The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-08-29
National CIemency.


who brought It on by rehelling
against our government have been
! EarlOnpd or in some manner restored
to untrammelled citizenship and le-
/ gal innocence.
About seventy men who bore arms
against their country in the great
contest are now in the halls of Con.
gross, lpgisiating for the country they
at one time undertook to destroy by
military force. We do not find fault
with this national clenency. but we
do think it is high time for the eXer-
else Of clemencV, mercy and graft
tudn in the very opposite direction.
! Among the > SOC, 900 and more Union
soldiers who suppressed the rebellion
are some few thousands who are still
borne on their cnuntry's rolls as de
! sPrterS," though nearly a generation
has passed. Many of these diShonor-
| able entries are wholly unjust. and
Others only technically tue. Many
of these OStraciZad soldiers served
their country faithfully Tor consider
able terms, in some cases one to two
/ years, mourning all the hard5hipS
aud casualties CT terrific war, hut on
account of occurrences uncomfortable
! for ought we know, received no dis.
charge. They did not desert the flag
of their country and go over to the
enemy-as did nearly half the off
GERS of the old army-but unWisely
went home in many cases in answer
to walls of wives, children and moth.
ers. The American heart, though
patriotic, is more prone to these i'm
pulses than any other upon earth.
a case is recalled where man
with a family enlisted i'll the early
months OF the war for three years
with no Involvement but PATRIOTISM
and the small pay in deprecated cur
rency. H0 served well for Il year
and a hall. The little command to
which ne belonged WAS surrounded
by the enemy and hidden TO surren-
der to a supposed superior force. He
and y cOmrade asked their officer for
the privilege of escaping. They did
escape through hostile lines, with
guns and equipments, and went to
their homes. The one on account Of
encouragement or disgust did not
return. Years ago he died, leaving
a poor widow, but under the late
pension law his Is months of faith
fui service counts iUr nothing because
lie, or his widow, cannO: show an
"hunOrable discharge" But 80 days
(the ordinary time of prOmlsOry
nOte) will give liberal pension to Il
soldier Or MS widow where a dis.
charge was granted, though he en-.
with heavy pecuniary Inducements
to do so.
Another case in point: There is
an Old soldier in an asylum near
Cumberland, hOpelesaly insane. with
no discharge, though he served more
than 4 year faithfully. Was at nome
sick Wnen his regiment was mus
tered out ut distant point. No pen
sion for him unless he can procure Il
discharge.
A soldier enlist5 near the end Of
the war, receives number Of boun-
ties amounting to large sum and at
the close receives II discharge, with
uut smelling powder or soiling his
"biue." Others volunteered in the be-
ginning for three years. served half
or more of their time, fought battle
and incurred deathly diseases, but
have no discharges. Now. which of
the two classes have done most for
their country? The one Is eligible
to pension, but the other is fatty
barred. Where is the equity in
these doingS? What has become Of
American justice and Indignantly
Have they all been exhausted and
expended in behalf of those who
offended their government, and none
left for those who done sumetning at
least to defend it?
Treason. murder, arson, rape and
enbeZzlement are all pardonable by
American clemency, but for the SOL
der, who loved his home little
more than his tent, there appears to
be nothing better than the laws of
the Modes and Persians which cal
ter not" Why, don't Congress in
some general and just manner take
hold of this matter and relax this
Russian severity,
This comes not from soldier at
all, but one who feels grateful to all
soldiers with or without certificates
who did Something for the preserva-
ton Of our great country.
Aug. Is. 1890. JUSTICE.
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