The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-10-24
Ar|uaold islaIfll
p1Esp AS 81. 20 oBER ii, 1878.
About the Military.

About tho Military.
Senator PATTERSON, Of Pennsylr ania, who
holds 4 seat In the United States Senate as
Che representative Of South Carolina, q
State which said PATERSON has so outraged
as 20 entitle himself TO association with the
army Of thieves to whom the late ME-
GREsLE9 said, eco back thieves the
Aforesaid PATTERSON made . speech In
Washington city Friday night last, In which
he said:
cone hall OF the trouble In the South to-
yiay existed because army officers stationed
In the South affiliated with the southern
Democrats and told them that there was no
fear OF military Interference
This lisa high compliment to The military.
And we know 1t to be correct except in so
far rs PATTERSON lies In saying what the
soldiers told the Democrats. II such yahoos
and malignants as. BLAINE and MORTON
commanded the troops they would be made
to spread terror indeed by hectoring and
murder; but the regular officers OF the
army understand their duties, and will not
while in command become the tools OF the
malignant and ambitious partisans. They
viii not awe and drive from the polls the
men who are against the Radicals and COM
Del the negroes to march up like slaves aud
vote for the Radicals. They know that
their duty is to maintain order, and their
services are only due where order is dis
turbed. But this is not what such unscru-
pulous partisans as PATTERSON want them
to do. Even GRANT, as insensibIe as he is
to the relations he holds to civil right and
Law, is not impudent enough to say in his
proclamation that the soldier must assist the
Radical party in putting down the Demo-
Gratis: and this the soldiers could not be
made to do hafhe put this thing in his pro-
clarnation.
But why do the soldiers do that which
PATTERSON CONSTITUTES to be 6 afiliating with
the Democrats =? Because habit, nature,
and education compel them to it. Are
white soldiers expected to associate with
blacks? Upon what ground? Could the
blacks entertain them or interchange sentl-
ments and views with them SO as to make
association with them tolerable? No matter
where the soldier comes from, when he is
marched into southern community he Is
forced to seek association with white men;
and that, in the estimation Of the pure
minded PATTERSON, proves his Civilization
with Democrats" The soldier is not an
oflice-hunter-not an office-holder. He be-
longs to the army, whose duties and oblisa-
lions are the same no matter who is Presi-
dent. His country's defence is his plainest
obligation, and his obligation to assist in
suppressing internal disorder where State
has not the power to suppress it is another.
BY no means was he enlisted to make war
upon his fellow-citizens. He cannot be
made to shoot down peaceful white man
at whom PATTERSON or q CHAMBERLAIN
may point his finger.
II this be " utilization !" with white men, it
is a delightful reflection that the brave sol
diery Of this nation Will always be guilty OF
it. We have this faith in our regular SOL
diers. And we put full faith in the officers
OF the regular army. They understand what
war is, and what the public duty OF the SOL
der is; and though we abhor the violations
of constitutional liberty by which they are
sent upon their disagreeable duty in the
southern States, we arc proud to believe
that they are too much of patriots and men
to do the service which the scurvy partisans
design they shall.
It is true that this sort Of affiliation-an
utilization inevitable from education, habit,
and race-takes place between the soldiers
and the people wherever they go. Hence
the southern people are not alarmed when
the soldiers appear. They know that the
soldiers do not come amongst them to kill
them, and so do the soldiers. They know
that the soldiers cannotb made to assist in
crushing them in the dust and putting a
barbarous race to rule over them. And
thus the army cannot be made to do what
BLAINE, and Morton, and PATTERSON, and
CHAMBERLAIN, and the HARPIEs desire
should be done.
What shame it is that it has come to this
that our white people hail with pleasure
the arrival OF the soldiers, whom they regard
more as protectors than persecutors-pro
tectors against the malignities and oppres-
sions Of their so-called Republican civil
rulers! 1t is shame that cannot provoke
blush from insensate persons like GRANT,
and BLAINE, and MORTON, ct i'd omne but it
will in after days cause amazement in every
intelligent mind that such a thing should
have been in these times, and will grieve
the heart of every generous citizen who
loves his country.
Civilization with Democrats, indeed.
Let PATTERSON, and CHAMBERLAIN, and all
the thieves and brutes, know that the sol
diers never can affiliate with them.
The Federal Executive and Southern