New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-10
THE GRAND IRMY And 1HE NEGROES

THE GRAND FRhT AND HE NEohoN'
.Slver,, anniversaries are generally inter-
estpp and that Of the Grand Army OF the Re
nublic is no exception. The silken banners
that deck the Encampment hall adoln celebra-
zion Of the National honor, full of moment to
coming generations. The long death-rol pub
I,sbed on Wednesday is another reminder oil
tho distance of the War, and the dearth OF new
candidates suggests that the organization can
No longer recruit against inevitable loss. Hence
forth, the membership must steadily Decline
and every fresh gap in the ranks will remove
a personaI testimony of the greatest popular
sacrifice in history. But the youngest veterans
are still in their prime, and long may they
flourish.
II is noteworthy that at this assembly the
nrincipal discussion should concern the stand
ing within the Grand Army of the very race
whose defence called it into being. Unhap-
nilv. Throughout wide region the negro's in
diyidual prestige has improved little in twenty
five wears. The conflict that vindicated his
rights as a human being could not regulate his
social privilege and the present embarrassment
shows how insidously evil prejudice has spread
Negro valor in the field was repeatedly attest
where's and while their opportunities were re-
stricted, the colored troops nowhere faltered or
invited disgrace. The negro Grand Army fosts
in Mississippi and Louisiana which the white
Posts are trying to override may therefore we'll
utter a protest. Their opprcssors say virtual
Nv: 1--WE will fight with you or for you, but
YOU may not share in our charities or our jubiia-
tons"
Now we suppose few Northern soldiers would
spontaneously urge this discrimination. In the
North the negroes have chosen TO organize
senaratey but they attend white meetings and
are considerably treated In the South, how
ever, it seems that nobody can live long with
ont bo,ving to Southern bias; and while this
by no means condoneS the general ilibeIality
il at least illumineS the situation The negroes
there also form distinct Grand Army bodies,
hut the generous freemasonIy that admits any
member. without regard to color, party or sect, to
any Post meeting at which he offers the proper
countersgn, is forgotten in the heat or racial
animus No doubt the white posts fear the
obloquy attached to sharers in negro ceremOnl-
ais. But the barefaced expulsion of the negro
Posts from the Department under the fiimsleSt
N@NN
which sticks ut nothing to deprive the negro
of the merest semblancc of political equality.
Despite vicious example, the prosecuted race
is commercially submissive under outrage. Cen
eral Veazey's idea of solving the difficulty by
making a separate department of the Southern
negro posts would keep whole the minor organ
izations and rob the whites of the pretext fol
injustice, but it would destroy completely the
faint hope the negro may have entertained OF
the liberation that belongs to companionship IN
arms For this latter reason it has not found
favor at the Encampment. Moreover, the rules
of the order are against it, and the claim thai
the negroes themselves desire the change is dis
puted. The Encampment's formal repeal of the
DEPARTMENTS action emphasizes the Army's
loyalty to its best traditions. 1t eyinces de-
termination to assert the supreme authority al
all hazards 1t now remains to be seen whether
the white members will copy their dusky com
rades laudable trait of acquescence or carry Out
the threat of wholesale resignation.