Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-07-08
pURIIC LEDGER.
M EM r HIS
Thursday Evening. July y 1905.
CoNFEDERATE ORGANIZATION.
The Asalanche Of last Sunday devoted

CoNrrnERATE ORGANIZATIONS.
The Aealanche Of last Sunday devoted
something over column of its valuable
and influential space to an effort at
throwing cold water upon the iate'y
formed organization Of circumstances
in this city. All at once, four years
after the close of the war, our scrupuious
contemporary becomes very "soilcitous'
without compromising our ltheir) man
hood in any way, that no Southern act
should he done--no organization at
,emnted-tbat could awaken the appre-
hension or stimulate the Jealousy of our
Northern neighbors." This would have
( sounded very well three years ago when
,be Avalanche was heapiug column after
column of abuse upon their dear North
arm neiphbors and at the same time, il we
mistake not, was earnestly advocating the
Confederate Monumental Association.
n Jaudable scheme, which contemplated
bouoring the Confederate dead, but did
MT look to the relief of the living widows
and orphans. None who have joined the
Confederate Relief and Historical As
ISOLATION were aware before that they
were doing anything to imperil the peace
and prosperity of their Northern oretn-
rem, or which could be construed INTO any
uossible contemplated resistance OF their
ssunremacy. We are ready to admit the
supremacy Of the Government We have
beeu admitting it for four years and be-
Ieve that our good faith is not doubted
by anybody North or sonth. The lorna
ton of a society for the relief of widows
and orphans, which meets with open
doors and publishes all its pro-
seedings to the world, is not like
Iy to be misconstrued by anybody
abroad. Thus far no complaints have
been made except at home. 1t this So
ciety bears any resemblance to that secret
Radical machine run by John Logan, and
known as the Grand Army of the Repub-
lie. we confess that our range of vision is
too short to see it. If this society had
any disloyal object in view, or caused
our Northern brother to offend, we would
be one of the first to oppose its measures.
Those who fought four years in the South
ern army and then can show respect to
the Federal dead at the National Ceme-
terry, as the Apalanche admits, are the
last men on earth to violate the spirit OF
their paroles by converting charitable
association into political club No
one ia asked to give up "Decora-
ticn Day." and no regimental or other
Confederate organization in existence
need be superseded by this one. There
is work enough for all, and more than
they can do. National hatred will
never be perpetnated by feeding the hun
CRY, clothing the naked, or strewing flow
ers on the graves of fallen heroes. The
apprehension Of the Avalanche that this
society WILDE too large and unwieldy to
accomplish any practical good is not
shared by any of the members Of the
organization. II nnmbers about two hun
dred members, and is not at all crowded.
When il grows 10 thousand there will be
time enough to divide it of into half q
dozen small societies. The Grand Army
Of the Republic, which this benevolent
organization so much resembles, is rather
a large institution, but we never heard
that it was unwieldy, or fell Of itt
own weight, or failed in any object it haC
undertaken, by reason of too many mem
bers.
For the first time we are informed tina
comparatively few Of the surviving wild
ows and orphans of fallen soldiers re
quire or would accept charity. IL ter
thousand dollars were bequeathed to al
such in Shelby county, and they were in
vitsd to appear in person and claim thei
share, the crowd that would assembl
would refute this assertion better tha
anything which could be said or written
Yet, after trying to make the impressio
that there is no call for charity on such
large scale, the Avalanche says in th
same article that it is in favor Of reg
mental organizations, and states that th
l54th Tennessee Regiment containe
many soldiers whose families were lie
destitute by their death. Very true; an
the same remark applies to every Co
federate regiment We took as. muC
pIde in the fame Of that regiment AS
our own. Yet the Constitution of Il
'54th forbids any but members Of Il
regiment joining. and as the Tenness'
regiment to which we belonged is repr
scented by only three survivors in Mel
phis, our "regimeutAl organization
even with the powerful support Of 4
ArSldnehe, would be rather small, b
according to that paper rule, exeeedin
Nv strong Regiments we're not raised
any particular ward or even county, al