Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-11-27
MAss-MEETINe OF OUR RETURNED
FRIENDS.

The followingnotice appeared in the |
Appeal and Avalanche Of thismorning: |
The citizens of Memphis who were alb |
sent during the recent plague, which des-
olated our city, are invited to attend a |
public meeting to be held at the Greenlaw |
Opera House, November 28, at II o'clock, |
to express publicly their sense of graft
tude for the heroism of those who re- |
manned at home during She pestilence, for |
the unbounded charity of their fellow
citizens in all sections of the Union and |
of their fellow men in Europe.
The clergy of Memphis, embracing
every profession of faith, are requested to
close their services on Thanksgiving Day
(next Thursday at 1l:30 am. in order to
give their congregations an opportunity
to attend the public meetingin the Green
law Opera House at II o'clock.
We must commend and admire the
spirit in which this call is made, and
trust that there will be large attend
ance. The idea was conceived in good
spirit, and comes gracefully and gra-
ciously from our returned friends.
They can never know how we who
remained here during the epidemic
thanked them for their aid, their sym
pathy, and the kind, encouraging mes
sages they so often sent. They can
hardly imagine how we longed to see
them back when it would be safe and
right for them to come, and what
pleasure and relief the sight of their
dear faces and the grasp of their
warm hands gave our sore and
weary hearts, This will be the
first opportunity for general
reunion. We have had cur hearts and
our hands too full for more than hasty
greetings with surviving friends.
Thanksgiving Day, appropriately
chosen as the occasion for this meet
ing, will have a deeper and a higher
significance than ever before. 1t will
be both pleasant and sad to see SC
many familiar faces together after
months Of fearful separation, and yet
it will call up thoughts of the absenr
ones, never to be seen again OF
earth. 1t is highly proper to pub
licly acknowledge the generosity o
the whole country which moved al
hearts and knew no limit except ou
necessities. This should be expressed
with such emphasis and clearness a
the voice of the whole people of Mem
phis that the world may know we cher
ish lasting and unbounded gratitude
AS to those who remained here durin
the epidemic, we beg leave in thei
behalf to disclaim any thought tina
they did more than simply their dut
to suffering humanity, or more tina
the same number ofour absent friend
would have done if positions had bee
exchanged. Those who filled thei
places faithfully, in whatever position
whether their names were blazoned t
the world as heroes" or not, hav
within themselves an ample reward ]
the consciousness of duty performe
and need not seek for praise. If the
fellow-men recognize what they ms
have done it will, of course, be appr
ciated. The meeting is called on
for the objects stated above. At al
other and proper time, we understan
mass meeting will be held to col
slider the business affairs of Memph
as corporation. The Greenla
Opera House, we learn, will be bea1
tifully decorated with floral gems, u
der the supervision Of General ColtC
Greene, gentleman to whom Mer
phis has always been indebted f
everything which has been done +
her publicly in the way Of high art al
cultivation of her taste for the beau
full.