The National tribune., 1882-03-11
The Ernnh Army.

Elsewhere in these columns viii he found
an exceedingly interesting paper on the
Grand Army Of the Republic by Gen. Mcr-
/ rill, its Commander-in-C The organiza-
ton needs 80 praise from our pen, yet one can
scarcely reiraiU from pronOuncinga panegTrjc
upon it, so strongly does it appeal to all the
nobler feelings How it warns the blood to
think that the tie which binds together this
great body of patriots was riycn on the field
tinguishcs it is the outgrowth of a common
love of country! There are those, we are
aware, who think that it should be disbanded,
and urge as a reason that its tendency is TO
perpctuate the memories of the war and keep
alive the emhers Of sectional hate. In every
National Encampment they fancy, also that
they see the adroit hand CT the politician,
and they are constantly seeking to discover
some ulteriOr purpose in the management Of
the Order. 1t is perhaps not worth while
even to note the existence of such suspicious,
shared as they are by those only who are
either absolutely ignorant OF the origin and
objects of the organization or malign it know
in@ly. Still, ii allords& III opportunity to point
out that, glorious Us was the record of our
soldiers in the war j, :, ecIipscd by their
achievements since. The history of the
world does not afford another instance OF
such 4 transformation as took place when
our vast armies were disbandcd and hun
drcds of thousands of veterans left to strug-
gle, single-handed, with Poverty, the most
relentless of foes. 1t is TO their eternal honor
that they confronted this new enemy with
the same dauntless courage that they dis
played upon the field, and laying aside the
rife and the sword took up again the rusty
implements of trade with as little commo-
tion as if they were hut returning to the
workshop after a summer holiday. BY way
of contrast, imagine for 4 moment what
would happen if by some strange freak OF
diplomacy England, France, Germany, Rus
sia, and Austria should mutually agree 10
disarm and the immense standing armies of
Europe should De simultaneously disbandcd.
Thrust upon the world with no profession
but that of the soldier, unskillcd in the
trades and IMMERSED in the arts of life, they
would be as helpless as a band Of sayages
turned loose in 4 strange city, nor could any
one foretelI what horrid social commissions
might not attend their precipitation upon
the local communities. History abounds in
terrible examples Of the decentralization
which war has wrought in yictori4us as
well as conquered nations. We may be sure
that then more than ever, emigration from the
Old world would seek thc new
Happily no disturbance of industrial OF
social conditions attended ,he di>aaudug Of
our own great armies. The country had
need ofthcir labor when the war ended as it
had need Of their yaIor Willie it lasted, and
they, On their part, as we have said, carried
into the workshop and the wilderness the
same pluc}, and energy and persistence that
won the day at Appomattoz. The Grand
Army to-day Is as much an cmboGmcnt Of
good citizenship as it is ofmiIi;ary rrovcss,
and if it pcrpc;uatcs the memories Of the
war 1t is that the younger generation which
is coming On may learn THAT patriotism is
not the cold, i.tI.ss snntimcn, that il seems
10 be i'll the piping times Of peace, but the
force pro.orvaliye Of al national life, the
most precious heritage Of the past aud the
only sure guarantee OF the future. Upon its
rolls should be the name Of every veteran.
Every man who wore the Blue in the
struggle for thc Union should by found in i,s
ranks, Comrades IN war they should bee
comrades all IN peace, cheGs.hiag 10 bitter
rccollrcj.ons OF the strife and nursing no
small rcsentmcrts but happy simply to pre-
serve the Lrnthcrhood of the camp, to keep
alive the Oil attachments and sec that the
sacred fire on the altar Of patriotism is not
cxtinsuished. Some day Uie Grand Army
Of the living Will have reinforced the army
Of the dead, and other hands VIII strcw the
flowers upon the nomelcss graves, but its
fame, Ike the rose in the desert, Will smell
sweet and blossom in he dust