National Republican., 1888-03-02
The Grand Army of the Republic.

The Grand Army OF the Republic.
The history Of the world has never seen
such an organization as that known as the
Grand Army Of the Republic. After four
and q half years OF the bloodest war the
world ever saw, the soldiers OF the Union
army determined to organize themselves
for social and charitable purposes.
1t was, as matter of course, that In so
grand a war where 100000 men had been
enlisted In the army, that thousands and
hundreds OF thousands OF the men who
escaped with life from the deadly bullet, or
the even more deadly camp disease, would
be left wounded and diseased. 1t was also
certain that many Of these soldiers, dis.
abled by wounds or disease, would suffer
the pangs Of poverty. Having been victorl-
ous-having saved the country for which
they fought, having unified the nation
which others were attempting to destroy,
the nation showed It's gratitude to these
soldiers by providing pensions for such as
were disabled or diseased.
But In making laws for general purpose
1t was utterly impossible that Congress
could reach all cases that needed relief.
Technical objections, the failure to procure
testimony the inability OF the soldier to ex-
pend the money necessary for this purpose,
would and did prevent many deserving man
from receiving pensions. The Grand Army
Of the Republic steps in to aid this class and
urge upon the government the necessity,
the propriety, the honesty Of giving to these
men what was their due as defenders of the
Union. In that 1t was charitable orgaui-
2ation devoted to the interests Of Its mem.
| bers.
1t is well known that camp life produces
| iIsldious diseases that do not appear for
| years after the time when the seeds of the
| disease were planted. 1t is also we'll
known that as age creeps upon man these
diseases and disabilities become more ap-
parent. Twenty three years have passed
away-nearly the life Of a man-since the
close OF the war, and thousands-yes, tens
ef thousands-of men who left the service
| in apparent good health are now suffering
from diseases contracted during the war.
Here again the Grand Army Of the Re.
| public steps in the front and says to Con-
| gress: "Our comrades, numbers OF them,
are suffering from diseases brought on by
the exposure to which they were subjected
during the war; we ask for them just what
they are entitled to, the aid of the govern
ment which they preserved to tighten the
pathway of these old soldiers to the tomb"
For the first time in the history of man
kind, when these soldiers come this
banded body OF the defenders Of the
| Union-into the halls OF the legislature
asking relief for their brethren, they find
themselves confronted by the men they
| conquered making laws for the govern
ment they tried to destroy, and that the
yanquished are now legislating as to the
rights Of the victors.
Men who were in the rebel army now
hold seats in Congress and denounce this
organization Of the Grand Army OF the Re.
public, asking for their disabled comrades,
as being guilty Of "robbery and pretense
and hypocrisy" They denounce these ap.
plicants as "dishonest." They ridicule
their applications for aid.
One Of them says: 81 will not 90 one
single step further in this unholy and
wicked prostitution Of the gratitude of q
great people,"
In short, these ex-rebels, now legislating
forthe country, say that no more pensions
shall be granted, and that the Grand Army
OF the Republic is a fraud. The spectacle
is enough to make the gods weep.