The National tribune., 1889-01-10
soLDrFRLY CHARACTERISTICS.

sOLDIERLY CHARACTERISTICS.
The same process of reasoning which the
soldier-haters employ would, if applied to
any other class in society, demonstrate that
dishonesty and corruption reign everywhere
in the most fragrant forms.
Undoubtedly, there were some worthless
men in every regiment-some who were
towards, shirks, unprincipled or mercenary.
But where IS there an association of men
which does not have these? And who thinks
of condemning the whole body because
very small proportion is unworthy?
For example, by scrutinizing the whole
membership of the churches in a town an
unpIeasantly large number of hypocrites and
dishonest men could be found among them.
But that does not alter the fact that SO out
Of every hundred are honest, upright people,
conscientiously doing their whole duty to-
ward God and man. 1t does not diminish
the truth that the churches are powerful
influences for good, and are fulfilling the
purposes for which they were created.
again, it would be task of no great diff
Guilty to point out quite a number of dis
honest cashiers and treasurers five kept
our eyes steadily fixed on these unfaithful
men the conclusion would be inevitable that
cashiers and treasurers are generally dis
honest. But the indisputable fact is that not
one cashier in a thousand proves false to his
duty. Wherever there is one who robs those
who have trusted him there are at least 1 600
who are serupulously faithful to every re-
quirement Of their position.
1t is so in every walk of life. Nearly
every man is honest, truth telling, indus
trious and faithful, and just in all the rela-
tons of life. fthis were not so, association
in society would be impossible, The very
fact that so much ado is made over the ex-
ceptions to this rule proves it. If dishon-
esty, falsehood, breach Of faith, etc, were not
so uncommon the occasional instances that
come to our knowledge would not attract
the attention that they do
Instead of the veterans being below the
average in character, as the soldier-haters
would make out, they were and are really
far above it. The young man who enlisted
at the cali of his country was greatly the su-
perior in every attribute of manliness to the
young man who staid at home. He was
stronger mentally; was reader to make sac
rifces for what he thought right; was more
positive in thought, more unselish, and
higher in motive. Had he not been, he
would have stayed at home like his weaker
and more selfish fellow-citizen.
His experience in the army tended to de-
velop and strengthen these qualities. He
was constantly called upon for the Hottest
self-sacrifice, and he saw all those around
him playing heroic parts, as if it were their
simple and plain duty. A man could not
have this experience without being lifted to
higher moral level by it.
1t is easy to show by historical eompari-
sons that there never was an army gathered
under banners in which all men did their
duty as those did who formed the army which
crushed the rebellion. There never was an
army in which the actual fighting men
formed SO large part of the whole number
There never was one which did so much
hard fighting in proportion to its numbers,
which lost such proportion on the field of
battle, which had so few deserters, shirks,
towards and mercenaries in it.
All these are facts which cannot be denied
or explained away.