The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-08-23
The Grand Army.

Once again the tramp of the thous-
! ands of the Grand Army of the Re-
public is heard, as, in the fortieth an
niversary of the organization, the
veterans of the civil war meet in
Minneapolis. The great prosperity
of the country makes a vacation par
ticularly enjoyale this year, and so
there are thousands who have assem-
bled from the four quarters of the
United States, called together by a
sentiment as remarkable as it is
strong.
The Grand Army is a society. 1t
has its posts, into which members
are initiated as into other orders.
But, in the popular mind, the term
is used for that rapidly disappearing
collection of citizen soldiery which
rushed to arms at the call of Abra-
ham Lincoln to save the nations
life. Any old soldier is member
of this larger society bound to his
fellows by the tie of common SER
vice, and honored by the people
whether he wears a designated but
ton or not, or is entitled to admis-
sion into an organized post 1t has
been forty-one years now since more
than million of such patriots sought
their homes after the grand review,
as the army melted away into the
ranks of civil life and the flags were
furled which had inspired where the
bullets whistled and the shot few.
When the matter is considered
thoughtfully it is remarkable thing
that after nearly half century the
feeling of loyalty to sentiment con-
tinues strong when all the bitterness
of great civil war has been forgot
ten. The annual meetings are occa-
sions for excursions, for summer
outings, for visits to various cities of
the land, for reunions with long sep
arated comrades. Much is to be
credited to the energy OF railroad
agents an local committees. But,
without the strong underlying SEN
timent of patriotism, there would be
no such gatherings. The old soldi-
ers's life is happier because of his
recollections the children are inspir-
ed with patriotism because of the
sight of these veterans; the nation.
gains from the annual reminders of
what happened onee when it was in
danger, an earnest of the future up
rising should any foe attack the flag
of the United States.
And yet it might seem that the
element of sadness would be the pre-
vailing one, when the long death roll
of each year is recalled Now and
then someone comes and claims
honor as the youngest soldier"
Such case is the exception The
great bulk of the army was made up
of men whose ages averaged at least
twenty years, ind probably more
There are few veterans now living
who are not well past sixty years of
age. The final call is not far away
The future reunions of the grand ar
my are numbered. But with all the
sadness over the absent faces, the
veteran has a righf to intense pride
as he looks about over his country.
1t stands high among the nations of
the earth, and he justly may feel that
this position is to a great degree due
to the victory which he helped to
win nearly half century ago, when
the union was saved and rebellion
was crushed. Under such circum-
stances, it is easy to be forgiving
toward ancient foes, and the pleasure
of the recollection of past deeds of
honor helps to relieve the sadness
caused by the failure to meet again
those who have gone off duty for
ever-Chicago Tribune.