Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-06-07
rnr FESTIVITIES OF YEsrEnDAr

THE FESTIVITIES OF YESTERDAY
When contemplating local incident
Of yesterday, and witnessing the devo
tion Of men and women who would eel
ebrate the virtues of the dead heroes o
3 wonderful aud violent revolution, the
reflection forces itself upon us that oul
genius for statesmanship, the mosi
marked fact in the history Of colonial
and federal erss, has not sustained itself
Its prestige, Of recent years, has not been
vlndicated; its splendid abilities have
been put under arrest, denied their fore
sight, denied their easy adequacy TO the
demands Of the occasion; and amid
these evils, which always descend upon
people when Providence withdraws its
Examinations from their statesmen, we
have been left TO undergo that stern dis
cipline Of thought snd virtue which the
recent revolution required, but failed to
evoke, as the most vital prerequisite TO
success. But severe training is surely
perfecting its glad results. Our states
msnship is awakening to a sense Of its
true mission. II asserts its force
and genius and prerogstives at
last I'm Lamar and Stephens and
Gordon and men worthy of
heroes whom we would canonize, aud
whose names and deeds should be carved
on enduring stone, are at least evoked
from refinement or developed by the
exegencies Of the times and country.
II we would SOW dragons teeth to reap
q crop Of armed heroes, we should not
forget TO blaz0n on the SUMS .iisc the
names and memories Of those who gave
their lives that their country might be
great and free and glorious. And it
was TO excite emulation of the noble
deeds Of such men that Colonel Taylor,
General Robertson, General Gordon,
Colonel Forrest, Captains Locke and
Thrali, and their associates, devoted
themselves yesterday to the task OF
gathering funds with which to rear
proper monument in honor OF the Illus
trious children OF the south. But there
are other reasons why We should ap-
plsud the conduct Of those engaged in
erecting this memorial in Elmwood.
There was well cOmprehended under
lying purpose animating southern sol
6iers in the late war which was hardly
made an issue TO he lost or
won. Ii has been discovered /
in federal Legislation emsnsting from
the conflict, and yet great organs Of .
nol thern opinion persist, without the
shadow Of truth, in denouneing the (
struggle as shareholders rebellion"
as such, were sloWest 10 .
sympathize with the movement of
southern States in lSG0'6l, and il was /
only devotion to absolute local freedom
that hegat the sO-eslled revolt 1t /
sgss DO war wsged TO perpetuste African
slavery, but the freedom and integrity
1f American States. They who tOiled
20 assiduously yesterday to give endur-
ing fame to their fellow soldiers Of the
lost cause would hardly respect them
selves or the memory Of dead comrades
II all these lives were lost and all these
nonors lavished in behalf Of negro slsy-
sry or negro freedom. Fathers, mothers,
sisters, wives, children, and late COM
-ades Of Confederate soldiers would
not have given the single life
4 the meanest Confederate soldier
or the freedom or slavery OF ali the
africans ia America. They in whose
.opor we would lift up a stately monu-
nent entertained higher, nObler puT-
,oses, Sad gave their lives fo- holier
nds than we're dreamed of by those
gho pronounce Gae war between Che
,tates a "sIavehoiSeEs' rebellion"
NE greatest crime Horace Greeley ever
ommitfed, and his virtues often degen-
rated, because Of their excesses, into
srrible vices, vas discovered when he
ave this title, 1.-THE SlavehOlders' Re
elliOnn to his history Of the "War be-
ween the States" The sublimest work
s are often unconscious Of their work,
ut thele were none in the south SO
.upid or selfish that they fought for 4
frican rights o. wrongs. II, however,
atriots always kncw what they did,
,gic would override inspiration, and
od-Iike energies, such As the dead i
sroes Of Elmwood displayed, might u
ave expired III mortal imbecility. After ::
time the statesmansbip Of the south &
I'd the purposes Of its thinkers VII be y
Incidents like that Of =
ia which an intelligent peo- :,
e give expression % feelings, hopes and Il
fly aspirations, make mankind and I
ren our prejudiced northern fellow =
luntrymen reject that il was some =,
ing more than a "siRveholders rebel b
1n, 10 which heroes fell, whose names a
ID virtues we would commemorate. y
.ep 10y step the worlds false estimate Il
cur aims and purposes sre corrected, d
ID tie contest in which we were beaten a
battle fields is renewed in halls Of leg Z
alton, ana must ever be maintained, :,
the State against the "Nation." Of a
eal against imperial power, till free Il
M triumphs, and the D2ity and integ- 2
y Of American States are alike estsb- " "
he'd. Fl