The National tribune., 1899-09-28
THE GAR. AND THE DEWEY PARADE

There has been great deal Of newspaper
discussion of the refusal of the Grand Army
of the Republic to take part in the New York
Dewey Parade, and the papers of New York,
with their customary ignorance of how the
comrades think and feel, to say nothing OF
a decided animus against them, have
abounded in Misrepresentation. The fol-
| lowing letter from Comrade jos. W. Kay,
Commander Of the Department of New
York, sets forth the attitude of the veterans
with unmistaka BILE clearness:
CHARLES F. ROE,
| CHAIRMAN OF LAND PARADE COM
| MITTEE, RECEPTION OF ADMIRAL
DEWEY BY THE CITY OF NEW YORK,
| 2SO BROADWAY, NEW YORK CITY.
| SIR AND COMRADE:
Your letter addressed to me as Depart
ment Commander Grand Army of the Re-
nublic. of date of the 18th inst. reaching
me through Col. H. III. Adams, is at hand.
The authority given you by the Plan and
Scope Committee, Dewey Parade, to extend
cordial invitation To the Grand Army OF
| the Republic, 10 the number OF 20 from each
Post in the Greater City, was very kind and
| is fully appreciated.
| AS the Executive head of the Grand
Army in this State, my first thought was,
waving all minor questions, TO recommend
| to the Grand Army Post that they parade.
| And some action in that direction was
| taken. On consultation, however, with
Gen. Albert ID. Shaw, Commander-in-Chi
of the Grand Army of the Republic, as also
with the Executive officers of the same in
| the several Boroughs which comprise the
Greater New York, representing in thu ir
Memorial and Executive Committees some
| los PostS-not So as mentioned III your
| letter to me- am constrained to inform
YOU that the place you intend to assign
them near the rear OF the column is not one
that they could be expected TO accept. In
all of our history from the war Of indie
| pendence to the present day, those who
have fought the battles OF our country have
| been conspicuously honored on all occa-
sions OF ceremony. Moreover, the arrange
ments and details regarding the position
| in the line of the Grand Army, and the COM
! mand of the same, We're perfected by you
without consultation with the constituted
authorities of the Grand Army OF the Re-
public who in courtesy should be commune
Gated with beforehand.
| Our great Order, having more than 300,-
600 survivors of the civil war, is fully
representative of the great armies and navy
they preserved, the Nation which they
made free. This is civic occasion and not
necessarily a military one. Nothing would
more closely touch the hearts of the people
| than to see its war veterans, particularly
the saviors of the Nation, recognized by
placing them in the front rank.
AS the suggestion made you in connec-
ton with the Dewey Parade by the Com
mander-in-C Chief regarding the position in
the line of the Grand Army of the Republic on
that occasion does not meet your approval,
it is not possible to accept the invitation you
were authorized TO extend. The members
of the Grand Army of the Republic are now
verging on old age. The head Of the
column will not probably start until 1
o'clock in the afternoon. The position
assigned the representatives of the Grand
Army renders it impossible for them to
move for more than five hours after the
head Of the column has started. 1t is very
unlikely that they should pass the review
ing stand until after nightfall. And it is
certain that their physical condition should
not be exposed to this strain. The spirit is
willing, as in the days Of 1876, but the
flesh is weak. Their request for position
as a special civic guard of honor at the
head OF column having been refused by
you, both in whole and in part, there re-
mains nothing to be done by me but to de-
cline the invitation. In their own time and
in their own way, the Grand Army of the
Republic, as the representatives Of the