Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-02-11


Wood asks for, ~ one could reap more
profit than himself. But he and his col
leagues should remember that there can be
no forgiveness Of their errors without resli
tuition and amendment. There is no stat
ute Of limitations in the moral law. II is
because this is the Centennial year that the
people demand from politicians patriotism |
and from open offenders repentance; and |
il is a poor return for the lcniency shown |
to the Southern Confedcrates--not to say |
the NOrthcrn-that they use their accident !
al possession OF power 10 indicate a bitter |
hostility against the defenders of the coun-
try, from the MANNED and wounded soldi, =
to its most active commanders. This Is
plainly not the way in which to begin a
period OF patriotic unity, aud there are, no
doubt, many intelligent and honorable
Democrats who will not share III the inn
prudent measures Of their colleagues, and
are not willing to assume the risk oil leav-
ing the country defenceless against foreign
or domestic foes for this must be the nee
essary result Of reducing our inadequate
military force.
The army is, in fact, our only national
police. Tia labors are constant and often
excessive. Few probably have noticed
their extent or the almost inCessaut toll
| that falls to the lot OF the active soldier,
The army, although pbninally compris-
| ing 25, 900 men. has seldom in reality more
| than 10000. Its duties are as wide as the
| Union. vet its annual cost for each soldier
! il not more than is paid TO New York
uolicemen. 1t costs twelve or fifteen hun
! dred dollars piece for 10000 soldiers and
| New York pays $300000O for q police Of
$500 men. Our small army is scattered
over frontier of many thousand miles.
II guards, or attempts to guard, with an
! inticuuate force, the long line Of the Rio
Cirandc. and the dirordcrly population that
occupy both banks OF the river find little
difficulty in evnding the scattered troops,
who are almost lost on the wide border
line OF Texas. Smugglers, marauders, and
desperate men OF various nationaltics are
often necessarily left unchecked and un-
punished, and the government probably
loses in Texas annually in duties aud in
taxes n sum greater than the cost OF amod-
crate army. Still more important and diff
icult is the service required Of our soldiers
on the wild, waste territory reaching from
borLers of Mexico to British Columbia.
Here the course of emigration is just max
ing its way. New States aud Territories
have sprung up. The cabins of the settlers
have reached the outskirts of the wilder
ness and climbed the Rocky Mountains.
But they are in constant danger from the
restless and tickle tribes of Indians who
still surround them. Over all the thiDly
scattered population of this immense dis
trict our soldiers keep constant and in
z neral successful guard. Emigration
advances under their protection. The val
ue of lands and the safety Of thousands Of
lives depend upon their watchfulness.
They are often forced TO march many hun
dred miles ut sudden warning through
n painless desert to awe or repel the saw
ages. In n recent battle with the Indians
the courage Of n colored regiment was par.
ticuarly conspicuous, and helped to check
n general invasion of the frontier. Min
nesota owes its repose to the activity of a
few soldiers. Arizona is guarded by men
who live in solitude, far away from the
traces Of civilization. All along the shores
of the Pacific, too, our troops are scattered
in isolated and weak detachments and on
the British and Canadian frontier, where
the English have at times concentrated
many Of their best regiments only thin
line of American soldiers, insignificant in
numbers, watches over the interests OF the
country.
1t may b, ca lily imagined that very
few troops are left, after 80 extensive ser
vice in the interior, to occupy the forts on
the coast and protect the national armo-
ries. These are often left almost destitute
Of suitable guard. A mob or a riot
might easily inflict serious injury upon the
country. 1t is stated with authority that
had Fort Sumter been properly garrisOncd
the rebellion could have at once been sup
pressed. And the peculiar character and
condition of the people of the most of the
Southern States will long require tn. care
ful supervision OF the national officials.
The remoins of fierce and cruel aristocra-
cy exist among them, eager for revolution,
bloodshed and crime. Half their number,
or rather two-thirds, arc altogether unedu-
Gated and ignorant. Among people so
degraded demagogues flourish, and intim-
datiOn everywhere prevails. The colored
and white folks of the South are in most
districts equally cultivated, although in
point of humanity the former far excel the
latter. For three or four years past the
Southern States have become infamous for
hideous massacres of inofIensive negroes.
The rage OF the whites is inexcasable, their
barbari.y almost beyond belief. louisiana,
Texas, Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia and
Alabama have each brought shame upon
freedom and human nature by an unpun-
ished and inordinate brutality. 1t IL plain
that in several of the Southern States no
, free election has been held for several years
and that II series of horrible massacres ha.
driven away thousands of Republicans oil
Union voters from the polls. The Demo
cratic majority in the House OF Represen-
tatives Is made up in great part of mem
bers from theSe disordcred districts, and
! represents the growth OF carnage, Ignorance
and barbarity rather than OF freedom
! Scarcely would it seem proper to leave the
United States property unprotected in the
midst OF these inccssant niobs aud riots
OF this uneducated population ready for
( revolution, and of great body OF Union
people looking to the nation for aid. But
FOR the garrisons at the South, already fal
too weak for the arduous duties, it is diff.
cult to say how far the violent members oi
its fallen aristocracy might go. Their ha.
! tired for freedom and knowledge is natural
their hands are stepped in cruelty. Only
: education can soften or amend them.
In addition to the duties OF defence oI
life and property, our small army is enga,
ged in remarkable series Of labors for the
' general improvement of the country. Itt
skillful engineers are constantly employed
in deepening rivers, improving harbors
opening internal communications, expl0r
ing the sites Of future capitals. No one
can Ieau lne tcceht Iepofh VI lHe Stcrothrl
, of War without being struck with the va
rie;y and extent Of their labors. They arr
: UPeniug and enlarging the water commu
? nicAtions Of Wisconsin, Minnesota anC
, Michigan. They arc found fnr away il
Dakota, surveying its distant rivers. On
. the Atlantic aud tho Pacific coasts these
, skillful engineers are never idle. 1t il
quite impossible to estimate the immens,
, value to their labora even for single year
} and it ID SAT to say that the West and tn,
! great Northwest owe to the courage and in
of their wealth and greatness. Poorl,
paid, devoted to life Of comparative pov
erty, rewarded only by constant series 0
toll, the results OF the active labors of tn
. army are written in the rapid growth of IN,
whole country. We are now asked by tn