Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-05-02

traitors, but as prisoners Of war. They
recognized Confederate cruisers at sea.
They blockaded Confederate ports
against all neutral commerce, aud
stopped and searched neutral vessels on
the high seas. The Congress Of the
United States raised aud supported those
immense armies. aud provided and main.
tanned navy ofunparalleled power IL
iuterdicted All com mercial intercourse
between the citizens ofthe two bellige-
rents. 1t levied enormous taxes and
borrowed thousands Of millions OF
dollars on the faith and credit Of
the United States, in order to carry on
the war. And the Supreme Court OF the
United States has recently held, upon 4
review of these historic facts, that the
Confederate Government was a gov
eminent in fact" greater in territory
than many Of the old governments in
Europe, and complete in the organization
Of all its parts" These facts were in
themselves not only conclusive evidence
of a grander civil war than was ever
waged before in the history OF the human
race, but in q constitutional and legal
sense absolved the Confederate people
from obedience to the Government OF the
United States, and by virtue of the laws
of nations and of war transferred their
allegiance to the new government in
fact"
All publicists and writer's on inter-
national law lay down the rule that the
soldiers covered by the flag of gov.
eminent in fact are not to be treated as
rebels, traitors and felons, but are en-
titled TO the same rights of civilized war
fare as the soldiers Of the army covered
by the flag Of the supreme government.
Thus the names of the Confederate dead,
who persisted in the struggle, are vindi'
Gated upon these facts by the great pub,
licists of the civilized world, against the
imputation of rebellion and treason.
And as sons of their native and adopted
States, which claimed their allegiance and
their lives, their characters stand re-
hected in the grand mirror OF history,
bright with the virtues Of private honor
and personal patriotism. And where
soever their remains may repCse on the
green earth or in the cavernous deep,
the wings of the laws of nations over
shadow them, as they lie cold ia the
graves Of their glory, with a kind OF
earthly omnipresence and security
while the roices Of Grotius aud Vattel and
of the great publcists Of all civilized
countries and ages (though their bones
have crumbled into DUST, are still ring
ing in the ears Of all mankind, branding
the ignorant imputations against them
of rebellion and treason with the intamy
of falsehood. They fought for the legal
rights to which they believed they were
entitled; for the institutions they thought
secured to them by the Constitution; for
affairs sacred to their hearts for fire.
sides around which their their wives and
their children clustered for the graves
of their venerated ancestors; for honor
and their native land, /"
They fought for the Confederate Con-
stitution, which in all the essential prin-
ciples of true republicanism was a sub
stantial copy Of the Constitution of the
United States, and in fighting for the
contents of the copy they fought for the
contents of,the glorious original Thus
they laid down their noble lives in !" the
i'm minent deadly breach " in demonstra
ton of the sincerity Of their motives
and the hour of death was to them Q
moment of birth to the heritage ano
honors of immortality.
But the renown aud glory of the dead
are only equaled by the inviolable faith
and sacred honor with which their sur'
vivors have kept aud intend to observe
their pledges and obligations of fidelity
to the Constitution and laws of the Uni
ted States; all lawful and proper obe-
dience to all constitutional authorities,
and final concurrence in the abolition
of that institution, on account OF which
the war was begun and waged upon them
cannot undertake to name the battle
fields on which they bled and died. Fol
without those finer and minuter touches
of the pencil that give the lights anC
shadows of the scenes and complete the
picture, it would be but the blank anC
beggarly negative of those grand con-
flcts. ~
If could unroll to your view tn,
sublime panorama of those fields on
which two hundred thousand bayonetI
glittered in the morning sunbeams; if
could describe the fierce charges o.
the impetuous cavalry if could pain
populous cities wrapped in hamsI
and the sun himself darkened With thu
smoke of battle; if could deafen YOU
ears with the deep thunder of hundred
thousand muskets in single volley; II
could give voice to the groans of dying
troops and the acclamations OF vlcto'
rious armies; if could portray the
stern Confederate soldier of unconquera
BILE will, as he bravely stood in his suit o
gray with flashing eye and visage grin
in the Jaws of death; If could revea
him to you, like the Hebrew children IL
the fiery furnace, as he walked amid thu
hames; If | could describe him as h'
stood in the storm of hail and sho
poured from the iron throats of a thou
sand cannon, with courage which for
got the name of death, as his flag proud!
hoatsd on the tempest; if / could display
before your eyes those grand Confederate
chiefs, as, God-like, they ruled the storm
then would essay to paint and set tn
sublime portraiture in the light bsfor
YOU. But those awful scenes subdue GU
thoughts and command the silence 0
the tongue. --to A hA
Our sorrow for the dead, however
should be consoled in home degree B.
the reflection that they are not on cart
to share and feel the sufferings Of thel
country and their kindred. No than
God, they take no heed Of the desols
tions of that country, once surpasse
in beauty and luxuriauce only b
that eden Of cedar, pine and fir, enam
elled fruits, trees of life aud vegetabl
gold, so wildly painted to our fancies b
the inspired pencil of poetic geniu'
They behold not the tears Of regret tina
run hotly down the cheeks Of bereave
| -. IL haar not tha aOonizinR erie