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

4 WV u ~ &@tAaA@ o
G sublime spectacle Of voluntary pFlVa'
lions, and sacrifice and suffering, q
gortitude and heroism, that challenged
the respect q admiration of the WoTidi
and gave assurances Of a great and noble
nature.
Were we to attempt to dispsrage the
achievement 9 Cf our triumphant ASH :
ants OF to pluck a single leaf from the
ehaplet That crowns the brow Of the vic
Tor, we wcnld TO that extent dlspsrsge
ourselves and tsrnish the brightness Oi
our y escutcheon. Great we must adj
NIT them To be, for they conquered %,
and great must they also admit Us
TO be 10 require for u conquest eDdsuo-
jugation the most colossal exhibition Of
military power and proves that the
world has witnessed, One that sstounded
and terrified the nations. If their mill
tary exploits give tbem q title to fame
ami Immortality, ours must go down 70
the future insepsrably blended With
theirs; and when the disparity OF num-
beTs and are considered, pos
tarity will certainly assign to US 10 in
ferior position on the roll Of honor. Why
| then keep oDen the fountains Of bitter
ness by applying to us offensive and OPP
! pr%otrious epithets and treating US as not
( only GO political interiors, but az cFimt-
| malls deserving OF punishment Punish
| msnt u1iastiy Inflicted is but persecution,
and persecution has in all ages only served
to make bypocIites Of the timid and
osse and 10 render more inhexiDle in
their faith the virtuOus and rave.
II tue withdrawal Of the eleven sece-
ding States jsopardizsd the existence or
the safety OF the others, why then as q
question Of self p~ressrvstioD, and upon
| the recognized PRINCIPLES of the law OF
nstious, they hsd = right to prevent u
withdrawal il they could, or to effect
! chr CONQUEST and s~ubjugation; bat why
stultify themselves ia doing so by repu-
| dating the cardiuSl American doctrine
OF the rights OF every people to choose
and regulate theIf own political institu-
tons?
So also, if they believed that we would
be ucsafe members of the body polite If
restored to our former status, the same
right Of self preservation that jUstified
| aur eopquests and Independent altogeth-
er of any question of constitutional
| power, would suthoriZs the %conquerOr to
| Impose upOn tie ~vaTquished such re-
| strietions and conditions IS to remove 81
reasonable sr0und Of apprehension. Bat
this right is to be- used only as q shield to
protect, and not ss 8 sword to Cypress and
punish, and when the question of safety
is ones determined the just or msgnaui-
mous eonqusror never seeks to mske a
further display or application of his
power.
Thgt the organized political action OF
| States can be regarded as q mere iusuF-
reetion Of individuals and outlaws
that the crime OF treason and rebellion
can legally or justly De imputed TO 2
whole people, attempting to establish q
| government for themselves, are PROPOSE
! lions too sbsurd to admit Of argument.
! Aad hence, there never has been and
never can be, until the administration OF
Justice becomes g mOekery, Il conviction
of treason growing out OF the events OF
our civil war. Had results been differ
ent, the South might, indeed, have had
her Arnolds, but they would not have
bsen found among the number Of those
who followed her fisg and were faithful
to her cause.
Why then denouncs that In Us as
a crime, which, with any other people
would nave been denominated patri-
oyism? Way ask to sdd humiliation and
disnOnor to the modification of defeat?
Why require Us To expos ourselves, 20
TIE seorn and derisiOn OF the world TO
the execrsii0n of our pcsterlty, by exhibit
ing az sbiect and cringing servllity, by
feigning a~sgepentanca We do not feel by
showing ourselves 20 be heaTtlsss IN
CRATES to our living and our dead, false to
t2e memories Of toe past and the hopes
Of the future? Why not allow US to
"Snateh from the ashes OF our sires
qhe em0iems OF their living nres,
And lea7e TO otnsr ttnaSa name
We too had rather die Than shame
Surelv | may be permitted to say, that
since the cessation o! hostilitie5 no PEG
pie have ever exhibited a more sincere
degifs for peace, nor . more scruputOus
oOe3ienqa to the laws End obligations
than the people Of IL ese southern States,
who sEs so persiJteBtly denounced as
rebels, and gladly would We effsce the
bitter recolleGti3ns Of the past and look
for ard to an era of concord and unity
ia The future but il this boon is to be
purchased only at the price OF all that
tue noais kegFt Delights 10 chsrish, or a;
the sacrifice OF ell the claims Of honor
and manhood and the tendsregt rites OF
humanity. All!
" This Is infamy beneath a eoward's baseness,
which every honest heart must losthe.
And should the time ever come when
we shall want the manly virtue TO vindi-
eats our living and our dead against IN
lust asssiIment and imputed crime
when We become fOrgetful OF the debt o.
| gratitude wa owe 20 tEoqs Sho
m9ulier here beneath these sods, AID
slunber elsewhere in their countless IN
kn0gn eravez, tnen shall We inouT the
whitening repTobstiOn Of msnkind and
will deserve to be forgotten Of or God.
Rest then, ye now peaceful! sleepers
"a aat mill