The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-11
THE REUNION OF THE ARMY OF
THE POTOMAC.
Press will appear.

..... IHb fOL
THE proceedings connected with the annual
reunion of the Army of the Potomac were, in
the main, highly satisfactory and creditable.
A large number of the great military leaders
of the nation were assembled together, and
while they enjoyed the delight of renewing
old associations, and fighting their battles
DER again, they received due honor from
crowds of civilians, and reception from all
classes which fully maintained the reputation
of Philadelphia for hospitality. We regret,
however, that the harmony of this meeting
was marred to some extent by the speech de-
livered by the orator of the occasion, General
Martindale We do not wonder that
at the close of the meeting a resolu-
tion was offered condemning this pro-
duction as improper, and calculated to injure
the society; and although this resolution was
defeated, we hope that the speakers chosen to
address this association of soldiers in future
will studiously avoid the unnecessary intro
duction of partisan topics. General Martin
dale's oration was far better fitted for Re-
publican campaign speech than for an assem-
blage of men composed of different parties,
and the triumph of Republican doctrines is
too decisive to need such ill-timed arguments
in their behalf.
At previous meeting of leading officers of
the Union, Frank Blair, the Democratic can
didate for Vice-President, had the wretched
bad taste to violate the proprieties of the oc-
casion by ventilating some of his Democratic
theories. For this offense he was properly
rebuked at the time, and the chief result was
that he sank lower than ever in the estima-
tion of the American people. General
Martindale, on Saturday, did not err
80 grievously, but he committed an
error of the same kind. While
confessing that all partisan discussions
we're unsuited to the occasion, the body of
his speech consisted of a rehash of the Dred
Scott decision, discussion of the slavery
question, and q laudation of the new consti-
tutional amendments We do not question
the vigor of his argument, but surely he
might have chosen a more fitting time for
disseminating his trite views on the results of
the political warfare of the last ten years,
and after being chosen as q soldier to address
q body of soldiers, he might have found
more appropriate topic than the civil conflict
connected with and arising from the terrific
contest of mighty armies
In the war for the Union Democrats as we'll
as Republicans entered the ranks of the army.
and filed with credit some of the highest
military positions. 1t is true that many of
the former gradually discarded all their Demo-
cratic affiliations, but this rule was not uni
versal. Secretary Cox, one of Grants Cabinet
officers, has evidently not forgotten the fact
which Martindale apparently ignored, and in
his remarks on Saturday he paid compli-
ment to General Mcclellan, which displayed
the true spirit that should prevail throughout t
in these annual reunions. Considering his
political position there was special signif-
canoe in his remark: 81 may venture to say
that which every good soldier will respond to.
love that man Mcclellan, and honor him as
he deserves to be henored." And hereafter
we trust that the managers and orators of the
reunions will not forget that the Army of the
Potomac, as an army, was composed of sol
diers and not of politicians.