The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-09-10
The Grand Army.

The national encampment Of the
Grand Army of the Republic at Louis
willie this week will be attended by a
larger number of veterans of the union
armies and will also be the occasion
for the gathering of more survivors of
the confederate forces than will ever
meet again in this world. There will
be an intermingling Of the Blue and the
Gray, and the spirit Of goodwill and
harmony will prevail. The ranks of
the Grand Army are now rapidly di-
minishing. Since 1890 the loss has been
at the rate of about 10000 annually.
At the annual encampment five years
ago the rolls contained the names of a
little more than 100000 veterans. This
years encampment will show about
100000. There are, however, many
thousands of survivors who have never
identified themselves with this organi-
cation. Many of them reside in sparse
ly settled communities, remote from
posts Of the Grand Army. Others do
not approve Of the organization, and
hold themselves aloof from it. Few
new posts are now organized, and nu-
merous old ones are annually disband-
ing on account of diminished member
ship and the expense of maintaining
them. In ten years from now there
will be few posts outside Of the cities
and large towns.
The people of Louisville have made
every preparation to give the union
veterans royal welcome, and the thou
sands in attendance from all parts Of
the northern, eastern and western
states will have an opportunity to once
more visit some Of the battlefields
where they engaged in a death struggle
with those whom they will this week
greet as citizens of a common country.
Such a reunion Of old comrades and
intermingling with former enemies can
not fail to be productive of good re-
suits. Since the day the great civil
war ended by the surrender Of Lee at
Appomattox there has been no feeling
of resentment among the real soldiers
that fought on either side. Within an
hour after the surrender Of Lee the SOL
dlers who wore the Blue were sharing
the contents of their hayersacks with
those who wore the Gray. All the
feroclty Of war, so far as the real fight
ers were concerned, disappeared at
Appomattox when the victorious Grant
refused to impose humillating condi-
tions on the vanquished Lee.
Among those who will meet at Louis
Vile this week will be most conspicuous
survivors of the Union and confederate
forces. Two of the greater southern
leaders still survive. They are General
John b. Gordon and General James
Longstreet, both of Georgia. The
greater union commanders-Grant
Sherman, Sheridan, Thomas, Meade,
Logan, Hooker, Burnside, Mcclellan
have all passed away. All of these
were regular attendants at the national
encampment Of the Grand Army while
they lived. The disappearance of the
great chieftains has deprived these an
nual gatherings Of much Of their form
er interest. But for at least ten or a
dozen years more the annual encamp-
ment Of the Grand Army will bring to.
gether considerable numbers of the
men who put down the greatest re-
bellion of modern times and saved the
American union to posterity.
The Grand Army Of the Republic It.
self will In time disappear. Only few of
its members are now under fifty years
: Of age and only small number have a
reasonable expectation Of more than
fifteen years Of life. , ~
We have no doubt Of the aincerity of
General Clarkson's expressed belief
that Senator Quay's platform proscrib-
Ing the use Of money in politics for
corrupting purposes was ''impelled by
sincere motives. ana through = desire
- eivs the people honest business