The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-04-18
SONS OF VETERANS.
News from Various DiViSiOnS-Elec-
ton of Officers, etc.
OBJECTS OF THE SONS.
The True Aims and Principles upon Which
the Order IL Founded.

| The True Aims ard Principles upon which
| the Order IL Founded.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The objects of
| this Order are not. as some have said. to rene W
| the spirit OF enmity between the North and
| South and keep mp the agitation OF old griev-
ances, but rather to pacify and aliay all differ
ences and foster spirit of friendship between
| the North and South, and inculcate a common
| spirit of loyalty to our beloved country. Other
objects are, that we may better keep green the
memories of the brave, patriotic deeds OF our
fathers; that we might better enjoy and in
crease our friendship; that we may better learn
how and when to bestow charity on the veter-
ans, sons OF veterans and all worthy mankind I;
and that We may better teach and learn the
grand principles Of loyalty to ourselves, to our
Order. and to our country.
The first principle of our Order IL friendship
which We hold the practice Of to be the duty of
every s. of V. toward his fraternal brother and
without which life in its highest station is bar
rem of enjoyment Friendship teaches us our
relation to each other, aud prompts to per-
form acts of bene violence and charity, not alone
among our own membership. There are a
great many ways of showing our friendship.
Charity is the second principle taught in our
Order, but not taught as a secondary principles.
We are urged to act and teach it as the Bible
teaches it. In the scriptures we are told that
the Christian graces are faith, hope, and char
ity, and the greatest of these is charity. We,
or most of u.s. do not know the value of charity,
because we have not felt the need of it; but
many have felt the need of and know how CRATE
full they were when charity came to their relief.
When our fathers were in the field marching
without shoes, sleeping without beds or shelter,
living without good food and sometimes very
little of it for days. they experienced some Of
the needs of charity. And when our good
Northern women came to them, then it was
that they felt the thankfulness which they
could not express.
The last but not least principle of our Order
is loyalty. 1t was loyalty to their country that
prompted our fathers to leave happy homes,
loving wives, dear children. fond mothers and
kind old fathers to endure the privations and
hsrdships of war. They lost no time, but drop
ped all, and went to the front to do battle for
their country, that they might preserve it for
their posterity. Why should we not honor and
remember those brave, patriotic veterans
HOW could we seem uDgrateful for the preser
walton of the greatest and most liberal Nation
on earth, preserved that we might enjoy its
blessings? We hold loyalty to be grand prin-
cple, and one that ought to be taught to the
citizens of our Nation.
Our public schools are now teaching in some
places the significance and history of the red,
white and blue flag and how dearly was the
cost of it's preservation.
/ One of the first great tests of loyalty the cti-
zens of the United States had was in IT'S, '76,
when England would have oppressed them and
ruled them nation with any self pride and
ability to govern themselves would have sue
eumbed to. It was a critical time in the affairs
of this Nation, and took men of grit and strong
determination to express their opinions and
declare their purpose.
You have probably seen the picture of the
Signing of the Declaration of Independence,
and did 1t not make you feel and realize the
solemnity of the occasion' The picture repre-.
sents them to be men of gray hair. with solemn
faces not q smile on any of their faces, for
upon the result of their action depended the life
or death of this Republic and of each member Of
that assembly.
After the battles of Shiloh and Seven Days the
Government called for 3000O0 men and 4Oo, 600
answered the call, and after Murfreesboro
Gettysburg and Chckamsuga at least 100, 900
men volunteered TO Gil up the ranks made thin
by these bloody battles. We have had examples
of true, faithful loyalty given us by our fore
fathers and by fathers, and who is there |
among us that would turn his back to such good |
examples these?-OscAR McGAUHY, Lin
cnlu Ccp,p % Edprardcnort nd