The National tribune., 1882-06-17
Let The Grand Army Sneak,

q
Let the Grand Army Speak!
On Wednesday next the National En-
campment of the Grand Army will be inau-
gurated at Baltimore with what bids fair to
be the most imposing street parade that has
occurred since the war. In addition TO the
uniformed Posts, several veteran military
organizations of both armies, and q number
of crack militia regiments will be in line,
and the demonstration viii partal1e of a
truly cosmopolitan character. The march
ing will doubtless be fine, the music inspir-
ing and the spectacle altogether superb. It
will be fitting introduction TO the festiyi-
ties of the occasion and we have not doubt
will be attended with q great display of
popular enthusiasm Our Baltimore friends
have engaged to give the Grand Army such
welcome as it has never before received in
the course of its existence, and they are
abundantly able to make good their prom
ises. We are glad to know that such is the
case. 1t is a pleasant thing to see whole
community opening its arms to the old sol
dier and employing all the resources at its
command to do him honor. It warns
the blood just as did twenty years ago
the enthusiasm with which the old soldier
responded to the call for volunteers, and it
strengthens ones confidence in the patriotic
impulses of the public. The cordiality with
which all classes of citizens have united in
this tribute to our veterans is an assurance
that the peace which has come to the coun-
try is founded on something more substantial
than mere acquiescence on the part of the
South in the results Of the war.
But the parade, the excursion, the ban
quet, the freworks-all the entertainments
with which the visitors are to be feted are
in reality but incidents of the occasion and
of less consequence than the deliberations of
the Encampment itself Indeed there is no
military order in the country which sets less
store upon public display than the Grand
Army, or that performs its mission with less
of ostentation, and those who imagine that
merrymaking is the end and object of its
labors must be sadly ignorant of it's true
character We have heretofore indicated the
general nature of the business that is likely
to come before the Encampment at the pres
ent session, but there is one subject the i'm
portance of which merits special attention.
We refer to the attitude of the Grand Army
towards much needed pension legislation.
At the last annual Encampmeut, held in In
dianapolis, committee OF fifteen was ap-
pointed to take into consideration the entire
question of pensions, and subcommittee of
this general committee appeared before the
Pension Committees Of both Houses, during
the present session of Congress, for the pur-
pose Of presenting the views of the Order in
regard to the legislation most needed at the
present iuucture. The members of this sub
committee, which consisted of Commander
in-Chief George S. Merrill, of Massachusetts,;
Past Commander-in-Chief Lewis Wagner, of
Pennsylvania; Past Department Commander
TanDer Of New York; Past Senior Vice De-
partment Commander Paul Brodie of Wash
ington, and Medical Director Azel Ames, of
Mass, urged, as a matter of the first import
on,a hot l.-o iY,nraoga Io 40 IN, tho
appropriation for clerks for special pension
service in the SUTgeOn-GeneraPs and Adju-
tant-General's Offices and that the working
force Of the Pension Bureau itself be practi-
cally doubled. They were given a very cor
port in favor of tho proposed increase. Since
then that report has been made to the House
and decisive action las been taken We
suppose the action Of the G. A. t. commit
tee viii come up for approval at the COM
ing Encampment, and it seems to us that it
would afford q fitting opportunity for that
body to put on record officially its
hS"l W 0huoiSoLiOiU VI 'io Piolhpt aCIloH w
Congress in this matter. 1t is a question in
which every comrade is directly or indirectly
interested, and so far as our observation goes
the sentiment of the Order is unanimously
in favor of the bill as reported by the COM
mittee Certainly the influence of the Grand |
Army, if exerted at all, ought to be en-
plOyed in behalf of the thousands of deserv- |
ing soldiers whom the inability of the Pen |
sion Bureau to settle the claims on file has |