Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-07-18

To
We know Of nothing dramatically striking
that SO draws upon the sympathies OF the
people as an old soldier, crippled in the cause
OF his country, "nobbiug to the front" Oh
occasion Of some pubic demonstration when
tnat country Is showing forth its estimate of
the value OF services rendered, "e'en at the
cannon's mouth Last winter, when the
question of peusionIpg General Shields was
before congress, public feeling at the north
was wrought to high pitch of excitement
by the debate over a resolution which, if the
Republican party had the hearty sympathy
for the old soldier which It professed, could
have Ucen passed in five minutes. The old
hero Of two wars AMI ex-senator from two
States, while the excitement was intense,
'hobbled TO the 'front.'" and cry went up
from every part Of the land demanding for
MN pension that would yield him sup
port which he was no longer able to earn
But he was an Irishman and a Democrat,
and the Republican senate refused what
the Democratic house gladly granted.
Recently, in our own city, we had an
other illustration Of tae effectiveness of a
gallant old solder "hcbbling to the front,
and thus arousing sympathy which the mere
mention o! his name could never even have
enlisted. Oar reporter, painting the scene
graphically, spoke OF General Vaughan,
- hobbling to the front" at the Nationalist's
ratification meeting, "hobbling to the 'front.'
to acknowledge a nomination that all of the
old veterans best friends deplore, and that he
himself will one day regret. Our reporter,
an old soldier himself, and one who cherishes
all those memories that are sacred with old
soldiers, could not see without emotion a
man with whom he had served, hob
BILE to the front" to thank men for
nomination with whom he had hitherto been
a stranger, and who never have had nor ever
will have any sympathy with this people, He
saw the genera, who had, up to a few days
before the Democratic convention, acted with
that party, and exeried himself enthusiastical-
ly at the primary elections, aud who had bet
ter chances for a nomination from that
convention than any other gentleman
mentioned; he saw HIM "hobbliug to the
'front.' TO look out upon a sea OF up-turned
Radical faces aud thank those who were hith-
erto foreign TO him in sentiment and feeling
Tor a nomination that he might have had
9rom his lif long friends, the Democrats-he
saw this and va pained. He had shared the
same dangers, passed through the same
peris and endured similar hardships and his
feelings were aroused at sight Of so strange
Il contradiction in nature as this old brigadier
''hobblIDg t. the front" to attest his accept
aDce Of a uonira ion from the Radical party,
acting jointly with The Nationals. When we
oil Ia, l.,
hands Of Radicalism, and remember that to-
day it is exertng itself to prevent the Demo-
cratic party getting Coltrol of the ma
tional government, because, rs it asserts, it is
the party OF "bobbling" Confederates, the
spectacle Of one for whom we have SO high
regard, for whose services as a soldier we
have the highest appreciation, hob
bling to the from 30 thank a mixed assem-
blage OF Radicals and Nationals for noml-
nation which he might have had from the
Democratic party, fills US with a profound
sympathy, ihat Is not lessened because
we feel sure ne viii be defeated. Had Gene
raj Vaughan gJas before the Democratic
convention, had he 'hobbled TO the 'front.' be-
fore that body, two-thjrds Of which, like him
self, were ex-Confederate soldiers, the eff ct
would have been electrical. His claims would
have been settle without word. He would
have been nominated. Why he did not do
so, after taking the part he did at the primary
election in his ward, he and his National
friends alone know. Perhaps ne yielded to
the malign influence OF some Mephistopheliau
friend who is making the disorgaulzation of
the Democratic party life work. Perhaps
Bot we might speculate till doomsday as to
the cause of the detection, IN the moment of
victory, of one who has the respect and SYM
patty of this people, and WHO, because he
has that sympathy and respect, cannot be
traded upon by the Radicals or Nationals to
effect either the defeat or disruption of
the patty which has stood up for four
teen years manfuly contending against
Radicalism. Especially at this time, when
we are nearing the goal Of cur wishes and
are about to secure the administration of the
Federal government, the old Confederate SOL
diers, whose services were as valuable as
General Vaughan many of them, perhaps,
crippled like him-are notlikely to be seduced
from their devotion to party that, point By
point, has won for them, from the Radicals
whom he IN Tart represents a nominee, the
rights and privileges of voting and holding
office, of being citizens of the land which
their IA hers rescued from the wilderness.
Those OF them who may "hobble to the 'front.'
on election day to depcsit ballot expressive
of their principles will enter protest against
the Radical National ticket, and give a vote
for the ticket put forward by the convention OF
the Democratic party representing the will OF
the Democratic maeses-g ticket which 10
man Can find fault with-a ticket that is
fair representation Of the responsibility and
reputIbi Of the city, and which we believe
will receive the support of all our 'mer-
chants. mechanics, traders, laborers and SER
vant-Iuen.'