The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-09-22
SOLDIERS AND RkDICALIsM

The St. Louis Times has very seasona-
BILE article on the attempt of the republican
portion of the New York politicians, who
were once soldiers to bind hand and foot
the army veterans to the chariot wheels OF
radicalism. OF course this cannot be done;
it must fail in New York as it failed wher
ever tried. Even the machinery of Loyal
leagues and the Grand Army of the Repub-
lie has proved ineffective to compass the
entire control of this voting element, and
thousands who did faithful service in the
field, that the Union might not be dissolved,
scorn the contact of oath-bound conspira-
tors, and refuses to wear their partisan yoke.
They find that the war which they fought
has scarcely yet borne the Legitimate fruit
of restoration; that, in order to perpetus,e
its hold upon the government, the republi
can party has never ceased to place obstacles
in the way of reconstruction; that the
patriotism of men who bore the brunt OF
the battle has been abused by course of
high handed tyrsuy, in and out of congress,
defeating the great ends for which the
people rushed to arms and that brave
soldiers Of the Federal army even, who
have dared TO express their political senti-
ments adversely to the party in power, have
been shorn o! the rights of citizenship, as
in the state of Missouri, for example. and
deprived Of any voice or vote in the gov
erument, which their valor and fidelity
helped to save.
II. H. Rockwell, Of Elmirs, New York,
one of the VETERANS who steadily refuses
to yield his menhood to the schemes of
radicalism in that state, addressed a letter
TO the late convention at Saratoga, in which
he criticises, in unmessured terms, the
assumption that Union soldiers must. of
necessity, adhere to, or symps,hize with
the republican party.
Have you kept faith with US - he very
pertlnenty asks, and proceeds to show that
having "pus Gown armed resistance to the
laws the military relations OF the army to
the government ceased. Its disbanded le-
gions returned to civil life again, resumed
the duties OF peaceful citizens, aud were
forth with released from participation in the
subsequent crusade inaugurated upon the
organic lights of the Southern States. lie
says further:
The sole object Of your last FIVE wears
legislation III Congress. has been to SO hedge
IN or trench the party il power that the
people cannot hereafter disiodge tit is
folly TO say that you have been putting
down dis loyalty" Disloval,y with you for
the past I'VE years has meant simply-aud
only this-vosing the opposition ticket.
You have carried on d military usupra
ton in the South, srsmpling on the laws.
violating the constitution. and perpetuatiug,
10 the name OF Law, a system of tyranny
which would not be tolerated b. the Gar of
Russia in his Palish dominions.
Ask Us to support party that has by its
Legislation created d monied aristocracv in
the land-whioh pays the crippled aud
manned soldier of the government 10
whom We owe debt that money cannot
lqniatel in u deprecated currency, and
pays its other creditors in gold, WEIGH ex-
empt7 millions of dollars worth of property
from taxation, simply because it is repre-
scented III government bonds, and thereby
increases the taxes Of the poor and the
working classes, who already have all the
burdens they eau bear: q party which
throws all possible obstacles in the way of
making the poor German and Irish foreig
ner citizen, and that cannot open too
wide the ballot box to receive the votes Of
negroes a party which has in It's ranks al
the radical extremists, free lovers and ia
natics of every kind in the country? Snch
party surely cannot deserve the symrathv
OF our gallant soldiers.
You are right when you say that those
VINO served in the army fully realize the
work which the Republican party has done
Aud 1t is because of the realizing s4nse of
the injuries which it has inflicted upon the
country In the name of elderly" that they
are DESTROYS to hurl them from power.