Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-10-16

country are widening the distance which
divides the hearts Of our people, and
soon, at the rate we are moving, we shall
lose sight Of the fact that we were breth-
rem Of common heritage. With tears,
we might now ask, where is that bond of
union, that true union Of the heart, which
once like golden thread ran through the
whole fabric Of our government? Once all
felt that o wrong inflicted upon any mem
Der of this Union was our quarrel, aud ma
tional sympathy flashed from heart to
heart by zap unbroken circuit" from
sea to sea. q, those were glorious old
days. How sad the ignorance of the
Southern man when men suppose that
our hearts blood did not leap and dance
to such sympathies. Would TO God we
might be suffered once again to share
this catholic and noble fraternity. More
in sorrow than in anger, my friends. do
we give utterance to the sad truth that
only part of our countrymen invite US
of this stricken land, and make us well
come to this holy communion. What
heart have the people for those magic
words of love and genial patriotism,
which once rang from every vale and
every mountain top, when the power of
the Government frets and wastes itself
in bounding on one-half of the population
TO tear and torture the other half? Can
a government worth the name be predi-
Gated on such state of things Never,
never The autocrat of Russia, whose
iron.mailed hand could smash at blow
the strongest province of his empire,
would deprecate and bewail the state of
things existing in fearful intensity in the
land Of Washington. Will nothing move
the North 2 Will not the fearful depths
of ruin into which their reasoning upon
the state of the Republic must plunge us
all, make them pause Will they not be-
lieve, before it is too late, that q prac-
tical negatien of all active Christian
charity in public affairs is but another
name for infidelity and anarchy 2 Can
they not see that our present political
life, as people is putting this great
christian power-this land of bibles and
pulpits, and presses--to "open shame"
Would to God that for one brief hour we
could have the ear of some of those who
control at the North - those mighty
engines Of moral power called news
papers Would that Mr.. Greeley, for
instance, would cease for only one
moment TO give up to party what was
meant for mankind" and listen for the
good of his country, and his whole
country / would, my friends, point
him to our sublime earnestness, unanim-
ity and endurance during our late con-
hict. would ask him If all that looked
like the work of unreliable men Can
not the men and women who then, for a
sense of duty, counted all things dross,
be trusted now ? Did not, would ask
him, that fearful storm try the root of the
faith that was in us, and radiate every
principle sufficiently deep as to create in
his bosom fund of confidence and
trust? Will not the men here who now
say peace and Union stand fast-who
looked on, without q murmur or o sigh,
when he and his drew a line of
charcoal aud cinders seven hundred
miles long through the Eden of
our country? Does he not in his
soul believe that the soldiery, who, with
out one seconds preparation for the |
thought of final defeat, were disbanded |
at Appomatox, and scattered from the
James to the Rio Grande, and have kept |
50 we'll their parole of honor, will keep it !
still? Will we, who saw eight thousand
millions of property melt like snow, and |
saw it disappear without murmur or a |
sigh, for savage revenge or pitiful party |
advantge, sacrifice our honor2 Have |
Lee and Davis and all that sacred |
band of SCARED and bsttle-worn leaders !
lost their influence over our mind and
conduct2 No, my friends, a thousand
times no. You can bear me witness how
perfectly sincere we all are in our pro-
LESSONS of peace. If we cannot be trust
ID upon our record of the last three
vesrs, then surely we might be upon the
faith of human motive and human inter-
est With our hepe Of separate gov
srnnent went property and, oh ! ssdder
still-but let silence tellit all. For the
gindcation Of our idea Of American lib
srty we poured out oceans of treasure
md blood, and God knows the failure is
not on us. We must now, it seems, ac-
,ept the commentary of others upon that
,nee sacred text So let il be. Hence
iorth we make our choice Of defenders
IF the faith" from among those who
Weld the civil and military strength of
he country. .-..r.a
And il we seek our alliances and safety
among the Democrats Of the North and
Vest, what just cause of offense do we
rive to mortal man ? And yet this, aud
bis alone, is the "head and front of our
1t is for this that
he party in power, my countrymen,
gould devote as to q penal servitude, as
,ndIess as the eternal world. Hope that
zones to all offenders is waved on from
-ou BY the flaming sword Of the sveng-
ng spirit Of Radicslism, and there is no
,lace for penitence left Us il We only re-
,ent ss Democrats. This is our misfor-
uue, but not our fault, most certainly.
Wrecked Is We are, we must be noon
truck II, indeed, We relinquish the
Inly plank left between Us and
,oliiical perdition without struggle for
}. We feel il in every FIBRE Of our being
hat il We are ever rescued from fate
ven nov past al parsphrAse, the Democ-
acy ofthe country must do II. We know
nth perfect certainty that IL the drown
o. honors Of our commou country are 10
e suaiched from the GOOD, the strong and !
r - Xix e.