Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-06-27
APPEAL
SUNDAY, JUNE %, 1875.
nEmPHIs KIEDLED TmE TIRE-


From one end % the Union % The
Other the fire Of q revived patriotism 8
burning with q bright flame. As if ny
one common sympathetic impulse tie
American people have arose IN their
majesty and proclaimed q universal jC-
bilee Of peace. Every citizen o. this
vast republic seems to have suddenly
comprehend and .eit the impoTtaL ce
Ct reconciliation, and all seem disposed
20 cultivate the true spirit Of union and
harmony. This patriotic Ere was first
kindled in Memphis. Il Is true the
Grand Army OF the Republic, in It's GEL
ebrstion at Chicago, invited the Confe'-
crate soldiers to unite with them. But
exceptions were made, and the ceyemo.
MES were by the Federal soldiers alone.
On the fifteenth Of April last puUiic
meeting was called for the purpose Of
making arrangements TO decorate the
graves Of Confederate soldiers The call
for the meeting said: "All are invited
to participate who'desiTe 10 do &C." The
meeting was held on the seventeenth OF
April st the rooms Of the howard ass0ci-
alton, at which General q. W. Gordon
presided. Major Goodman presented a
letter from Il. T. Tomlins0n, q Federal
soldier, In which ne said: "I was, a.
you and others well know, 8 Federal
officer during the earlier part Of the late
war, until April, 1862, and made 20 Sc
cret Of 1t when / came to Memphis in
that year, as ] believed then as now, !
was acting only a. duty called me. That
you aud thousands Of others thought
and acted differently are no reasons that
your comrades and rhine, now lying n
their peaceful graves, having given their
lives for their convictions Of right, should
not be houored in our memories. II you
think / would not be iHtTuding, ! shonld
be glad to assist in any way ] eau"
This proposition was cordially and Unau-
imously accepted. At meeting Of the
Confederate. soldiers on the twenty-niDth
Of April, the officers and soldiers Of The
Federal army we're unanimusly invited
TO join in the procession on commemoTs-
ton day, and General Cotton Greene, in
a graceful letter, made the invitation.
The Federal soldiers then held
a meeting, at which Hon. J.
o. Pierce presided, and the
invitation was accepted, and the
necessary arrangements made. Gen
eral Pillow and General Forrest
wrote eloquent letters indorsing the
movement. On Monday, the twen-
ty-fonrth Of April, and on Monday,
the thirty-first Of May, the Fed
eral and Confederate soldiers united
n decorating the graves Of their
fallen comrades. The proceedings Of
these ceremonies were telegraphed north,
and the news was an electric spark to
fire the slumbering patriotism Of The
people. II was the united Confederate
soldiers Of Memphis, and such Federal
soldiers as II. I. TomlinsOn, n. d. Men
ken, J. o. Pierce, James a. Swain, L.
B. Edgington, Hosia Townsend, J. w.
Jefferson, Gilbert Meyers, L. B. Har-
rington, J. c. Lujlman, c. II. VOgeli,
William HorGigan, 5. o. EhOrey, and ;.
s. GarTet that inaUgurated the benign
work Of reconciliation. The unexpected
suddenness Of the Memphis movement
appalled, the extremists on both sides,
and before they had time TO give vent
70 their contemplate sarcasm and carp
ings, they were awed into silence by the
patriotic shouts that TeveTborated from
one end Of the Union TO the other.
They nursed their smiles and persistent
hatred, but had not the edrontery to
permit it to escape their ignOble bosoms.
The mighty wave that swept over the
land engulfsd the selfish little creatures
who would live al their unworthy lives
on the garbage Of sectional hate and
partisan bitterness. Memphis took the
lead in the work Of substantial recon-
ciliation. The noble msgnanlmity Of
the Federal and Confederate soldiers Of
this city made a deep impression on the
popular heart. 1t gave inspiration 20
the recent celebration at Bunker Hill.
1t sent thither Fitzhugh Lee from Nir-
ginia and the Washington Light Artil-
lery from South Carolina. 1t inspired
the whole country with the conviction
that the passions born in war had faded
away, and that the American Union Is
10 be the future abode Of a homogeneous
and tranquillizsd people.