The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1883-07-12
The Colonel Must Go.

Reform is the WatchW0rG or the
hour. The press, the pulpit and
the bar are the great reformers of
the day. We propose to start re-
form of our own. 1t shall be
enrique and useful, but startling.
Henceforth we shall dedicatela part
of our time and small portion of
our magnificent talents to the long
neglected work of reducing to ranks
the spurious 'colonels'' of the
country. The task is one of hercu-
lean difficulty and more than ordi-
nary danger, but we propose to vim
dicate our claim to ''fearless jour
nalism' at any cost, and nothing
shall daunt or discourage US in our
campaign against the colonels.
Nothing shall deter us from ''sen-
sation' in this matter. The urgen-
cy is great. The growth of colonels
is alarming. They flood the coun-
try. There are one or two in the
regular army. There are several
in the volunteer MALTA. There
are thousand in office, hundred
thousand hidden away in. editorial
chairs, half million at the bar le
gal and spirituous, and an innu-
merable multitude flooding all de-
partments of trade and business.
The privates of the regular army
and the civilians of peaceful life
have been gradually driven beyond
the border and we have become a
nation of colonels." The situation
is appalling. Think of it! A ma
tion of coionels. Suppose war
should come. Suppose an enemy
should evade our soil. When the
Great American Eagle shrieked his
historic defiance, and made call
for volunteers, there would not be
corporal's guard of privates to fol
low the host of colonies. There
would not be private around, and
our regiments would be reduced to
two men, colonel to command and
a solitary private to follow. We
see now the day of battle, the
serried host, the drum the fife, the
cannon's roar and sulphurous
smoke. We see the Coils. take their
safe stations far on the left of their
regiments of one, and scanning the
battlefield with eagle eye, give the
command to charge. The solitary
regiments 90 out to battle. A broad
side from the advancing host ami
hilates our army, and the war is
over, the country subdued, for the
soldiers are killed, and the colonel
cannot fight in the ranks. We pass
under the yoke.
Let the picture do its work. The
colonel must be exterminated for
the safety of the country. An ex-
ample must be given. Something
heroic must be done. We are wi IL
ing to make the sacrifice for the
good of the country. We have been
called colonel. Our heart throbbed
proudly under the title. 1t stirred
a noble fire in our veins, and woke
within us Nopoleonic dreams and
hopes. There are those who call US
colonel still. But we don the pa
triot martyrs robes. We resign
our. colonelcy. We surrender our
colonelcy. We surrender our com
mission to the dear people who pro
NOTED us from the ranks. We tear
off the epauletts and fling our gilt
tering sword into the waste basket.
We are a private and mister
once more. What Colonel will vol
UNFAIRLY descend with us into tie
ranks2 w call for volunteers. We
demand the resignation of a half
million colonels within the next
thirty days. The country must be
saved. -s The spectre" colonel shall
not fright us. The "disease shall
not fright us. The "disease shall
not defy" the national necessity.
The colonel must go.
Henceforth these columns shall
be embellished with the misters of
the state and country, and no colo
mel shall find entrance here until
his papers have been thoroughly
inspected and his commission made
apparent. Let the country smile
and take hope. We may be happy
yet.-Florida Herald.