Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-09-04
TIE SPIRIT OF THE TRUE
SOLDIER.

Gen. w. w. Averill, the well known
Federal cavalry officer in Virginia during
the late war, refused to sign the call for
convention of soldiers and sailors to be held
at Pittsburg, Pa, during this month, and
thus rebukes the leader of the "Grand
Army of the Republic" who will not let
the people forget tia bitter animosities en-
gendered by a war which closed more than
seven years ago. 1t appears that there are
two Gen. Averills, one of whom resides
in Minnesota, and he signed this call. The
fact that the more distinguished of the two
us been generally regarded as the one
signing the call, has induced him to pub
licly repudiate all connection with the
gathering or its purposes. In answer to
inquiries on the subject, he desires it TO be
known that he is not the Averill whose
name is appended to the call, and further
more, that he cannot concur 10 it, "Nor
can - he says, Gas a soldier or citizen ,
listen 10 it or vote for the candidate in
whose interest it was issued" sit would
always give me the greatest pleasure" he
continued, s'to meet my comrades of the
war for the promotion of any social and
patriotic purpose; but could never coun-
teuance the perversion of such meeting
to the purpose of reviving and sustaining
the bitterness and animosities of the
war;" This is, as the Baltimore Gazette
SAYS, frank, soldierly aud explicit. But
Gen. Averill proceeds TO give solid reasons
for his course. When the war broke out
he believed it to be Gan inevitable and I'M
ayoidable struggle between two distinct
and conflicting social FORMS" and be,
among others, accepted tho issue to pre-
serve the nationality of the Republic and
prevent disunion. Nevertheless he judges
the Southern people justly, and pays an
honest tribute to the motives that actuated
them, and the courage with which they
sustained their convictions. He says:
sin the conflict that ensued, those who
fought on the Southern side were no more
to be reproached for living under and be-
ueving in the socisl system which they had
inherited, than we who shed our blood in
maintaining the purer Democracy in which
we had been born and educated. The
South was ready, willing and strong. HeI
strength was measured by the 100000
men, and $4,000, 100000 required to crush
her. The strength of the North was moi
measured"
After the war was over, and its results
had been accepted by the Southern people
opportunities, says Gen. Averill, were Of
fered to Gen. Grant greater than any since
the DAYS of Washington, and YET, he adds
no man, living or dead, has ever ex-
hibited such absolute lack Of intelligence
to understand or will to embrace them. .
The soldiers of the South had moi
only laid down their arms, but had at once
gone to hard work at various occupations
formerly despised, showing that they had
well learned the lessons of the war. Every
consideration of honor, dignity, and even
of mercy, demanded that we should eQ.
courage them in the struggle for life and
peace no less heroic than their conduct In
battle, The shattered fragments of their
former social structure were ready at hand
to reconstruct society on Democratic
foundation; but those fragments have been
ground into dust under the vindictive heel
of u. S. Grant and the men who contro
him. Ignorant, superstitious negroes who
will abide with US forever have not been In
strucLed in the duties OF self-goFernmens
but by the special efforts OF the President
and of bis Cabinet and other oinclals, tney