The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-26
ONLY ONE GRAND ARMY.
An Energetic Protest Against ANAL
gamatiOn with Men of '9S.

To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
In yesterdays Journal aug. 24) notice a
communication from Warsaw, signed by N.
N. Boydston, relative to the admission of
the soldiers of 9S into the Grand Army of
the Republic. For the past two or three
months / have been informed through the
press that such step, or rather the feas-
Utility of the project, would be brought up
for consideration before the National En-
campment at Cincinnati. We live at pres
ent in an age of cranks, and / find the G.
A. r. is no exception. These comrades
who are advocating this nonsense certainly
cannot be very well posted in the rules and
regulations, the ritual and the proceedings
of national and department encampments,
or they would never advocate such prepos-
ferrous proposition
Let us see. First. the Grand Army of the
Republic is composed of soldiers who fought
in a war the objects and results of which
are as different from the present war as an
edict of the Gear of Russia is from the
Declaration of Independence. The soldiers
Of this present war have no idea or concep-
ton of the magnitude of the sufferings and
privations the boys of 81 to 90 had to I'M
dergo, except what they learn from history
or from the lips of the survivors,; hence
there can be no sympathy existing between
them in general sense.
Second--For the past ten or twelve wears
in the various National Encampments a res
olution has been introduced to merge the
Sons of Veteran organization into the
Grand Army and as often it has been re-
pudiated and ignored by each and every en-
campment. and the probabilities are we will
near no more OF 1t. SO presume this prop
osition TO admit soldiers of '9S will meet
with the same fate.
Tnird-Article " of the rules and regu-
lations will have to be changed entirely
and this of itself would knock the Grand
sets forth the objects of the order, would
have to be eliminated; would, also, the
entire charge to the recruit and badge pre-
sentation of the ritual. In short, the Grand
Army of the Republic would cease to exist,
and the whole business end for naught.
FOURTH am opposed to the whole plan,
because 10 per cent. of the membership
would withdraw from the order by the adj
mission of young men and ex-Confederates.
The simple fact that the '.Johnnies'' have
enlisted to fight the Spanish is no reason in
the world why they should become members
one ex-Confederate soldier who wants or
desires 10 become a member of the G. A. r.
Neither is there a Union soldier who desires
TO be mustered into the organization of Con-
federate Veterans. So long as both parties
are satisfied why not let them alone?
Comrade Boydston says sectional lines"
are obliterated. True. and the whole Ma
ton rejoices in the fact: yet neither John
ME- 'Yank' is disposed TO ''slop over
10 the extent of both sides sacrificing their
respective organizations and join in as one
society. To admit ex-Confederates TO the
G. A. r. is to virtually admit that we were
wrong and they were right, which for one
never will do lines or no lines"
In conclusion, do sincerely hope and
trust that the officers and delegates to the