Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-09
LAMAR ON SUMNER.
How the f,tioss Was Received at tiis
North-A Frank aid 6enefous Re-
sRorsse 10 Noble Sentiments.
l. en-,

4 T.
How the I,nIogy MAS Received at ths
North-A Frank aid eenefons re.
sPOri5e 10 Noble Sentiments.
New York Sun, May G.
Among all of the votive addresses in
Senate and House in honor OF Mr.. Sum-
ner, With their graduated degrees eff
nierit, there Is no one more desers ing
OF COMMUNICATION than that Of the
member. from Mississippi. 1t was a
panegyric touching and wrought in
fitting terms of eulogy, and in its scope
and teachings a gospel of peace. 1t
was the dove with the olive branch
requiem over the grave of man more
hated and moro contemhed in life than
any other Northern pdblicist, the Sery
nightmare of maturity and, the terror
of the nursefy-aHd With ali their delu-
sions, one OF the most potent agents of
the struggle. 1t was pleading for
amity, restored harmony and reunion
of regard rudely rrptured III the angry
and bitter strife of hostility. 1t earns
and should have the plaudit of the
beatitude: Blessed are the peace
makers" As the door of the tomb
closes upon the last of earth, and with
the parting farewell, there come from
contention and ravage the breathiags
of regret and the lessons Of forgiveness
and oblivion for past turbulence and
ruthless war. 1t comes, too, from a
genuine representative of Southern
character, frank In manner, quick in
impulse, warm in friendship, and hot
IN resentment; andy without an abid-
ing rancor, which has no relenting or
relief In its choler- rr,--1
And now we may ask, with due hu-
mility of approach to the grim.yisaged
cons OF war, how long are armies in
military divisions and In corps to be
gathered in by shoulder-strap represen-
tatives to imbibe annual whiskey and
chew and smoke perennial tobacco, in
gatherings which have no other inhu-
ences that to keep fresh in mind the
memories of the war? If demijohns
must be accumulated. and the butchers
block and the game bag laid under
requisition, can it not be done by some
other color of excuse or by a different
pretextP We have no inclination TO
trench upon the free commons of the
exhilarating juice of the cereal; or to
impair the liberty Of the crane. Let
rum and rye and wine have full flow,
and mirth be fast and furious, with
hatulent oratory and feeble wit; but
If you please, kind gentlemen, LET it hot
be On offensive banquet over a dead
strife and fratricidal murder. Wipe
ont the record so far as you can, but
do not retrace the obliterating charac-
ters with newer utterance or fresher
ink.
There is one ceremonial rite which
may be continued and commended.
With the opening petal of the flower,
hang garlands and place wreaths upon
the moinments and graves of the dead.
Let the unconscious dust below be re-
urned in the bloom of the violet and
rose. They who gave manhood and life
to cause, sacred TO both contestants,
under Northern sky and Southern sun,
are worthy of the Tyre and the laurel.
Wherever be the waiting place of the
last slumber, under the shadow OF the
mountain pine, or In the savanna of the
spreading magnolia, swept by the
frozen blasts of winter in the inclement
higher ATTITUDES, or famed by airs
blowing from the orange grove, give
them honor alike. Side by side upon
the soil of Lexington and Bunker Hill
and Of Camden and Yorktown, the old
Revolutionary warriors and the latter
soldiers of the rebellion sleep in the
common amnesty of that indistinguish-
able eompanionship of the grave.
While we suspend the trophies of our
foreign wars in the arches of our Capt.
tolls, in the name Of Christianity and
brotberheed We plead for battle flags
without inscription, and a living
thought, undisturbed and unyexed by
reminders of bloody discord. of which
We would, if such were possible, eradis
cate the memeptees forereF.