The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-06-01
The Army TO be- Made an Element in Politics


Sherman at the Chamber of Commerce din
ner.
This astonishing uttersuce has double
significance 1t ia the opinion of a West
Point graduate and army officer. 1t is the
opinion of prominent official, who holds
political relations with the present Admins
tration personally, and through brother
who is Cabinet officer and Hayes's conf.
dental adviser. For the first time in Amer
ican history has a responsible public man,
on public occasion, in the presence of the
Chief Executive and Secretaries OF Depart
ments, proclaimed principle which, in ef.
feet, marches the army into Federal politics
and camps it there permanently as a part Of
the government OF the United States.
Gen. Sherman did not limit the mon
strous statement to the contingency of a
foreign invasion, a sectional rebellion, or n
partisan effort to overthrow an existing
Administration. He well knew that with
the abolition Of slavery, the enfranchisement
of the negroes, and the destruction of the
old slave power, not an element of diEunion
and civil war was left anywhere. lie knew
that there was not the shadow of Il prospect
of military invasion from Mexico, Canada,
Spain, France, or England He we'll knew
that the party cheated out of the last elec-
ton through fraud would not resort to arms
to assert its title to administer the Govern
ment, but would seek justice through the
forms of law and take vindication from time
and the ballot boxes.
Regarded, therefore, in the light Of the
Constitution of the United States, and the
forms and habits of our political life, Gen.
Sherman's declaration that the Union cannot
exist without an army to hold it together
is revolutionary and wholly without excuse,
save in so far as it foreshadows Il new politi-
cal departure fifty supplementing a fraud
which put into the Presidency candidate
not elected by the people, but unquestiona-
bly, beaten at the polls.
The most charitable construction that can
be put on Gen. Sherman's utterance is that
it is an old soldiers convulsive scream for
the perpetuity of the army. But Gen. Sher-
man believes what he says. He spoke with
forethought and preparation for he had
been assigned to reply to the regular toast,
"The Army" He is the head and repre-
sentative of the army. His utterance,
therefore, may fairly be accepted as the SEN
tment of the military order; and it fur
nishes an argument for the abolition of the
army, instead of its reduction to ten thou.
sand men merely.
The Sherman doctrine is utterly offensive
and intolerable 1t upsets and defes the
constitutional and popular conception of an
American army. The use of this is to over
| awe, control and punish the hostile Indians
Of the Plains, and give protection to the ex-
posed border settlements. That is all. There
is no other logical excuse for its existence in
time of peace. But Gen. Sherman unre-
| buked by the Fraudulent President, his Cab
met ministers, and the Chamber of Com
merce, deliberately turned the army into Il
political force, made it part of the civil
government of the country, set it up as
machine to enforce compliant civil life, and
maintain subservience to the party in pos
session of power. His doctrine that the
army is necessary element of our politics,
would, il accepted, overthrow democratic
government in America. 1t would be the
end of State sovereignty 1t would be the
end of popular sovereignty. 1t insolently
tramples on the conservative force and virtue
of our Constitution, our laws, the morality
and good sense Of the people, their common
and mutual interests, their habit Of demo-
cratic public action, and their patriotism.
These are the ligatures that tie the United
States together Cannon are not the foun-
dation Of our Union, nor are bayonets and
ball cartridges its saviors.
| To narrow and shorten the shadow flung
over the political future of our country at
the Chamber of Commerce dinner, the in
coming Congress should without delay re-
duce the army to 10000 men.-M Y. Sun.
| The Herald nnblishes what nurnorfs m be