Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1876-04-06
Unworthy of the Nation.

At the close OF the war a grateful
country cheerfully indorsed the ac-
tion of Congress in distinguishing
two of the foremost Generals by crea
ting new ranks at advance pay, viz:
Grant and Sherman. Upon the elec
tion of Grant to the Presidency,
Sherman was promoted to the rank
Of General, and Sheridan to that of
Lieutenant General. The combined
pay is less than $4,000. 1t is true
these officers have not great deal
to do in time of peace, but it was not
for the work they were expected to
perform, but for serv ces ready rem
dered, that their rank and pay were
fixed by Congress, and cheerfully in
dorsed by the loyal people of the
country.
But the whirling of time has, un-
der the dispensation of mysterious
Providence, brought the Coniederates
into power, temporarily, in the lower
House of Congress, and these are
now not only proposing to investi-
gate the conduct of the war in which
they were defeated, but they also un-
dertake to insult the Generals under
whose leadership the rebellion was
suppressed, by reducing their pay.
This is small business. 1t may be
worthy of rebel malignity, but it is
utterly unworthy the Congress of the
United States, or the people of a
great nation. In this business, too,
we are surprised to find Gen. Ban
ming, one of the Representatives from
this county, in the lead; or, rather,
We would be surprised, were it not
that Democrats from the Northern
States are destitute of manhood, bow
ing their knee to their masters from
the South as plainly as did their pre-
decessors in the ante-war days, when
slavery was triumphant and the
crack of the plantation whip fright
ened Northern sycophants into meek
submission.
This insult is offered to our Union
Generals by Northern Democrats to
conciliate the rebels, and this the
poor, miserable dough-faces who
misrepresent Northern constituen
cies conceive to be their chief mis-
sion. The reduction is proposed, of
course, in the name of economy, but
what is few thousand dollars to the
American people compared with the
insult thati offered to their honor?
The increased salary was voted as
testimonial to the brilliant and sue
cessful services of the officers in
question. Now 1t is proposed to
take it away. This is stinging in
suit. 1t is intended as such, and as
such we denounce the act and its au-
thors.
Every Democratic Northern dough-
face will no doubt vote for the insult,
but they will not go unpunished
when they appear again before their
constituents. OF this they may rest
assured.
No Republican in the House will
vote for the contemplate measure,
and it will, of course, be defeated by
the Senate, of which the Confederk
ates have not yet obtained control.
This will be the end of it; but the
base proposition is humiliating and
deserves to be censured in the most
severe terms.
The offices created for the purpose
at the time indicated, should cease
with the lives of the distinguished
Generals who fill them. but in the
mean time there should be no mean
dickering with the salaries fixed by
Congress as a reward of merit. The
proposition to reduce those salaries
is equivalent to saying that the peo-
pie are sorry for what they did, and
that they placed too high an estimate
upon the services of their great Cen
erals. This the people will not say.
On the contrary, they demand that
the honors voted to Sherman and
Sheridan shall remain, and also that
army officers generally who served
their country so well in time of war
and great peril, shall be fairly treat
ed in time Of peace.-Cincinndti Ga
zette.