Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-04-16
THE GRAND ARMY.

Mc. EiitOr A remark made by one Of the speakers
at the special town meeting last Saturday ought not
to be passed over In silence In endeayoring to
cure the passage Of one Of Col Hookers amendments
the speaker referred to said In substance that Brat
teboro seeking TO crowd her old soldiers To the
wall aud trying to put her foot on the necks Of
the brave men who fought their couptry's battles
with other similar uucalled-for expressions The old
soldiers are not willing TO accept this a. statement
Of their feeling about the attitude Of the people Of
BrattlebOro toward them. We have never suspected
any purpose the part Of fellow citizens to put
their feet our necks and the last time Of all when
such charge should have been thrown out was when
the town voting $1,000 to build a monument to
the memory Of our dead comrades and at the same
time practically putting $1,000 IN charity fund.
have been member Of the Grand Army post IN this
village for many years, aud have never once heard
any soldier, Inside or outside the post, complain
that either the town the citizens OF Brattleboro
have ever shown him III or unAppreciatye treatment
Ou the contrary, It has been universally said so far
as know, that the citizens Of BrAtteboro have al
ways been appreciatye, sympathetic aud helpful to-
ward the old soldiers. Aud this is true to-day as 1t
has been every day since the closed and the cit
liens aud soldiers have mingled Familiarity together
all these years IN all the business aud social relations
Of life, in mutual respect and harmony which no one
hitherto, soldier or citizen, has sought 10 disturb
II IL fairly to be presumed that the speaker in
question made another aud even greater mistake In
regard TO the very foundation on which the Grand
Army stands He seems to regard Il as Au organize
ton to which partisan and political appeals may
properly be addressed aud one that, by mauaRement
and a.tery aud appeals TO passion and prejudice
be marshalled IN solid array into town and reemen
meetings aud voted az unit for this that meas
leaders. In this he makes great mistake; and,
others have done The same, desire, now my And IL
IN, briefly to defend the organization this point.
The Grand Army Is primarily aud mainly grand
organized beuevOlence, and its doors expressly
closed by its very constitution against all manner Of
political parsanship 1t is doubtless true that there
are uuprincipled aud ambitious men in its member
ship who seek to pervert aud misuse 1t for selfish
ends, there are In all good associations UDscrupu
lous men join the churches, even, to promote their
dishonest and unworthy schemes. But this does not
condemn the church ITSELF aud neither should mem
q he Of nfnr Al
Yenturers discredit it, unless it perms itself to be
prostituted by them, which Is not h.ey to happen.
The men composing the Grand Army posts WILL
doubtless, compare favOrably in Intelligence and hon
esty With their fellow citizens outside. The true SOL
der. calmly conscious OF having performed his duty
In great crisis 10 the national Hfe 10 not easily
thrown from his balance or deceived In his judg
ments and having self-reliAnce and sef-respect IL
not looking suspiciOusly for injuries personal
sights from anybody. With wits somewhat sharp.
ened and mental powers somewhat enlarged by his
military experience, he IL little likely TO err IN his
estimate OF men aud things other men, or to be led
astrAy by demAgogues either inside outside Of his
post. think It may therefore be safely assumed
that the Grand Army will not be moved, as organ
izaton, from its solid mOorings, aud that political
schemers who undertake to use IL improperly and
selhshly will encounter disappointment. 1t will be
fatal and everto-beamentedd day for the Grand Army
OF the Republic when the contrary truthfully be
said OF IL.
In closing, want to say for myself, aud 1 know
speak for many others, that the old soldiers
thanks TO the men who are responsible for placing
them Ia the embarrassing and humiliAting Attitude
In which they found themselves last Saturday, in
seeming, for was only In seeming) to desire TO
the citizens Of Bratteboro into yielding to them
undue and unseemly control In the erection OF a
monument in honor Of themselves and their dead
comrades. Very few Of the old soldiers, am conf
dent have any sympathy with such a desire, and
there are quite as few Of them who do not, with
melting hearts, accept the generous and unanimous
result of Saturdays meeting as the nttest possible
expression by the whole people Of Brattleboro OF
their respect and tender regard for the memory Of
their citizen soldiers. An OLD SOLDIER.
Brattleboro April 18th. 1886.