The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-09-12
Gail Ir..ll.o. >. ses....

So much has been said about the
letters Of Gail Hamilton, now being
published 10 tbe New York Tribune,
concerning Civil Service Reform"
etc, and there has been so much
sneering on the part Of the average
editor concerning woman writing
on politics, that We feel like laying
before our readers q portion Of her
last letter, 10 which she speaks Of the
discharge Of Gen. Mesde's sister by
the Secretary Of the Interior
am happy to believe that Secre-
tary Schurz utterly mistook the teu-
per OF the American people when be
allowed sny civil service reform
whatever to remove Miss Meade from
Office for any cause Whatever. Look
at il. Miss Meade is the sister Of
Gen. Meade. Have we forgotten who
Gen. Meade wssl IL will, perhaps,
never be claimed for him that be was
as great a military commander a.
Grant, or sherman, or Thomas, or
Sheridan, or, perhaps, as MePhersoL;
bot history will faithfully record that
il fell TO Gen Meade's lot TO light and
to win the most critical. the most fate
ful, the most memorable battle Of the
war that be fought il vhea the spif-
IL vi rebellion was al its height, when
Lees army, proud in It's prestige aud
arrogant ia its power, bad dared ID
invade the free North fought Il when
70 lose would have been 10 see Inde-
.pendenee Hall under rebel flag in
thirty six hours, Baltimore 10 bloody
revolt, and the Capitol at Washington
opened 10 the session Of C0nfsder-
ate Congress fought IL ~ ben U nit
cd States vessel vi war lay at anchor
ia the Potomac to receiv. President
Lihcoin and bis Cabinet in case The
legions of Lee should overcome the
soldiers oi the Union. Then aud
there, my eounIrymen, on the wofnl
held Of Gettysburg. on those three
historic days, the American Union
was saved aud constitutional liberty
preserved by the Generalsbip u
Meade aud the liOn-hearted bravery
Of those wh0 fought under him
Aud when ! recall those three mid
eummer days VI suspense; " hen, even
la tie shadJw Of our mountains,
" here We ieit o1ly the shock OF the
bl.gle, aud lite snd death hung on
he issues Of an hour; when I recall
lhs solemn and speeebiess JOY Of
Meads's great victory; and when
remember bO. bistOry might have
rolled back and the destiny Of conf
nents sad races changed by bis iai-
Iering; when | think of that modest
hero, gentle as a woman 10 his man
ners, tender "a a child ia bis feelings
Il cannot believe that il is the will
Of the American people that while
the grass has hardly yet ripened and
withered on the grave, bis sister. de-
dePenden; FOR her bread upon her Ia
Dor, should be turned out Of her hmm
bic place in the Interior Department
10 the name Of Civil Service Reform.
count as the small dust Of the
balance all reports in any reform pa
per, or from any source whatever, Of
all unGiness whatever. / question
their truth and, If true, they should
not be pleaded European methods
Of Civil Service are held up to oar
emulation, aud England and the Ger
man Empire are pointed out as mod
els Of administration for "a. i do
not for moment eoncede that they
are better than ours, bat does Secre-
iary Schurz think that the Govern
ment Of Eoglaad would, under sny
pretext whatever, deprive a sister Of
the Duke Of Wellington of the means
Of subsistence or that Minister Of
the German Empire would dare to
displaee the sister Of Won Moitke
from the comfort in which any other
Minister had placed herr Yet Wa
tefIoo held not for Engiand, nor Sc
dan tor Prussia, go grave q moment
a. Gettysburg for the United States,
where three days long nations
fate hung darkeEing 10 the smoke Of
battle.
think that General Jackson, head
and front Of the vicious spoils systen
though be were, Understood far
better the nature Of our people, OF
whose will be had been made the ex-
eeGtiSe and that Mr. 5churz him
seIf, al armored in unsel6sh patriot
lam snd high sense Of duty, might
ind bis account 10 studying the char
aetsristic anecdotes Of bin 30 often
related by our old Salem neighbor,
Col. Miller, the gallant an try air J"
Of the war Of 1919 It was be that
advised Gen. jackson that George
Cro9bao. the splendid hero Of the
FOrL SieI benson fight 10 1873, who
with q handful Of men. maintained
against Thousand British snd In
dIsas position that involved ell the
communications and defeases Of the
North-west-tbs. George Crogban
with bis gallant record, was TO be
eourtmsrtiaIed on q charge Of ''io-
temperance 10 alcoholic drinks"
When tie arbitrary, Illogical, anti
reform old General heard this, he laid
down bis pipe, rose from bis chair,
smote The table sith his elenebed
fat, and with bis pro7srbisl energy
declared Those proceedings Of the
coartmartiaI shall be stopped, Sit
George Croghan shall get drunk
every day Of his life, IS he wants 10.
and, By the Eternal, the Uoi.ed States
shsll pay for the g hiskey.r
rs member Of cold water tenn
pie, Gen Jeckson's speech cannot be
applaGded nor does be make m0eh
better show ass Civil Service Re-
former; but I tbiak be came much
nearer the American heart. think
be represented much more accurately
the real wishes Of the American peo-
pie and | think, also, that u Mise
Meade were far less able 70 work
lhan the Kcformers represent her, the
people would s15I forgive Mr. 5eh0Fz
more freely for breakiag bis rules snd
retaining her al their own expense,
than for casting her adrift 10 the in-
teFests of rigid sod economical in