Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-04-04

encouragement of all that promised to
assist in building up the embryo city.
He never faltered, never doubted that
success would crown each one
of these labors. And he was thus far
prophet among men. Very early IN his
career. with the chivalry and courtesy OF
his nature, which was inborn, he espoused
the then unequal cause of Mrs. Edmund
Pendleton Gaines against the vested !
RIGHTS of the millionaires of New Or /
leans. The suit, which was protracted /
through twenty years, to restore to the
Legitimate heir of Daniel Clark his I'M |
mense property, and which was prose
euted with such undaunted herOism by |
Mrs. Gaines, until she gained the most
complete and wonderful triumph known
to the annals of the law, became known
to the public chiefly through the efforts
and ability of Col. Mcmahon. He was
her unsleeping ally and faithful did-de-
camp on every field of her long and har-
RAISING campaigns with the lawyers and
the bench. He breathed into the writ
ten sketches of her efforts the soul of
chivalry and the inspiration of romance.
No articles, ever written on this conu-
nent. we're more extensively y copied into
the contemporaneous press or were more
acceptable to the public, which entered
into the full spirit of their generous
author and Joined in sympathy with their
courageous subject. Col. Mcmahon lived
to see the long labOrs Of years culml-
nate In a clean victory for his friend
His pen. became enlisted and his busy
and large brain interested in this gener-
Gus work long before he married the
relative Of Mrs. Gaines. This alliance
was rather the result than the cause OF
his zeal and friendship for this noble
woman. But whether as friend or kins-
man he was equally true to his espousal
ofthe almost sublime faith which marked
his championship of the weak and de-
fenseless against the most unequal odds
1t is chaplet, bright and unfadlng, to
adorn his name and keep his memory
fresh in the hearts of all who esteem un-
swerving friendship and constant devo-
ton. Whatever may have been his
errors, and they were perhaps as few and
venial as fall to the lot of most mortals,
he always wore in his heart that " dew
of youth which makes vernal forever
the first affections, and sparkles mora
brightly in the character than diamonds
in the coronet Of kings.
ThereNs another very marked trait OF
Col. McNhon, which we should scarcely
be pardoned, we're we to omit mention
of. 1t was his uniform high-toned and
punctilious courtesy towards his brothers
of the Press, and towards all whom ne
was compelled to oppose or whose senu-
ments he was called on to combat. Not
that ne eschewed legitimate repartee and
all the armory which it may properly
command, to assure victory and dis
comft an antagonist. And much less
was he averse to earnest and racy con-
troversy with fOemen worthy Of his
steel. But he most heartily despised
black guardism, personality, without a
strong moving cause, and the drgumen-
tuaa dd honpinenl, in all its phases, unless
/ it related to the public acts Of public
men. in which case he thought it fell
within the legitimate province and clear
duty of an untrammelled press. In this
channel he constantly aimed, and not
without considerable success, to conlne
the Press, and thus to impart to 1t dig
nity. usefulness and the support and en-
couragement of the most refined and IN
telligent classes of the community. The
Press of the Southwest, and especially
of Tennessee, is indebted to him, for
much of the high-tone and esprit da
corps, which it has possessed. Though
not strictly literary man, having been
engaged for thirty years as a political
and public journalist, the style OF Col
Mcmahon was decidedly one Of the bes
models of composition, being perspl
euous. pure, sparkling and elevated
His writings would be priced in any
lyceum or library, if properly collateC
and printed In a convenient form. Their
are many excerpts which rise to tn
/, highest reach Of prose compositlon-lI
expression, in sentiment, IN argumen
and appeal. We hope to see the da.
when they will be rescued from tn
oblivion which seems to be the fate 0
the productions of the daily Press b.
some one who has leisure and oppor
/ tunity to do a simple justice to one
, our most distinguished and gltte
p Editors. and to confer a grateful bench
upon those who have been aecustome
s to admire his productions and to loy
and esteem their author 1t is we
4 known that he was one Of the very las
: of the Union men Of Tennessee VIII
Z succumbed to the storm of revoluho
= and then not until a fratricidal conte'
o was inevitable. He braved obloquy an
peril in the maintenance of his honestl
> entertained views. And when the vii
q winds commenced to blow be range
: himself by the side of his kith an
a countrymen with sad heart, but wit
h all his warm sympathies aroused for h
e friends and neighbors. He performe
# his duty bravely and truly until II
n cause was lost, when he returned
e Memphis and again grasped the helm
ie Journalism, amid the stormy bllloV
,e which the late furious tempest ha
IS evoked. Accepting the position
10 chief editor Of the APPEAL, he pursue
!. the same calm course of conservatis
N and indited the same vigorous and wi
! essays, tempered with sadness and di
- trust it is true, which had distinguish,
~ his early and emblazoned his midd
H career. In descending the Western a
IA of the career of life, clouds often dimm
~ the effulgence of his sun, but the lun
3 nary, which had shed such brightness
Its past ascent to the zenith Of Its fan
% could not suffer eclipse. 1t often broB
IF with former refulgence, through t
in refting and flying storm-signals al
he poured forth its light in undiminish
ed ray, leaving as it passed on to anoth
lv mist-a silver lining-a beautiful ha
as to the veil which obscured 1t.
no There be many of us with whOnsl
IN warm and honest greeting, his sun
IL smile of welcome, his hearty shake
L