Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-08-28
The Memphis Ratification,
THE AUDIENCE NUHBERED ny
THOUSANDS
Speeches by Gems. Forrest and stone
man, Hons. G. A. Henry and L. G.
Haynes and w. 7. Avery, and Coils.
Crockett and Cameron.

The great meeting in Memphis on Sa:aI-
day evening, Of which mention was made
in our special dispatch Of Sunday morning,
was an imposing affair. Our Memphis ex-
changes come freighted with the speeches
and resolutions, and lengthy accounts Of the
enthusiasm which prevailed.
We have not space for all the speeches,
though those of Messrs. HENRY, HAYNES
and AVERY were eloquent with genuine
Conservatism. We append those of Lieut..
General FORREST and Major General STONE
MAN, as well for the admirable spirit and
excellent good sense which they display, as
from the fact that they were distinguished
military representatives of the opposing sec
tions in the late war, and are now engaged
in the noble mission of securing peace, and
preserving Constitutional liberty.
SPEECH OF GEN. FORREST.
Mr.. President AND GENTLEMEN II
thaRk you for the honor conferred npon me
tonight, in selecting me as your presiding
officer You will allow me to say that i am
far more familiar with the stern duty Of
soldier than l am with the art Of public
speaking. 1t is known to most of you that
my life has been one of action rather than
of words. Nor has il been my habit to take
leading part in the direction of political
and public affairs. But the occasion Of this
evening is one of no ordinary importance.
You have assembled to express your appro-
baton or disapprobation of the principles Of
public policy and constitutional government
declared in the resolutions and address sent
forth to the American people by the late
Philadelphia Convention. If the principles
therein annunciated shall be sustained by
the American people, and particularly by
majority of the freemen Of the Northern
States, then the States and people of the
South will be speedily restored TO constitu-
tional liberty. If | know myself, this is
the anxious desire of my heart. This is the
consideration that brought me here tonight,
and without stopping to criticise or object TO
collateral matters and details, not resting on
any great public principle, as a I1hOJe, / will
stand by the resolutions Of that body.
have carefully read and considered the
address and the principles OF public policy
and constitutional law therein contained,
and without regard to the language in which
they stand expressed, they meet my full, I'M
reserved and cordial approval. When l
pledged my word and my honor TO the lost
cause of the late Confederacy, l suppose that
no one who knew me ever doubted the hon
esty and good faith with which they would
be redeemed and when / now accept the
results of the war as irreyocable, as l have
accepted them, and pledge my word and
my faith to the support of the great pribci-
piles declared to theworld by the Philadel-
phia Convention, as / now do, that vow and
that faith shall be equally constant and I'M
changeable.
There is one thing will say in regard to
the soldiers of the North and South the men
who have met each other in the stern shock
Of battle, and a conflict Of arms that tried
their courage and their souls; ifthese grave
matters were referred to them, these States
could be instantly restored to their former
relations; their people to the right ofrepre-
sentaton in Congress, and all sections Of the
Union to quietude and friendship.
And as to the last resolution proposed by
the committee, indorsing the generous and
patriotic efforts of the President of the Uni
ted States to secure to the Southern States
equality of rights in the Union, it meets my
cordial appreciation. have reason to b.
lieve that l have been misrepresented to the
Chief Magistrate, and slandered by calum-
niators, publicly and privately, in regard to
my behavior as one of the commanders of
portion of the army of the late Confederate
States; but while shall rest my vind:cation
against these calumnies upon the testimony
Of the thousands of brave men who followed
me in that bloody struggle, whatever the
President may think of me, it is a duty
owe to my own sense of Justice and patriot
ism to indorse his policy for the immediate
restoration of the States to stand by MIN
in his arduous endeavors for the preserva-
ton Of the constitutional rights of the South
ern States and people, and to express to the
world my admiration of his generosity and
the dignity of his conduct And as TO my
future policy | refer you to my past history
since the surrender of nay command at
Gainesville Ala, on the 9th day Of May
1865, and to my address to my soldiers on
that occasion, which / will add as a port n
of my speech.
General SLOVENIAN being then loudly
called for, came forward, and being intro
duced by General FORREST, spoke as follows:
Friends and FeliOw C6UHtrymeR: You have
called before you, not a partisan or politi-
tician, but a simple citizen of the Govern
ment of the United States, knowing no North |
no South no East no West. The war in
which the people Of this greatest of all great |
countries has been engaged during the past |
eventful years is ended, the issues upon which |
thatwa was based have been settled. Ifthere |
is anything to forgive let il be forgiven, if |
there is anything to be forgot let it be for |
gotten. Let us all recollect that we have |
but one country and one flag.
The object for which you are all assembled |
together here tonight is, as / understand it, |
and reunion, but let us all re-
member that reconstruction must be based |
upon reconciliation. You may force a sepa-
rated man and wife to live in the same house,
lodge in the same room, but they will never
be reunited as man and wife until they have |
first become reconciled.
/ said the war is ended; as we were enc
mics in war, let us be again friends; and in
this sentiment know that no one will join
me more heartily than the gallant end dis
tinguished President of ;his assemblage.
The bravery that was displayed during
the past by each one engaged in the war, let
it be the pride and common property Of all.
We soldiers that did the fighting are recon-
ciled, and want peace and harmony, and We
call upon YOU editors and orators of the
land TO aid us with your pens and tongues.
Preachers of the gospel, whose solemn obi
cation it is to preach peace and good will,
we ask your prayers and invocations, and
from you, politicians, we demand that you
shall cease your wrangling, and allow the
good work TO 60 on until our object is at
tanned
And you, fair maidens and noble matrons,
who, during the fighting, cheered us with
your smiles and frightened us with your
frowns, lend us the potency of your power
in the accomplishment of work so laud-
able and so noble.
As / am not an applicant for your suf-
frages, nor never expect to be, nor ever cast
a vote for President in my life, you viii not
expect me 10 define my position; but this
much | will say / have been member of
a club for near quarter Of a century, and
which was organized three-quariers of a
century ago. BY the Constitution of that
club, It's President is elected every four
years. Its first President was GEORGE
its present President is An
DREW JOHNSON, whom the people call Our
ANDY"
DEATH OF EN-JUDGE JONES. OF MEM
PHIS. FROM CHOLERA.
Another well-knOwn citizen has passed
away. Judge L. p. JoNEs, a most respected
~ III - -, ,,-f. ba,,-