Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-05-09

Lal wv l@FO tE& &AtkAl1 Wy
ing with the taste and culture OF TIT
people by whom they were constructed
from the rude and einple mounds o
savage life to the lofty and Enduring
pyramid, or to the imperishable granite
the scalptUred. marble and the moulded
bronze.
We battle with death rs long 9s re
sistence Is practicable, and when st lss'
the inevitable hour IA and cur greaI
enemy is victorious, we gather up tbs
uneonoi0us clay that remslps, and beal
il away TO some ssquestereaSpo whert
the song bird wsFbIs5 in the tree and tht
wild bes murmuis ON the wing, ami
Wbsre the grassy hii.ock or the monu.
mental slab becomes a shrine at which
memory pays her fearful tribute, and
around which affection, like q guardian
angel, keeps her cesseless watch anC
wsrd.
How msny the precious treasures
OF the heart have been left to m0uldel
back to Gust. How many Of the price
less jewels of memory lie buried around
us. How often has the wonderful pro-
eession defiled through yonder massive
gate and wound along the picturesque
cartisgs wsys, bearing the remains OF
one with whom e thousand hopes have
persisted, and by whose removal tie
tenGerest relations of life were covered
How often have these consecEated
grounds been made vocal with the
solemn burial service and reverberateG
with the plsintiVe music CT the dirge
How often has here the bosom heaved
with ths suppressed sigh and the stl1ed
sob, and now often too has been heard
the low wsil of anguish and the wild
shrieks Of despair wTuDg from some
breaking hearti How often has the
mother yoaTned, as il were, to go down
into the grsve and lie beside the ~lifeiess
darling tina has been rihed from her
bosom. How often have the widow aud
orphan torn themselves away from the
grave of him who was their only earthly
stay, overwhelmed with q sense of utter
loneliness and desOlatiOn, and feeling
that ia all this cold and hollow world,
their only helper left was God!
o, Elm wood could ell the scenes Of sOr-
that have here ~transpired, bu.
pass in review before US, would not we
eghsst sc the appalling spectacle
Of human work, aud realizing the msl-
aucholy truth, that
"Thtre is no union here of hearts
That hath not here its end"
that "the trail of the serpent' is over all
our earthly joys and hOpes! Would we
not dnd sermons 10 these stones and a
monitor in every whispering leaf, which
would teach our Chsstened spirits the
that ia our aspirations after hap
builds too low, who builds beneath the
tEiss.'
But we come not here to day to
indulge a selfish sorrow, or that
We may drop tbs tear of affection upon
the graves Of those only who were en-
desred TO US by the ties of blood or the
of q special friendship; but that
Ee msy, with unity Of purpose, signify
eur Observance OF that annual sabbath Of
the heart, consecrsted to the memory of
our heroic desd who fell in the late N
conflict.
The beautiful analogies and harmonies
ossveen the moral and material world,
would o. themselves teach Us that the
5ouching ~auniSersary ceremonial Of CON-
nemorating the dead By sire ewing hoW-
ars upon their graves, could only have
~lfieitsted with the gentle hesrt and Gull
cred taste cf the dear daughters of the
! ut,,. B1s in addition to this mute
i,rsI cn.r;ng, they have from time to
inns iByokeo the cooperation OF the
sex to assist them in preserving
ne recollection o.
Deeds which should not pass away,
And names that must not WltaeT.'
In obsdience to their Summons l stand
mere te-day to meet as best [ may the
responsibilities OF the hour, and IL L shall
to impErt snV additional interest to
--.r-- Tr.=N - laauF nav do.
Tsct nothing from it.
It il a tssk of great difficulty and deli
IS l know aud feel, to do justice to
hose Rkoss memory wesare here to
and st the same time avoid shock
.nC the pTejudices or comb 1tting the opin-
OF these who do nos sympRth:Z9 10
lie purpose which these ceremonies are
Intended to subssFve. Gladly would l
escape the ImNBAtion Of impartlng to
he exercises or ceremonies OF this SD
memorial day al improper political COM
1lexion, ana yet it must os msnjtest that
however the speaker may be, POLITICAL
considerations must to some ex eat nee
.sssriIy mlngIe in any extended remarks
the occasion may call forth.
Before Us CT that grassy slope, now
fragrant with toe choicest offerings OF
are inferred the bones OF hun
Of those who, when, living, we're
Identified with US by eomno hopss and
add sym sthies, and endesred to
n. By 3 thousand tender ties az our kin
lred and our oOuntTymen. IG defense OF
what they believed to 10 our common
and liberties, they put their liyes in
Jeopardy, and many Of thsm sealed their
devotion to our cause with thsir hearts
blood. Standing SIS they did in the
imminent ana deadly breach, we re
ysrd them as the valiant defenders of
our hssrtn-etCnes and all, and there
are none of o. Ehp do not love to cher
q grateful recollection Of their ser
and their sacrifices. Bal, 90 the
other hand, there are these, not OF US,
who profess 10 baileve that these mSr-
Ia OR csuse, and the thousands and
thousands more OF their companions
ia arms who erims0ned with their blood
Q hundred battlefield, were but the VIC
l'ms Of 8 bsleful and pasicidel ambition /;
thst they died the death OF tTaitOrs, and
ere filing now the graves Of felony, and
their msna0ry deserving only Of oblcquy
and excavation.
How, then, is it possible to yindi-
cate the character OF eur kallen
ofhNfS HEai1ab th6So aspAiaNiOhSi Vi
10 plscs ourselves wight at the
bar OF public opinion throughout
the world, aud in after times, without
some consideration, brief and cprsory
though Il be, Of the motives thai aetu-
ated them and Us, and Of the circum-
stances which, in their judgment and
ours, e~xoaeFate the Southern people from
tue imputatiOD OF guilt for the part they
bare IN the late dire.nl contest?
Thee never Was, / presume. s civil
wsr 10 which ons Of the ~contendiDg par
ties dia not dsnounce the other as rebels
AID yes, IL it bs true, ss q standard
writer On international law declares,
that the term rebellion j. only applied to
an iasurrection sgsipet lsaful Su-
thorifv as IS void of sill Appearances OF
iustics, then surely it will not be main
tanned that 10 the attempt on the part OF
the Southern states to withdraw from
the Federal Union, sad which attempt
resulted in the recent frs.steidal strife,
there YVES no appearance Of justice, alpce
their right SO 10 Sithdraw WAS persistent
~ claimed Dy soms of the wises: states.
men and p~atrictg, who were members ol
the Convention taat framed the Federal
Constitution, and % whom the sopth
WIS accustomed to lock as her great
teachers in the science OF government.
IN tia ~ nj