Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-02-20

- AK
MN THERE. FOR WEARING OF TIL
GREEN
Some young men in Rome, Georgia
on occasion Of g fair, or something Of I'M
sort, used a Confederate flag in a taoleau
For this they were summariiy arrested
and imprisoned by an officer OF the aFmA
Of the United States. OF course he has
preeiselv the same right to hang them,-
that is, none at all.
Representations made to "Brevet Ma
ior General DAVIS TILsON, command
ing sub-district Of Georgia, "a very ap
propriate title for that Province, it ap
pears, have drawn forth the letter
which is published in another column
"for the benefit OF all concerned"
1t is officially pronounced in this letter
that the act Of displaying the Confede'
rate flag was an "~offence." By whaI
article Of what code it is made an Of
fence, is not stated. But it seems 10 be
80 pronounced Z, because it was "a display
honouring treason and Of course con
temning loyalty" With all due defer
ence. this strikes US as a nOn-sequitur,
We honour the memories OF all the
brave, the good aud the true, who Eel
fighting for their native land Of the
south and their political faith and we
honour the living Of whom all Southern
soldiers are proud. This may be termed
"honouring treason if Msjor General
THOMAS pleases so to style it, since an
doubtedly he has the right to call seces-
sion treason, if he thinks it so. Treason
or NOT, is a question TO be decided by
Courts and JURIEs and it is absolutely
certain that no matter what Power may
order, or Courts that have already pre-
judged the question decide, those who
fought for what they honestly believed
the rights Of their states viii HeCCr feel
that they were guilty Of treason.
But however that may be, to honor our
dead, or even 10 have some love for the
flag we fought under, is not to contemu
loyalty. There are few intelligent
Southern men, We hope, o that the
passion and anger Of the wal have had
time 10 cool. who do not honour loyalty,
real genuine loyalty to the flag Of the
United States and the Union. God for
bid we should not honor those who
fought maufUliy and sOldierly for their
idea and their faith! That there are Off
GERS OF the United States whom we Dc
not honor, is true. Il is needless here to
say why. There we're brigands and
plunderers, assassins and ravishers
these. But We do honor all, rank and
file Is well as officers, who did their duty
as soldiers should. Loyalty to ones
faith il truth, and we honor il and ad-
more il wherever il is found.
We are not able TO see, either, why
there should be any just cause Of objec-
ton to funeral ohsegaies being performed
over the remains of a Confederate Gen
eraI, 81 why his deeds of daring as 8
soldier should not be magnified. There
is no good reason, it seems TO US, why
this should be offensive TO officers of the
United States. Il is surely not what
General THOMAS terms it OF the mere
displaying Of the Confederate fag-"G an
act Of treason. % The definition O
treason, contained in the Consti-
tuition, viii have to be largely extended,
10 include either act. And, whatever
politicians OF itinerant Chief Justices OF
partizan J Judges may extrajudicially say,
il seems to US, with al respect to Gen.
THOMAS, that an officer Of one service
who has recognized officers Of another ss
belligerents, has met them in action aud
after action, during a four years war,
waged by more than a million Of men on
one side and three or four hundred thous-
and on the other, cannot with propriety
afterwards treat them IS rebels OF trait I
ors, or term them such. We do lot
think that an English or French officer |
would do it: aud We are glad 10 say tina;
We have heard the officers of the United
States whom we have met, universally 4
use the word Confederate. And, what
ever r~anters, in Congress and out, may
say, the cordial and respectful manneri IN
which unpardOned Confederate Generals |
aud Senators have continually been re-
ceived and welcomed by officers Of the
army Of the United States, by members
Of the Cabinet and by Senators, proves
that it is felt and known that no real
treason, no ~dishonoring and infamous
crime has been committed.
For Us to pay honor to cur dead is not
in the least degree to violate our allegi
ance to the Constitution Of the United
States or our parole Of honor 70 obey the
laws. 1t is not meant so, and ought not
10 be tskez 50. We do "accept the sit
nation " but it never yet was deemed a
part Of the ~prerogstive Of the victor to
require the conquered to admit that they
had been guilty Of treason. The right to
hold our honest opinions and convictions
IS q right granted Us by patent direc,
from God, and no military power can
annul the grant.
Undoubtedly there are intemperate
men, who use intemperate language: and
euithets that are harsh and sometimes
ungeaerOus, are undoubtedly applied to
those among ourselves who adhered 70
the Union during the wor, or pretended
70 have done 50, When il was over. But
that Is not reasonable. There is no war
no rebellion, no insurrectiOn existing
none contemplated. Treason is I~evying
war against ones country, adber-
ing to its enemies, giving them
aid and comfort, and cannoe bs
established without proof Of overt acts.
There is no Law to punish our people fo-
aud it would be an immense
Dlunder to enact one, if it could constitu-
ionally be done. There is no law to d
compel men or women 10 associate with :
hose whom they do not like. There is no
,ower vested in any military officer to u
ee that any particular persons, however d
deserving, are not treated with con- f
umely and derisiOn. Nor is there any v
aw 10 punish men for calling others bv {,
names; and certainly none thai Il
makes it criminal to call the late civil
-ar a revolution, aud rebels Confede- =,
ates. We do not see how the peon,e y
Z the United States who ended the #
and saved the country ara 70 in
good Gen. THOMAs's words. and ,
not permit these things" which there v
surely no law to prevent OF punish. ki
We admire the ingenuity ofthe pbrass de
= which srrest and imprisonment in =
io,atiou Of rights solemnly guaranteed If
!. the Constitution are expressed. /" An Oh
.tsp,nts to maintain this unnatural 81
.rser Of things viii be met" it is an ~ ~
,ounesd. abydecidod dtsaPpro0al" Mil tn
tary Dopberries have an emphatic way, an
I nust he admitted. Of expressing their De
asappropa az
- a.a. he is ouly exercising tio
lswgul power, and for salaiary purposes Of