Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-03-30
THE MILITIA.

Major General Stafford, command
iug rEe state militia, has recently
written a long letter % the State Leg
I-fftura anon the subject of the organ
fzlul SD l8r as effected. In the
course 1I fhe letter General Stafford
msk kes this noble and sensible allu-
sion to- the Confederate soldiers:
In ynur militia organization provided
for by the Constitution, under the
assumption, no doubt, that there
would be necessity for such organ
IzlHOn, the Constitutional COnven-
ti0n, wisely ] think, embraced every
male citizen between given ages.
This includes the
LATE CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS OF
THIS STATE.
OF tine 100000 men enrolled in this
STATE. fully 0ue-fOUrth have seen ser
vice In the Confederate cause. These
men are ss true 70 the interests OF the
State now, as they were when they
went forth TO battle for what they
conceived % be right They have
seen service Of the hardest and most
trying character. They stood brave
lv slead8st; true as steel to the last.
They lost. They came home. They
are here trying % mend their broken
fortunes They have once shown
themselves
WORTHY OF CONFIDENCE
aud trust. 1 believe they are yet
worthy of confidence aud trust. Brave
men can always be trusted. I pay
this just tribute to these men In
Mississippi, because I have been
among them in all parts of the State
I'm the last four years, and know
whereof 7 speak; and because the
public records of their deeds o. noble
daring and sacrifice places them high
up il history, among earth's bravest
and most gallant sons. To say that
such men are ku kluX, or have any
sympathy with midnight assassins, Is
10
INSULT A NOBLE RACE
and asparse the character Of a brave
people. They have interests here,
and they stand ready HOlg, as former
ly, 90 defend those interests, and TO
protect not only their own, but the in
Ieresis of GV. including the weak and
almost defeuseless cOlOred people.
They have experience in arms, and
are therefore better capable Of taking
charge of military organizations than
those who have had none. / make
these observations because I believe
them TO be just and right" Such Ian
guage from a true Republican con-
Viucas US that there are men even in
that party who not only think nObly,
but have the courage to speak bTavely
what they think. Such a man this
extract stsmps General Stafford to be.
sTURGEs' BROTHER SAYS THE RUN
AWAY MAYOR is A LIAR.
The Jackson Clarion Of Tuesday
says the following card published by
"a brother Of the late Mayor of .Meri-
dian. who was the chief agent Of the
strife that recently prevailed there,
speaks for itself. The writer, TheO-
dOre Slurges, unlike the eX-MayOr, Is
no political sdventurer. He was a
citizen before the war, and has e5tab-
Iished ties and sympathies with the
people among whom his destinieS
have been cast 1t may be imagined
how invincible is his sense Of Justice
90 the Caiumuiated and outraged peO-
pie Of Meridian, when it OYercOmes
his natural repugnanCe to exposing
the falsehO0d OF a misguided brother.
We trust the Northern newspapers
which have appropriated with avidity
the f5bricstiOns Of one of the StUrgeses,
will send along with it the complete
anudOte furnished by the other;
A CAED.-I have been greatly mortified
at seeing letter copied from the New
York Tribune, purp0rting to be written
10y nay brother, M m. S5urges. It Is well
known 90 Uy friends iu this community,
that / had no connection whatever with
The acts Of my brother, as Mayor, and am
no more resp0n ibls for them than Is any
other citizen OF Meridian. ] have been
uniformly treated Eith kindness and re-
spect by the people of this community,
and feel thankful and grateful 10 them
for it, All my feelings, interests and
EvmuathiEs are with the people Of the
South. ] Heither inGOrse the facts nor
approve The spirit ia which the letter re-
feFr6d 90 Is written. I am fully satisfied
that the facts. in many PARTICULAR, are
Inisrepreseuts3 sud perverted, and / am
constrained 70 believe that &c was gotten
up principally lor political effect. Feeling
that 1t does iriusiics TO the people Of Me-
ridiau, / regard is as a duty 20 nay friends
mere 70 make this statement.
THEODORE STURGES.
Meridian, March p 1871.