Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-07-30
A PATRIOTIC UTTERANCE.
GEN. Vim. b. Bate on the Era Of Good
Feeling

Gen Vim. b. Bate on the Era Of Good
Feeling.
The following letter was sent by Gen.
w. B. Bate in response TO an invitation TO
attend the soldiers reunion, at Spring
Creek, Wilson county, and appears in the
Lebanon Herald, Of this week:
NASHVILLE, July Is, lS7j.-GeHtle-
men: am in receipt Of yours Of the 18th
inst, inviting me to participate with you
on Wednesday next, in the social gather
ing and patriotic ceremonies that are TO
take place near Lebanon, on the occasion
of the reunion Of the members Of the fourth
and seventh Confederate regiments. am
under obligations to be at the court in
Charlotte that day, by an engagement pre-
viOusly made, and which cannot now re-
woke. Though absent in person my heart
will be with You. l highly appreciate
such reunions as a means Ofexcitng our love
for our country, of impressing its history
upon us and those who are 10 come after
US; of tTeasuring up many choice bits Of
personal, camp and battle incidents, which
never will be written, and Ofletting the world
know that Confederate soldiers, though
Outnumbered and conquered in the late
interstate struggle, do not feel dishonOTed
by their defeat after such noble and Chi
valrous effort. Nor do they, (ex-COnfed-
crate sOldiers) yield precedence to any in
love Of country and in the high hopes of its
continued glory and greatness.
Having once accepted those terms i'm
posed by the arbitrament Of the sword,
they would forfeit that honor which is
dearer than life to the true soldier, were
they 10 act otherwise than in the best Of
faith. Our honor as soldiers and integrity
as men were nearly all that was left US in
the midst of our defeat; and it should be
the pride, as it is the duty, Of each Of US TO
preserve them untarnished. II is a source
of the highest qualification for me to know
that the ex-ConfedeTate soldiers, as a class,
are making the best of citizens, and that
they sustain their representative men in
their patriotic efforts to rebuild our broken
affairs, to heal the wounds and close the
gaps made by relentless war. With all our
sorrows and misfOTtunes, however, cOnSe-
quent upon the late terrible struggle, We
have not, at any time, lost sight Of the fact
that this is our country, and the only one
in which We have a special interest-that
its glory is our glOTy-its shame our shame
and that it is both patriotic and manly
lOI Us 10 Vie Will DNL ldlC duh CL5al 4C>Y
in a generous way, in elevating,
strengthening and ennObling it. To
do this, It is neither required nor
expected, by the brave and generous Of our
late foes, that we, as eX-COnfederate
soldiers, should forget the selfsacrifcing
devotion displayed by our late comrades;
thai we would cease to drop tears over the
graves of our fallen brothers, nor to shout
peans of praise in meHf y Of heroes who,
though defeated, did .-,- lower the standard
of human excellence nor stain the escUtch-
con of American proves. Each Of US
feels Just pride in the historic reputation
of those who opposed us in battle; and
am glad to see that this feeling is being re-
ciprocated by those against whom we
fought. The cloud which OveThung us aud
our loved Southland since the war is break.
ing, and the silver lining is beginning to
draDe the edges Of its scattered fragments,
indicating the approach Of an era of good
feeling. None are so deeply interested in
this as we are, and none will greet it with
a more genuine welcome.
regret can rot be with the SCARED
veterans of the 4th and 18th at their re-
union, and with them enjoy the hospitality
of their generous neighbOTs and friends.
You will please accept my good wishes for
an auspiciOus and joyous day next Wed
nesday. Your friend, WIN. B. BATE.