New-York tribune., 1872-09-04
THE LIBERAL SOLDIERS.

GEN k'CANDT.ESS'S SPEECH AT HAhiiSbu l''-
THE PITTSBURGH COUNCIL OF WAR-hU-
KLUxIsh-HIsToRY REPEATS ITSELF.
The following are extracts from the speech
of Cen william McCanless on taking the chalr at tne
Convention OF the Liberal Republican and Democratic
soldiers OF Pennsylvania held at HARRISBURG Aug 2S:
WHERE THE CARCASS rs, THERE WILL THE 'oLloNHS
BE-"
CouR.prs. self-defense demands that We SHAH again
muster In defense Of country's liberties Eleven
years ago we were called for similar purpose Iheh
,ve were mepaeed by secession we are menaced Dy
centraization the latter If possible more permanently
destructive OF our liberties than the 1oret 10y We ~.
qure why this is Did not the sons OF & y s
successive years bare their breast, to he Storm o
from our Tn so & 70 & py ia raty and rights Of
the States nnimpared," should De assureu' was mi ~
war not brayely fought and nObly wont Men OF al
shades OF political opinions Democrat and Repubncan'
advanced shoulder to shoulder, forgetting dli llo
ness o marty strife thus eyncng purity OF patriotism
and nnty Of purpose OF which Greece or Rome might
have been proud In their psmlest days WY st stc1, 1
hatttieS, ove, aoain9 Recause the fruits OF
dearly bought victories have been gannnere3d gn3
by unworthy hands. Hores OF human tackils followed
Of victorious armies, always at saIe as
tancc like sharks In the wake OF shin at sea- armed
with patents of ROYALTY to rob- rom te hsnesI III % @
form of Treasury agent with his cotton permits, doWh
10 the smallest satellite who described his orDit III tie
Wnere the caTcase s will the vulure be- These
creatures fastened themselves upon the almost ruheu
States OF the south, maintained ia telr spoalpns ~
direct armed resistance from the federit power WhSn
beld all who dare oppose them IN It's tolls Is nerclGssy
was LAGOON IN the coils oil Tue serpent tSl az ..s
would be sufficient reasons why shoud he alarmed
and counsel with each other as honoaby dIscnarge
soldiers, had not some OF our iorhcr coufula
speak the soldiers OF Pcnnsyyanla called c0uh
ell OF 60 assemble at Pittsburgh on the 1th OF sep
teui-r There, oy the ioict 0t nu",iu@o"
false halo Of military glory will be thrown around Grant
aud artranft that would have blinded the single eye Oh
Hannibal added additional lustor To the Laurel upon
tie bald FIRST CsHsdr's head.
THE PEOPLES WILL GREATER THAN MILITARY PRESTIGE
But comrades 1t is the brght day that brings forth
the adder and while wOlld not detTact from the
honors Of ans who boldly faced the enemies OF hls
country we must remember that there u something IN
this land greater than military prestige powerful
than tho successful soldier who, 10y lOTtdtOus couO
nation Of circumstance or by the enictheiy OF poh
claus IA placed ruler That sOmcthlng Is
the peoples sovereign viii az eXpresscl IN lle IuhI
mental law clear that no intelligent man can mistake
1t, strong that no uhsciupnou5 luu C", , ~
with impunty and charitable thit no mlh, pe Tic
ever so humble, who - not prOtecttsi under H. r'nel
perng always. comrades that To live by one man W
became the cause Of all mems misery by WhI1
principle then OF political necessity Is me honor
ably discharged soldier called upon TO muster
in behalf Of any particular class OF pol'lch cahd
dates l. not the country at peace wth te WofIdi Il
NOT such an organization az the proposed at Pitts
burgh at time, iuical to the best Interests OF
republic Is 1t not for the purpose OF ralhg among tnc
dead rmbers of the past To endeayOr u blow into a
fame the heartburnings of our unfortunate cNl var
, yc ~ me North have been continually guard TO
protect If possible what little Of state rights we htd re-
naming after the capdcOus nav OF military Necessity
mad been gorged, while Tpentant Rebel brethren
have been equally busy, regret 10 soy WIN a. ilc
H. STRIVING TO keep lHt NA'th VI t'li
property from finding It's way INTO INC cap,Sious pc
bags of Grants adyentrers; men VINO, "lth slUSlo
skill worthy of q better cause, upon me charge OF NJ
kluxism safely eusconeed shepherd in jail while
they preyed upon tDe GocA Comrafes, when e'l men M
conspre good nen must combine, Is an axiom to DC Ob
served II you wodld preserve your liberties
THE MODERN GALBA.
We know that socially the meetings of corps or army Is
the most agreeable those who felt the elbow
toueh of comrade o cOmrade advancing amid the crash
of battle We have them annually where we recount the
Tho nm an
ism count an glOries Of chettun- over ana
before we separate standing In silence he heart Dats
rpduem the eternal welfare OF those VINO alu thcu
lives un their cOunrys altar But such an one as Is
nropo .ed in Pttsburgh the anupodcs OF lls III Is rs
destructive the memories OF the past as IL - fta 10
our liberties IN the future why, MI. freslei nay?
mont that the highway OF the past was witened WIN
the ombstones OF republics that ike Brutus OF Oiu lu
ingOriOsy fallen upon thelr own swoIus, eil
"A sucides death Sir ii any man had had the harllhOOd
Ia say TO the Roman Senate, or to an aSsemDlage Oh
Roman citizens that the RepuDnc "ou,l nave oeen
oyerthrOwn by "a successful soldier or nef OWL ne
would have been hurled from the Tdrpelan rock py
the indignant people. Yet such was the result
what the causrf First, corruption IN pubhc serNlco
disease as deadly TO the body polite II. the cancer
that knaws the yitals OF the indVlual man; Seeohu
Prptorau guards spell II Pittsburgh instead lhu you
nave an American Grant in lieu OF Roman GalDa lie
II was who first thrust himself as ruler over Tue hOi
neope by tue his soldiers ana MS SOd lhc great
historian Taeus wrote or him this, Ihat everybody
would have supposed hlm worthy 10 r'lg lau ne hOV
reigned" How singuarly applicable i Iacltus history
of our state and national heroes. Hdd thcy not Dee
elevated to high place before no one Dut themselves
vould have known OF their incapacity. we deny SIR,
either the prOpriety the right OF ths coming fttS
burh conclye to speak for the soldiers OF our state IL
il hone 5ty the public service against dishonesty ana
when we have driven the present money changers from
these halls we viii then discuss with them the ability oi
their modern Mare to administer the cNh affairs oi
| oar country.