The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1903-10-02
SOLDIERS GALL TO ARMS
BY A RURAL VIII III

DIX a hOhAA w NJ dAs
The Upton Record publishes an
article in advocacy of the cause OF
Gen. William B. Bate, which is
likely to become campaign aaoc.-
ment. The article follows:
"The Damned Old Soldier.
To the Record:
"Bate is nothing but damned old
soldier, and we will have to put him
to Sleep
For the first time in the history OF
the State that has proudly Haunted
the title of the "Volunteer State" in
the faces of the other States of the
Union, a campaign has been opened in
which voices of a political circle have
been raised in favor of sounding taps
over the political grave of man who
has given his blood and brain for his
people,
Among the men who are opposing
Gen. William 3. Bate for the United
States Senate, the cry has been taken
ND that the day of the soldier IS gone
and that the younger generation shall
forget the valor and patriotism OF the
past, and look with an eye single TO
the selection of man who can dis
pense the political pan to his crew
with lively sense of favors yet TO
come and perfect oblivion to personal
suffering and sacrifice already made
by man for his people.
1t is entirely probable that this
battle-cry raised by the followers Of
the McMillin banner, whose head
quarters seem to be in the city OF
Memphis, will find but cold recep-
tion in Tennessee. The Tennessee
mind is very apt to go back over the
fields of Mexico, where the colors OF
the Republic were carried to victory
by Tennessee troops, and where Ten
nessee men coined blood into victory.
1t is likely to pause for moment in
front of the city of New Orleans,
where a Tennessee host, led by jack
son, Carroll and Coffee, sent the Brit
ish lion bowling from our then frontier
and made perpetually safe the peace
and possession of the American peo-
pie.
The same mental force is certain to
pause in the midst of Chickamauga,
where Gen. Bate, leading as gallant a
host as ever went forth to battle for
the principles of free and brave peo-
pie, felt the sting of the enemy's
bullets, and CALAMITY held his own,
uncowed by the gaff of CALLING wounds.
Nations and empires watched the on
slaught made in this memorable
struggle. For the Federal army
Thomas, the night before, had sleepily
urged his fellow-commanders, eight,
fight" He had in word told of the
necessity of the hour.
No other such fight had ever been
seen on the face of the civilized globe.
Austerlitz, Marengo and those spec
tacular engagements in which the
pyrotechnics of war were set off to
thrill and astonish the fighting world
had no such stage setting. In the
midst of it stood "the damned old
soldier Off little distance from
the point on Mission Ridge, where
Grants ant-like army swept through
the center of Days Alabama brigade
and opened the pathway for Union
success, a thin and valiant body of
men withstood the shock of fearful
attack even after the center had been
broken and the Southern colors had
been sent back to the ravine in the
rear. Dead men had place in this
scene. The demon of war waged un-
der low barometer, and the storm of
terrific conflict swept the crest of the
hill. Here, also, was "the damned
old soldier"
There was no hope of political pre-
ferment in that hour of danger. No
salary attracted the efforts of the men
who were there. A little roll of Con-
federate money, as worthless and
known to be as worthless as the paper
upon which it was printed, came
rather as a mockery than as reward.
"The damned old soldier" was a can
didate for place among the dead of
his own people on that field of carnage
and glory. And now, as he limps into
the contest for the Senate, where he
has served his people without single
black mark upon spotless record, the
Memphis cabal of political manipulate
ors sets in motion the cry that he
must be put to sleep.
Taps will be sounded in this cam
paign, but 'the damned old soldier"