The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-11-03
AN OPEN letter

| ~ SCi totil NOI!iDiofiHIiS
Volunteers.
DEAR BOYS:
Don't complain;
Don't wall;
Don't write pulling letters to below
ing newspapers.
Be men; be soldiers; be those grand.
est of all men-American Volunteers.
This is the earnest, heartfelt adjura-
ton of those who hold YOU much dearer
| than any others can outside of your
own kindred-the comrades of the
Grand Army of the Republic. The
veterans have deeper, stronger feeling
for you than any other class can posi-
bly, have. A large proportion of you
are actually their own sons, and for all
of you they have a paternal affection.
ihSf ioSaiu YOU ds Ibeh ouoCeHeoio IA
upholding the honor, dignity and repu-
tation of the American soldier. No one
felt as keen satisfaction as they did at
your prompt response to the Presidents
call. No one felt quite so proud and
enthusiastic as they did when regiment
of YOU splendid young fellows went
marching along the street to the cars
which were to hear you to the front"
They saw their youth live again in you,
they believed your patriotic zeal was
the fruit of their example and teach
ings. They were wild with delight at
the conduct of tfose of you who aetu-
ally got into battle. They were greed
lily credulous of all the good things said
about you, and savagely intolerant of
anything derogatory.
Possibly, out of their fervent affec-
ton they have somewhat idealized yon.
That is not an uncommon thing in men
Of their age toward their sons, and those
whom they regard as such.
Now they are exceedingly anxious
that you should justify all that they be-
lieved and hoped of you. They want
you to continue to illustrate the uncom-
planning self-sacrifice, the heroic dignity,
the quiet manliness that has always
characterized the American Volunteer.
They know, and they thought you knew
when YOU enlisted, that war is not
pleasant recreation. If it were, there
would be no credit in enlisting. War
necessarily means whole lot of things
that only men of the very best mental
and physical fiber will dare and endure.
1t means the sacrifice of home comforts
and pleasures the giving up of ones
personal Independence strict subordin a
ton to a discipline that is frequently
irksome; unguestioning obedience to
officers who may. often be personally
offensive, and SO on through a long
category of things more or less repug-
nant to the mind of high-spirted,
pleasure-loving boy. But
one cannot have an army without these
things. Every man you see wearing
the bronze button of the GAR. went
through an average of more months
than YOU have weeks Of this sort of ex-
perience, and it is now his highest pride
that he went through it unfinchingly;
that he obeyed every order, no matter
how distasteful and every commander,
no matter how repellant; that he curbed
himself into the bonds of strictest dis
cipline that he took the worst that war
could deal out TO him, without MUIR
muir. He feels that somehow all that
he went through was development of
his manhood, and he could not have
afforded to miss any of it. And he is
confident that you will feel the same
way, after the irritation over petty an
noyances and troubles have passed
away.
The veterans cannot understand how
you could have had particularly hard
time in pleasantly-situated Summer
camps, with all the trains running
freely TO the North, and Fitzhugh Lee
and 10 Wheeler and their crowds in
camp with you, instead of being out
raiding your cracker-lines as in
1S61-'65.
Now, boys, we want YOU TO stand up