf the comrades of the
mess would meet in civil life IF this we're
all we could be content; but it is not all.
These men combine for political purposes.
They propose to keep alive the wrath and
bitterness of that dreadful time. They
mean to control conventions to nominate
men for office-to perpetuate in our civil
system the bitterness of war. We believe
the soldier should receive abundant reward
h When a soldier and a civilian apply for Of
fee, all things else being equal, we should
making a privileged class, and especially
We dislike this getting into corner, and
having passwords and grips, and making
an exclusive class Washington foresaw
this when he opposed the Society of the
Cincinnati. He saw iu that association the
first step towdrd an aristocracy, and he de-
clined to ally 'imselfwithi it, What Wash
ington 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 fellow-countrymen, to exult in
ictorles 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 hell 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 ig-
norant protection to the oppressed, justice
to all.
We say this and sacrifice lone Of the
principles 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
ment. They. propose to ally themselves
claim upon it than Thenardier in Hngo's
novel had to be called the Sergeant Of Wa.
terloo. He followed the army, and robbed
the bodies of the slain, The true soldier
sheathes his sword and burys it in his clos.
ct, and it remains an heirloom. He be
comes citizen, and makes no claim for po-
litical honor but that of citizenship. Above
all things he does not carry his epaulfts,
ribbons, his wounds and bruises to a politi.
cal 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
Sc cret soldier associations SO manv express
ions of madness. The true soldier is the |
most generous Of foeman. Take the great
captains who commanded the cont hding
hosts. Do we find Grant. or Sherman or
Sheridan, or Thomas or Meade, assembling
together and bowling for more b'ood, more
stIife. more bitterness? Do we find Lee, or
Longsrreet, or Johnston, or Beauregard in.
Sisting that the hates Of secession shall be
prolonged? These men fought their fight
and ended. Their anger ceased with the
echo of the last guns fred in anger. From
this Grand Army Of the Republic, now pa
rading through political conventions sin the
West, commanded by the captains of the |
caucus, the lobby, and the bar-room, we
appeal 10 the Grand Army Of the Republic
which carried our banners over hundred !
fields under the eye of Grant. Sherman and
Sheridan. We dcnounce this new secret
association as out of sympathy wi b the true
Republican party, and as mir ical to the
Constitu ion and the Unioo. 1t will be
sad day for our party when soldiers ind no
better work than to prowl over the battle
fields cf the past, and dig up the bodies of
the SLAIN. The country wants peace, and
rest, and harmony, and justice. These men
want distracted country that offices may
be gained. They would make America a
Mexico, peace would be SEPT to sleep with
Turks and infdels, instead Of Union, they
would tho wofullest division make that
ver Sel| unon this cursed earth