New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-03-16
pnBArEs OF THE SENATE.
SATURDAY, February 10, 1871

appro oriating five thousand dollars to the
Ladies' Monumental Association OF Freder-
! icksburg, Virginia, to aid them in procuring
| a site for cemetery, and for relnterrlng and
, depositing in such cemetery the Confederate
! dead who fell at Fredericksburg, Chancel.
| louisville and the Wilderness
Mr.. Ray: MIR. President it has now been
| nearly Six years since the terminationN OF
| the war. Those who were on opposite sides
| during the war, in opposite military organic
| atoms, who contended upon the battle
| fields of Fredericksburg Charlottesville and
| the Wilderness, and survived, have seen the
many and the mighty changes which have
taken place. MaLy of those who were on
| different sides have associated themselves
| together in business, and in all the social
relations of life they meet as friends, as they
did before the war. The Federal government
Immediately after the war, as humanity and
| the advancing civilization of the age re-
| CURED, sent their agents throughout the
whole country aud collected the Federal
dead and deposited them in cemeteries,
| we'll selected, with proper memorials. That
was duty which the Federal government
| owed to the dead, who fell during the war.
Now, MIR. President, since the lapse OF time
has, to q great extent, healed the wounds
occasioned by that great struggle. and ii
consequence of perfect friendship being
restored between individuals, who took dit
ferent sides, and the States formerly in
opposition to the Federal. government hav-
ing been reconstructed, an additional duty
is now to be performed of collecting the
remains Of the Confederate dead, who fell
upon those battlefelds and added lustre and
fame to them. 1t is the duty of their friends
and comrades, and of the States which sent
them, to collect their mortal remains and
have them properly inferred, so that the
place would be marked, and their remains
be permitted to rest in peace for all time.
There is an association OF the ladies in
fredericksburg and that vicinity, which has
been organlzed for this Christian and holy
purpose; they have selected the cemetery
on that historical battle field of Fredericks
burg. They have procured the ground, and
removed the remains of great many from
the battle fields Of Charlottesville, and the
Wilderness, but there still remains great
amount of work to do, and their funds are
short, aud they require some aid. The
State of Louisiana sent forward great
number of Confederate soldiers into the
army. They were in those battle fields in
great numbers, and hundreds of them there
fell, whose friends, fathers, husbands and
SONS live in Louisiana. It is therefore the
Christian and holy duty of those who are
so connected with them, that they
should assist in having their remains
taken from the battle field TO some
place properly selected in order
President, we represent the people OF the
State of Louisiana, and under all these cir
cumstances it seems to ME entirely and pc
culiarly appropriate that We should make
this small appropriation in order that We
may show that the people of Louisiana are
awake and alive to to holy, Christian aud
civilized duty to their friends and their
brothers who have fallen on those battle
fields during the war. | have therefore
brought forward this preamble and resolu-
ton, and l ask that the Senate adopt them,
and hope they will be adopted without 3
single dissenting voice.
Mr.. Lewis: l desire to say a few words
upon this resolution. / do not harbor one
single iota CT prejudice against any man
who will hazard his life in the support of q
prin ciple which is engrafted in his bosom
by the Almighty God. Men may differ with
me, sir, and meet me on the battle field where
the strife is high for each others lives,
yet he may be as honest and sincere IN his
convictions of right and the justice of his
cause as am. Though men may thirst for
each others blood upon the battle field, but
the moment that strife has ceased, and
given place to the white-winged angel of
peace, then, sir, every prejudice and every
feeling of hatred that possessed the bosom
of men should be buried in oblivion. |
love, sir, an honest man, who will throw his
life into the scale of cOnviction-his con-
scientious convictions. The man who, when
his country calls upon him, will 60 into the
tented field, and risk the shedding of his
hood to sustain those principles which he
conscientiously feels to be right, and be-
cause he may differ from me, and takes an
opposite stand from mine, does not argue
that he is not honest in his convictions; nor
does it argue that / am not. Men may
and will differ in opinion, and the God Of
nature has SO arranged that there is
difference in all his creation-there is
variety of talent in the human family and
there will always be differences of opinion,
so long as the human race exists, and l have
just as much respect for the man to-day,
who conscientiously fought in the Conted-
crate service, and poured out his life blood
to enrich country and sustain cause
that was to him yet uncertain whether 1t
would eventuate in success or defeat. 1t
WAS a principle on which he staked his life,
and / honor him for it, if he was honest
in his conviction, and Irespect him as much
as if he had been on the side to which l be-
longed. With these few remarks, / am
ready, sir, to support the resolution.
Mr.. Campbell: Mr.. President, I simply
wish to add few words to the remarks
which have been made on this subject. l
am glad sir, that at this time and at this
stage in the history of our common country,
a moment when We are looking forward
w LuC tllAC WIZ SoAAS SoohSA
or later, when all the passions and
hatreds of this great contest shall be buried
and forgotten, or shall live only in the men,
cries of the children of America-that this
resolution has come from the side of the
house from which it has emanated, and am
also glad that it is come from the honorable
gentleman who has introduced it. No more
opportunity could be found IN
Louisiana for such a resolutNn, no more
honored hand stretch forth the olive branch,
the emblem Of peace and friendship, than
that of the Senator from Ouachita. An old
citizen of this State, living here all his life,
honored in its history, throughout this con-
test having taken an honorable part, having
been foremost among the stanch and true
in the political conflicts that have arisen
since the war, on the side of his convictions
and principles, and having in consequence |
thereof felt that sorest and most bitter of all
feelings, the sense Of alienation and es-
from his former friends and |
is especially just, |
honorable and noble that this proposition |
should come from him.
One of the hottest, purest and nob!est |
feelings of the human heart is that |
which leads US always to speak tender |
ly and reverently of the dead. The children |
of q State who have died in battle-no mat |
ter from what cause that war or contest may |
have sprung or what has been its issue, are |
always dear to the people of that State and |
will forever be so. If it was for that reaso |
alone should support the resolution. Even |
II this war had been one without reasons |
on both sides; if it had been one without |
3 ~