The herald., 1896-03-06
Blue and Gray

Blue and Gray
EDITOR HERALD: National Commander
Walker seems to have but a very small
spark of liberation and forgiveness stored
away in his heart.
If truly reported, his expressions at a
meeting of the G. A. r. at Newark. N. j..
would lead one to believe that he was a
man who never forgets or forgives.
"There is not a loyal Union soldier who
would approve of such thing as the blue
and gray having a meet IN New York."
These are his words as given through the
press.
Therefore. if there were some of our old
battle-scarred veterans who faced death
IN battle to save the Union and protect the
flag who should preserve a spark of toler-
ance and forgiveness toward a man who
wore gray and would stoop SO low or have
meeting with such man he would, in the
eyes of Commander Walker, be disloyal
and traitor to the country he fought for
and that he was willing to give his life to
save.
am impressed that Commander Walker
would today find quite an army. OF our old.
tried veterans, as men of principle, who
would not hesitate to meet with the grays
and reach out the hand of fellowship and
shake and overlook the error they made !;
for it is human to err and none are perfect.
1t might be supposed from the tone OF the
commanders expressions that if he had
occupied the high position that
our martyred president, Abraham
Lincoln. held, including the power and
surrendered to Grant, and Old jeff was
captured, and the confederate army was
compelled to lay down their arms, six
months after that event took place no
rebel or confederate soldier who wore
gray would have been found living this
side of Halifax. There would have been
arge appropriations passed to buy rope
aud other destructive matter.
Thank God, there was wise, kind
hearted, generous, foreiving man at the
helm, and the name of Abraham Lincoln,
with that of Washington, will live in the
hearts of his countrymen, and the Union
soldier, including thousands OF those who
wore the gray and their offspring will re-
we're their names for generators eternal.
have interviewed quite number of the
old heroes of tho late rebellion as to the
feeling that exists between the old Union
soldier and the rebel at The present time,
and have yet to meet the first Union SOL
dier that was in active battle and
faced the cannon's mouth who will say
other than that they are always
pleased to meet the boys that wore gray
and exchange tales of the battles they were
in and how they used to traffic with one
another for TOBACCO. coffee and other lux
uries, while on picket duty, and how they
would have to hunt their shelter or per-
haps feel the sting of bullet in somc part
of their anatomy, after returning to their
post of duty.
There are some men who fought, bied
and died for their country that nsver
smelt powder smoke, and never had any
desire to, but always made it point to do
their fighting around officers quart
e ers with broom or in some
if You should get talking with them,
about war times, would make one believe
that they had slain more rebels than would
I'LL wagon. And even at the present
time they would delight in slauGhtering
a million more Of them. This kind of
soldiers cannot be reconciled to look upon
a soldier that fought bravely for cause
that he thought was right and had 10
wear the gray. Oh, no; they cannot
forget the dangers and hardships they en-
dured around officers quarters, and when
night came. with storm and tempest, they
endured the hardship of sleeping in nice
warm cot with two pair of government
blankets to hold them down, while the
poor common soldier was out to the front,
doing nothing but tramping around over
the country, making forced marches. and
when night came would enjoy hunting
some soft place on the ground-perhaps on
some battlefield, surrounded by the dead
and dying-to spread their blankets and
take few hours rest; and to hear, even
in sleep, the groans of their comrades or
their foes that lay no great distance suffer-
ing from their wounds received in the
strife.
| was talking some time ago with an
old Union soldier; he related to me of
meet that the blue and gray had. think
it took place in Baltimore, and he said they
had fine time together, and that there
north at the present time than for years.
would not be afraid to stake my life
that if all the Union veterans in the United
States were to turn out and hold a meet
with the gray it would not make them dis
loyal to theiI country. And, today, if war
States l doubt very much if there could be
found one of the old, tried veterans that
would show the white feather. believe
those VINO are able would rally to the
standard from all over the country. And
those minus arms or legs, and even on
crutches. would come to show their loyalty
and see if there was some part they could
take to help defend Old Glory. Just think
that all the old vets. if it was to be, and
could be given, an invitation to visit the
lower regions, and be placed on an excur-
sion train, and make the round trip and be
entertained by his satanic majesty, and
shake hands with him, then they would not
prove disloyal to their country.
And, Furthermore, believe in case of war
that there would be thousands of the grays
that would rally to the standard to defend
it with the old Union vets. AS the old ad.
age goes, "Light will shine through very
small hole" And it may be that politics
has caused an itching somewhere, and that
the old vets are being looked on with sus-
picious eye, and that we are going to have
a presidential election soon. May be that
is the cause of an opposition to a meet of
the blue and gray in New York.
Hoping. should there be meet, that the
stamp those old veterans who should at
tend disloyal and traitors to this country,
but nothing more than showing a true
spirit of love and forgiveness that springs
from the All Wise and was shown by such
noble men as Lincoln, Grant and others
too numerous to mention-shown to the
the vanquished.
I would like to see the blue and gray
meet. I think it would tend to make the
ties stronger and bring about q more har-
monious feeling throughout the nation and
bind together the rising generations to
come. for the good, harmonious influence
that would be impaired to the rising gen-
Grafton from both sdes-the blue and the
gray--for the good of the nation would be
inestimable. A SUBSCRIBER.
rrs. Croker and Her Critic
EDITOR HERALD: I was greatly SUR
prised in yesterdays issue that "May E.
Benson" made no attempt to refute my