Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-01-08
Pensioning RebeI SOLDIER.


.Peck's Milwaukee, Sun, Janusry1.l
b At the outset Of this article it may
be well to state that The Sun is not in
favor Of %pensioning rebel soldiers out
Of ,he national treasury, but it believes
they should be peusioned all the same,
They went into the wal believing they
were right. They were wrong, and
they we're everlastingly scooped But
there are hundreds of thousands Of
them who are wounded, destitute, and
unable to support their families. They
must not be allowed to die by the road
side. The states in which they live
are unable to support them, and if the
states should establish a pension fund
for rebel soldiers some political nine
spot in the north would shout ''trea-
son" But something has got to be
done. Suppose the north had been
scooped, we should have felt that our
soldiers ought to be cared for, though
we should not have expected that they
be supported out Of the Confederate
treasury. The south is full of poor
soldiers who should be supported by
somebody. The question is, how is it
to be done. The only way is to do it by
private subscription, and the north
has got to help. Let a national asso-
citation be formed, with some of the
noblest philanthropists, north and
south, as directors. Then let men be
appointed in every city and town,
north, south, east and west, to solicit
subscriptions. Let the millionaires
put up a million or 50 apiece to start
the ball, and then let the smaller
amounts be asked for. There is
scarcely a soldier in the north who is
healthy, and has got a good business,
but would give five dollars a year to-
wards pensioning his old enemies.
He would not give a dollar from the
government as a reward for rebellion,
but he would give FIVE dollars out Of
his own earnings, the same as be
would to any unfortunate comrade
There is an affection existing between
northern and southern soldiers, on &C.
count OF both being brave fellows. II
an opportunity we're offered, the sol
diers of the north could be relied on
to help their old enemies get on their
feet. IT an association were formed
with the best. southern men, not Ere
eaters or fools at their head, with q
few such northern men as George w,
Childs to swear to the fairness Of it,
money enough could be raised
every year to keep every crippled
| Johnny Reb in provisions and
clothes, and no person on the footstool
could be any poorer for it. Money
would be given as cheerfully as fol
any purpose we know Of, and the good
feeling that would be ~engendered be-
tween the north and south would be
worth a hundred times what it cost
Milwaukee would contribute enough
to support half a regiment Of the Ole
boys that used to shoot at our citizens
Those days are gone now. We have
buried our dead, and the rebels have
buried theirs, and now there is a duty
we all owe, and that is to see that
nobody is allowed to suffer. If prom.
inent southern philanthropists will in
yite some prominent northern philan-
thropists to meet with them, and dis
cuss the matter, we feel sure that be-
fore a year has passed an arrangement
can be made that will make used7qp
rebels happy, and they will be no hap
pier than the northern people who
contribute to their happiness. Let
the newspapers take up this thing and
do the fair thing by the boys chat used
to shoot stove lids at us.