The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1879-05-29
Decoration Day.

May 3Oth is the day fixed by custom for deco
rating the graves of those who died in defence
of the Union. Did they die in vain! If SO, they
are happily obivious of the fact, and their de-
votion and sacrifice to glorious cause, entities
them to the kindest remembrance CT the present
and future generations. But in the light of the
present situation, it would seem that those who
died in the battle for the Union died uselessly.
Fourteen years have passed since the close OF
the war. Both branches Of Congress are hiled
with men who fought against the Union, and no
Union soldier is permitted to hold a subordinate
position in either The fact of having been
soldier in the Rebel army, is almost certain
passport to patronage. 1t is almost daily pro
claimed in the halls of Congress, and printed in
the official records of the Government, that the
men who fought to destroy the Union were its
friends, and that those who died in its defence,
and whose graves will be strewn with flowers on
the 30th of May were the traitors! Almost dai-
ly it is proclaimed by those Rebels, that the re-
sults of the war, for which these men died, shall
he utterly destroyed, and that it shall be ac-
counted not crime to have fought against the
Government.
And the men who survive, who fought for the
Union, seem (many of them) to have lost all ap-
probation of the magnitude of the cause for
which they risked their lives. SJme from love
of Office, some from jealousy or spite, some from
unaccountable perverseness, from Ignorance and
prejudice, have joined the ranks of those who
denounced, prosecuted, or fought them during
the war; Thousands of them would to-day I'M
Llushingly vote for the ex-Presdent OF the
Southern Confederacy for President of the Unit
ed States, In preference to q Union soldier who
might be the nominee of the Republican party.
man who was once Commander -in Chief of the
Union armies is now Governor of State, elec-
ted by the party that opposed and denounced
the war for the Union. An officer among the
highest in command in the Union army, is 3
standing candidate for the Democratic nomina-
t:on for President of the United States; but the
Rebel element that controls the party will new
er suffer the disgrace to be put upon him which
he seeks. A Union General who was declared
an outlaw by the Rebel Congress, upon whose
head a price was set, and who was accused Of
all things dishonest and vile, is now one of the
most active instruments in the work of placing
the Government under Rebel control. But We
might enumerate examples by the column. Suf-
flee il to say, that the asylums, established by
Government as homes for disabled Union SOL
diers, are filled with men, five out of seven of
whom would vote the Democratic ticket, even
if the keeper of the Andersonville prison were
at the head of it. We may add, that an officer
who was tried and convicted Of treason, where
by great battle was lost to the Union, after re-
peatedly trying in vain for new trial, has just
succeeded in securing one, and, upon the evil
dence of men who fought on the Rebel side, has
been declared an innocent patriot by Court of
Union officers! These are bad things to say on
Decoration Day but when men who fought for
the Union unite in fellowship with those who
fought against it, and tamely submit to be stig-
matized by their allies as the real traitors, and
to see themselves daily punished for their Union
ism, the outlook for the country is not bright
one.
Patriotic men have serious forebodings of an
other war They see the Rebels rampant in
Congress- and hear their threats. They see the
army cut down, and appropriations refused, be-
cause the army defeated the Rebellion; and they
see the supplies withheld for carrying on the
Government. The country is left helpless, ut
the mercy Of its enemies. If the crisis should
come, patriotic men might again rush forward
with ther money and their lives, to save the ma
ton But past experience has not been such as
to warrant such thing again, during the pres
ent generation. The men who furnished the
money, have heard themselves denounced as
Shylocks and robbers, and have seen parties or
ganized for the purpose of repudiating the obli-
cations of the Government. The men who toll
ed and suffered for four years in the ranks, find
now that it is a badge of disgrace, while the
men who fought against them are honored aud
promoted. The inducement is poor for either
money or men. In fact, it is the invariable ex-
preston of men who fought in the Union army,
that if another war comes, somebody else may
do the fighting.
While the graves of dead soldiers are being
decorated, would it not be well to make all effort
to rescue from disgrace the cause for which
they died. and to offer some better encouragem ent
than flowers on the graves of the dead, for men
to rally around the flag when it is assailed
again'