The National tribune., 1883-08-09
NOT MERCENARY.
A Ringing Defense of the Patriotism Of the Pri-
Vate Soldier.

Ringing Defense of the Patriotism of the Pri-
waite Soldier.
Memorial ADDRESS By ". H. Smith. 81. Clair, Michl
OF the motives that actuated the defenders
of the Union, it is hardly necessary here TO
speak. Certainly ours were not mercenary sol
diers. The thirteen dollars a month and in
significant bounty would never pay man for
the hardships of the camp and fatigue of the
march. to say nothing OF the dangers of battle
Would any one Of you, my hearers, leave your
homes and sleep out in all kinds of weather.
in drenching rain, in driving sleet, under a
tOrrid sur and amid the blasts of winter-for
any amount Of money? Or could compensa-
ton enough be offered TO induce you to shoulder
weight Of sixty TO eighty pounds burden,
converting yourself into a veTitable pack mule,
and march through mad and sluSh. or binding
dust, by day and by night, in sunshine and in
storm, through valleys and over mountains
and across sRanps and through rivers? Why,
overlooking the dangers of war; was there a
man in all the vast armies Of the Union who
could not have earned more money at home
and in an easier manner?
But were net the compensation inadequate
to the hardships, the history of Southern prison.
pens would preclude the suspicion that ours
were in any sense mercenary soldiers. In all
of these the horrors endured battle description.
Andersonviile is best known. but the records
Of such other places as Millen. Florence, Sails
bury, Libby and Belle Isle, show them TO have
been nearly or quite its equal in barbarous
cruelty. Ia all OF them standing proposition
was held before the prisoners TO enlist in the
Confederate army, and receive money, cloth
ing and plenty of food. Had our soldiers been
actaated by lnercenary motives, this PROPOSE
ton would have been az once accepted. Yet
the records show that our brave boys spurned
the proposition. With substantial unanimity
they endured the horrors OF prison life rather
than abandon the country they had sworn TO
defend. The pen OF an angel would fail TO de-
pict their suiirrings. At Ande.sonyille, within
the Enclosure, only three trees were left for
shade. Not tent was furnished. Our sol
dieTs were deprived OF all clothing considered
fit for use by their captoIs. There clothed in
rags and filth, infested by vermin, exposed
TO Georgia's blazing sun, with no COW
ering between themselves and heaven to
shelter their bodies from the inclem-
ency of the weather, burrowing in the
ground like animals, drinking the water from
"a stream polluted just above by receiving all
the refuse and filth from the Southern camps
fed upon corn-Ineal, ground cobs and all, with
! out suitable fuel for cooking and other pur-
poses, thirty-fve thousand Union soldiers were
| incarcerated and accepted and endured this lot
! rather than prove false 10 their country. Who
! can help but admire such manly heroism, such
inlexibIe determination and sublime adher-
] tlktC 10 pElGIiifiE! NC lcGDihS Oh humanity
furnish 10 more sublime spectacle, and each oil
the thirteen Thousand Union dead lying in the
/ National Cemetery at Andersonville is justly
entitled TO wear the martyrs crown.
Through ali sl.ir9.llion's horrors
To tie old tiass ev-r true,
| These heroes passed the gates TO glory
Still wearing the Union blue"
Such facts attest the patriotism Of our sol
diers more fOrcibiy than any words can do. L
! was only because our brave boys were actuatec
! by principle that they endured these hardships
| The man WAC would believe otherwise would
| doubt the sincerity OF the Christian martyrs
The men who have faith enough in anythin.
30 give their lives f0r il, are sincere 1t is onl,
persons incapable of approaching true nobility
who assign base motives 10 such characters
! Bat it must nOt be understood that the mel
immured in Southern prisons were more heroi
than the remainder OF their comrades in arms
Rather they were but & portion of our army
selected at random By the tate of war, and tn
same high motives that actuated them actuate
all the rest. The only difference was that cir
camstances brought cut their endurance in
stronger light. The others would have sudere
the same horrors and been equally endurn
had the lot come TO them. The men who com
. posed the Union armies were men vino believe
that this Nation Was worth preserving, and dc
termined that this Government " oil the peopl,
| by the people. and for the peonle should no
perish from the earth" 1t was this faith an
determination which inspired our heroes, an
impelled them on TO NOBLE, ohiValrons deed!
Whenever aud wherever the flag of our cour
try was unfurled, there rallied around it me
of all professions aud trades, who were ready
do and, if need be. die in its defense Thes
men saw the liberties of people and the +,
; publican form of Government in danger an
determined that the Union must and should /
; preserved. They asked not about the hare
ships and danger, bat rising above seifand sci
) ish interests, said to the Government: Hel
we are, take and use Us, though we peris
5 in the using"