Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-10-15


auman race, and inviting even those who
differed with him to unite in paying the
Tribute of manly homage to the brave and
aoble dead, which none are more willing
TO render than the brave and noble living,
whatever be their sectional and political
views; therefore,
Resolved, That the people of Nash
vile unite with those who mourn over
the lamented dead, in every part of our
Hand, 10 expressing our heartfelt sorrowI
At the loss of one so good, so wise, SO
brave and so noble, whose mem. ny viii
pc so lohg and SO tenderly cherished in
our hearts.
Resolved, That we tender to the people
2of Virginia, in this new loss that has
fallen upon them after 80 many others,
our deepest sympathy.
Resolved, That we express to the be-
reaved family of the fallen hero our tend
erest commiseration in that great sorrow
under whose shadow they now sit, and
pray the Father of the fatherless and the
Judge of the widow to be their stay and
trust.
Resolved, That it is the sense of this
Injecting that the Rev. Dr. T. V. Moore,
|of this city, long the intimate friend and
neighbor of Gen. Lee, be requested
1t an early day to preach Memorial
Sermon, and that a committee be ap
pointed to wait upon him and request his
performance of this duty.
Gen. w. B. Bate being loudly called
upon spoke as follows:
This is a ceremonial of sorrow, which
invokes alike the emotions of the citizen
and the soldier. Our unhappy Southland
kneels to-day amid her sackcloth and
ashes around sorrowful altar, for amid
s the mutations of all things earthly, even
the great and the good must yield to tho
scythe and the glass of Time; and uudei
the DEGREES of an All-wise Providence
Gen. Robert E. Lee has been taken from
Us. Born from the womb of the motleTI
Iof States and of statesmen-a womb that
seemed TO have been ever pregnant With
greatness and glory-reared in the ma
ti0nal nursery with young heroes with
whom he received a sword from the ma
ton, and welded it in defense of the ma
tiOnsl flag with honor and distinction,
4 until his old mother came in conflict with
i the national government, when, recOgniz
ling her Superior claims to his proves,
he became her defender through the good
land evil fortunes of four years strife.
l That he kept his sword untarnished, save|
jim the blood of his foes, history
.sttests. His helmet, though broken, isl
ca II L., e
though the cause in which he fought isl
|lost, yet this assembly and this occasionI
show that the principles fol- which he|
fought are appreciated, and that the great
actor still sweetly lives in the hearts sndI
memories of our people. He has dropped
suddenly through the broken arches of
learth's highway, and has been swept byI
times relentless current into the ocean of
eternity. While he lived he was the idol
|of our people-now dead he is sanctifedI
into their hearts. History cannot do himI
Justice, and the sculptor's marble can bel
but a mockery of bis true greatness.
While he worshiped, amid the smoke of
battle, on the march and in the bivouac,
Jour Cross of Saint Andrew, he bowed
with princely grace and Christian devo-
tiOn to the Cross of our Saviour. Thek
star on his battle flag was radiant and 5
beautiful, and in his esteem it was only
eclipsed by the star of Bethlehem {
Christian, patriot hero-he is gone, but
his virtues and example are still with us,
and will 80 remain while the beams of theH
mornings sun shall kiss the tops OF theE
mountains in his '4Old Dominion, y and
the waters of his dear Potomac glide byk
the side of her Eastern shore.
He knew Gen. Lee personally. He re-
membered him before his hair was silver-E
ed with age. Great and smiable and
good. But be is gone. Yet he still lives I
Though he has passed from earth he hasH
8 monument in the breasts of his people,
and will live in their memories second
only in fame 10 George Washington. The
pen of history, the pencil of pain er, nor5
the poetic muse can ever do him justice I
Even his Northern foes, whom he foughtF
on field and battle-plain to the surrender
of Appomattok, acknowledge his great I
ness and are proud of him as an Ameri-
can citizen. Hundreds to-day are on their
knees as the bells are tOlling, and eyes aref
suffused as they look upon the housess
draped in black, and childrens eyes glis-
tened with tears.
Col Burch, of the UNION AND AMKRI- I
CAN, said he had hesitsted to respond to-
the calls which had been made upon him,
because he felt that any language which I
he could use would be inadequate to expresss
bis own feelings, or those of this commu-
nifty, at the deep, irreparable loss which 3
had been sustained. He could not add s
word, more expressive of the prevailing
sorrow, to what had been so truthfully. z
9loquently, pathetically said. He feltG
hat those assembled were, with himself, Il
bowed down with weight of woe. HeS
was sure that, if the wishes of him whomg
we mourn could be known, it would bc.s,
found that his desire was that the South g
srn people should not place his
claim to their tribute of admiration upon l.
he ''gallant and meritOrious conduct at the +
lattle of Cerro Gordo," which won him a Z
Majors leaf under the old flag; nor toh
hat bravery at Contreras and CherubuscO, =
which gained him Lieutenant Colonel 2
y; nor to that skill and courage which 3
It Chepultepec brought to him the brevet q
ank of Colonel Neither would he have
lis claims to these honors placed upon -
hat high degree of soldierly attainments Is
n peace which gained for him, first thee
ank of Lieutenant Colonel, and then off
)olonel in the regular army of the Uni e
ed States; nor would he have this meet q
ng of citizens point 10 his great forbear- &
nee, his great endurance, his great trials y
nd his great triumphs as a soldier in thogea
our terrible years of the Confederate r
var as the grounds of their honor, but he K
you'd rather say to us as citizens, Utter 8
o word which will excite the prejudices II
r wound the sensibilities of any 81
itizen of the United States. Hell
7ould rather we should in this IS
our point to that manhood, that "loftyE IS
spoken of by your resolu- e
ons, which has made him the bright ex- E
mplar of the citizen to his own people@
f this day, and to every people of all9
uture ages. As a citizen he stands pre- "a
the first of this century. As 81
lch, his name and fame are as pure and ~
ootless as the SHOWS that rest upon the %
row of Orizabs. That name and that 81
lme win brighten with the attrition of 81
me. 81
1t is suggested that Confederate soldiers
lould meet as such and pay their tribute IS
their great commander. 1t is meet andkS
roper that they should do so. But the