Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1876-05-20

quarreling with the MahOmedan, because
Hyder Ali made his terrible march to the
Adriatic, prOclaiming himself a scOurge
sent by God TO punish the enemies of the
true religion. What ii sherman did
make his march 10 the sea, leaving be
hind him track rs desOlate as the sweep
of the simeon, laying waste and desOla-
ting Georgia and the CarOlinas, with a
fiereeness and ferocity, equaled only by
the fiery Huns who were said to have
been begOtten by the devils who inhabit
Mount Caucasus upon the bodies Of Scy-
THAN witches. Ii is Sherman and his
rnfiians We may hate and despiSe, and not
the hundreds and thousands of brave sol
diers and gentlemen who condemned his
vandalism as mueh as we-nOt the people
they represent, because they are as anG-
iOus TO wipe these foul blOts from the ma
tional escutcheOn as the people Of the
South, and are to-day praying to God
that some
ssPharaoks darkness with foldsas deuse those
which hid the Holiest from the peoples eyes
Ere great death, would shroud this in from all
But when we turn from this picture
and look back at the black night of subju-
CATION which followed for the first few
years after the close of the war, and re-
member that the first rift in the sable
clouds, revealing the bow of promise TO
our people, vas made by the gallant w
). Hancock, the knightliest soldier of all
the host who fought against Us, whose
sword, it has been said, bears a jewel in
its hilt-by refusing TO exercise the arbi-
tary power committed 70 his keeping for
the oppression Of a brave people, whose
greatest crime was, that they loved libeT-
" too well. And who declared that in
time of peace the military was subordinate
to the civil authority-that his sword
would alone be used when necessary TO
enforce the law. What do we care for
the housing owls who hawk and spit at
us, when such soldiers as ne are ready to
accord to us equal rights as men and citi-
zens? What do we care for those who
were citizens in time of war, who want
to be soldiers in time of peace, those who
hung behind the lines, like hyenas ready
to lap our blood, while brave soldiers
were fighting their battles, and are con
stantly Haunting their bloody shirts in
our faces, when we receive such tokens
of regard as was contributed By the
brave and gallant Federal soldiers here
to-day, who brought with them the most
beautiful floral offerings Of this memorial
occasion, 'sas a tribute Of respect TO the
brave men against whom we fought"
In your names my old comrades, and in
the name of all Confederate soldiers, /
return to them our heartfelt thanks for
this manifestation of their esteem. and
with assurances on our part that we are
always ready TO meet them, upon terms
of the most cordial friendship and conf
denee. Brave men bear no malice, cow
ards do. Designing politicians for sell
fish aid corrupt purposes, may, aud will
continue TO try TO postpone a perfect re-
Cancellation between the two sections, BY
Irritating the old wounds, attempting to
keep them open by holding you up to the
hatred of their own people, and TO the
obloquy Of the world, but these things
we let pass by as the wind, knowing that
the time Is rapidly approaching, If we have
not already reached il, when such APP
peals viii cease to have favorable audi
denec anywhere.
Nor is 1t necessary that we shall debase
ourselves by acknowledging that we
were IN the wrong, as condition prece-
dent to reconciliation. The good aud
true men of the North would rather be-
lieve that we fought from conscience
Gus conviction of duty, than that we wan
tOnly and wickedly waged war against
them. That their armies achieved victo-
ries over brave soldiers rather than over
assassins and murderers. / am sure the
Northern soldier does not wish TO cheap
en- the victory he won, by believing that
he was only lighting against bands of
intent upon rapine and plum
der. They would much rather hear us
say that ga race of warriors we may be,
but tribe of shepherds never" We
never can, and never will, submit to
the humiliation of admitting that our
dead heroes were felons. We strew flow
ers, not ashes, upon their graves. If
need be, we can bide our time, and by a
and faithful discharge Of
our duty as citizens, and as soldiers,
should the country demand our services
the confidence and respect of
the whole country. This magnificent
from the Atlantic to the Pa
cific, describing a sextant of the cir
of the earth, with its noun
tains and valleys, its lakes and rivers, is
all our country. 1t is ours by inherit |
lnce, and by purchase with the common /
blood and treasure of our ancestors and /
lSindIed. No power on earth can right !
fully despOil US of it. And the flag is /
ours, with every stripe and every star
upon it, for those who gave MS this beau
tiful country, have borne it as the 0ri- I
faH'me of victory upon every battle field /
Of the republic, until il flOated in triumph 1
over the capitol of the Mexican.
In conclusion let us hope that this Cen /
-ennial year of our national existence /
will witness n restoration of fraternal re- /
ations between ali the people of the re- !
public, and that when we meet again to /
our next memorial festival, the 4
possibilities of reconciliation will not be 4
l theme even for discussion
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