The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-04-24
A VANISHING ARMY.

The suggestions which are heard from
the Memorial day celebration brings to
mind the pathetic fact that tho glorious
;lrrry which fought the battles Of the
Union and preserved the nations in
tegrity is fast slipping into the mists
of the dead past. Tho record of mortal
ity among the old boys in blue Increases
proportionately as the days go by; and
the cree glorious aggregation known in
American history as the Grand Army Of
the Republic is fast assuming the char
acter of a vanishing army.
1t is now thirty-six years since the
great drama Of the war was brought to
a close beneath the immortcl apple tree
at Appomattox. The then lad of twenty
is today ffty-six years old. The man
maturity of his days and fought to the
end, if living, may be said to range from
sixty-fve to eighty years Of age The
average of til us OF IL. = q 1..s1a.i,r
veteran may safely be put at from sew
enty to seventy-five. Is 1t any. wonder
then that the men who marched UP Penn
sylvania avenue that memorable day
are dropping from the tree of life like
ripe fruit, and disappearing into the
great unknown.
Last year the mortality in the Grand
Army was naturally much greater than
ever before. The total of deaths was
1889. Fourteen years ago, in 1886, the
total was as small as $3.50. In 1890, four
years later, 1t was 5000, and since that
time has ranged from 1000 to 5000 annu-
ally.
Ten years ago the Grand Army muster
roll showed 40O,48s names. Last year it
was reduced to 276662. How many of the
grand old men will have been left to
march in the memorial services through
out the country ten years hence?
While the shadow Of the valley looms
above these heroic men the record of vi
tally which they have shown since the
war, as a body, is truly extraordinary.
Thousands of them have passed the
three-score year and ten limit, and
many more thousands have passed the
three-score milestone in life. They are
all mostly men who have suffered severe
physical pain from the exposure and I'M
certainties of life which attended their
military careers Yet do they withs. and
braVely the ravages of time; even while
they see dropping around them year in
and year out men younger in years and
whose lives have been cast in easy places
leaving scarce record of their existence
behind
Modern philosophy tends to the teach
ing that one must get as much of ease
and enjoyment out of life as it can be
made to hold. The thought of unneces-
sary sacrifice is unwelcome to the modern
mind. He is supposed to be best off who
allows himself to be least bothered
about the cares Of others, and who is
best able to look after his individual
comfort. The story of the heroes of the
army Of the Potomac and their brethren
who fought in the other sections of the
great national battle ground bellies this
philosophy They are the best beloved
sons of this nation today Their junior
brethren who had their little brush in
the Philippines or in Cuba have been the
object of many huzzas but the men who
fought for the national safety in the six
ties have that hold on the national SYM
pathies which will pass away only with
death
With the 275,OOO or so heroes Who still
live to take part in the services of their
departed brothers in arms, let us hone
that time will deal as gently as may be.
and that the largest proportion possible
of them will be saved for many years to
come to answer to the call of a Co