Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-05-09
ARepl, :. as. nI.n Of maIltn..

Editor Of The Ph0nir'
Dear Sir In your issue Of April %
notice a communication purporting to be
from a Halifax veteran, signed by the ini-
tials as. NJ" do not recognize the writ
er bv these initials For % years or more
the public has, by speech aud press, been
instructed in all the good qualities and
graces of the soldier until they are pretty
well known, and a repetition Of them is
stale unless the speaker or writer possess
the power of 80 magnetizing their repetition
as to give to it fresh attraction and inter
est. The writer of the article alluded TO
has succeeded admirably 'in so injecting
enough of the poison of the asp" as TO
make it interesting, though it must be con
fessed that a grave suspicion arises that he
has done so at the expense Of his intelli
gence or his honor, perhaps some Of both.
Now it is certainly dishonorable to strike
for an offense never committed 1t is equal
ly cowardly to stab in the dark not know
ing whether the stab is justly deserved or
not. The writer SAYS Il quote his exact
words) "As one man expressed it, when
the subject Of an appropriation for Memo
rial day came up, a set Of beggdrS, and The
tVOrst element that he country has TO con.
tend wih" Now the plain inference from
this would be that the two accusations here
coupled together were by one and the same
| - ~ .s,rsnns M no facts in existence war
man. Ihere ai 80 OF t,unufu n, statement
ranting or justifying sucn :. Greetins. ..,
Whether the Characterization of beggals
was uttered by any one do not pretend to
know, as it could have been done without
my hearing it, but | do know in the most
positive way that the second characterize
ton was never uttered by the individual so
accused, either on the floor of the hall or
any other time or place. And while this
vile slander was bruited about from mouth
TO mouth through the post, and acted upon
as If true, not one of its members had the
manhood or moral courage to ascertain the
truth Of it, which they could have done by
frankly asking for it, for there is not
member that would not have received
truthful and respectful answer. Whatever
remark has been dropped in reference 10
acts Of legislation, or taxation or questions
growing out of it, has no reference, and
never had, 10 the morals Of the Grand
Army Of the Republic, or the Halifax post.
or any Of its members Notwithstanding all
this, IS. NJ ought 10 know, if he does
not, that there are veterans Of noble soul,
possessing characters as high perhaps, as
it is possible to attain, who would scorn the
very suggestion Of dishonorable act, while
there are those as far from this as it is pos
sible TO be. Now the latter cannot take
refuge behind the chair of the former nor
the former cannot be dragged down to the
mire and dirt of the latter.
Every soldier citizen must stand upon his
own base, and receive that need of respect
which is his due according as his influence
is exerted for good or i'll, Just like any other
citizen. be he aristocrat or plebeian. The
quicker IS. NJ" comprehends this plain and
obvious truth the better it will be for him
self and the post he attempts to defend. To
raise the morals of any body of men is
worthy effort. Should the post rise good
many degrees above those who take pride
in thinking themselves members of the
aristocracy" no one would object, am sure
If by members of the aristocracyn is
meant those who have labored for the com.
mon good Of all, and absolutely refuse TO do
a mean or dishonorable act, then the Ian
guage is intelligible. We have just such
characters. The pity is that we did not
have more. W.
Halifax, Nav, 1890.