Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-08-30
ADLER & BRO.
-FlEE-
,BOOtslSho,'gess ,'g )
No. 261 Main Street 3
Houbris's Old stand. cb
MEMPHIS, TENN:
The Confederate soldier Issue-'-
~SO-caIIed.Y itI

The Confederate Soldier Issue-'-
N sssO-caIIed.Y lit
The Avalanche, q few weeks ago,
made great blunder on the ''Cohfed-
erate soldier issue" as that journal
faCetiously terms it. Ever since, the
"Old Man, as he is familiarly styled,
has done an immense amount Of wig
Cling" to escape what he soon discOv-
cred to be an awkward dilemma. Last
Sunday these efforts eliminated in an
editorial of unusual length for that
paper, and characterized by adullness
not common to the columns of our
neighbor on Monroe street. {g
So far, the "0ld Man has failed to
convince anybody that the Confederate
soldier has been made an issue in this
canvass by. any one but himself
He has, however, raised a well defined
suspicion with the Confederate soldier,
that the latter is now no greater favor
ite with him than he was during years
long agone. The whole truth Of
this matter was, that the right
Of certain gentleman, now,
for the first time since the close
of the late war, appearing as the adyi
ser of the people, and urging revolt
against the Democratic party, to infn
ence, was challenged on the ground Of
failure in the past to show proper
public spirit. One Of the grounds Of
This challenge was that during the
civil war he did not take the risks Of
his own counsel and share the dangers
and privations of his people as he
should have done. The Avalanche
would never have dreamed of
stigmatizing this test had it
been applied on the Federal
side. Now the Confederate soldier
and the Confederate sympathizer holds
that there was just as much honor
attaching TO good conduct on his side
as attached to good conduct on the
other; that there was just as much
discredit attaching to bad conduct on
his side as on the other; that on either
side this test may be equally applied
in the search for merit, The Ava
lanche saw proper to dispute this.
Confederate pride did not choose to
be put on an inequality in this regard.
Hence the Avalanche got into the
scrape, out of which it has been trying
to write itself. All attempts to cover
its animus by pretending that the
friends of Bate were endeayoring tc
bring into the canvass as a distinct
political factor a Confederate ele-
ment," have proven utterly vain. The
motive was too transparent. A little
candor, at least sufficient to admit
that in this affair great blunder rests
at its door, would have saved oul
neighbor's columns a great deal o.
useless and rather coarse matter Oh
the Confederate question.
But the assumption Of the article o.
Sunday as 70 the recognition every
where and at all times in social life
\ in literature and in the conduct Of the
I. United States government, "of tht
military prowess Of the Confederate
soldier, is wholly untrue. 1t is sur
\ prising that any writer Of ordinary in
teIligence would pen such stuff. a
referenceto to the school books in North
ern schools, and to the volumes tina
have been written in the North as t
the war will disprove this. It's onl!
very recently that one o.
two very noble specimens o
! Northern criticisC on the war
accords what the Confederate soldier
claims. Nor is the iutimation in th'
article true, that this claim for justice
4 to Confederate soldiers is eve
urged in order to keep the North anC
South apart. For the Confederate
accords to the Federal all the justice
he can demand. Nor is it true as in
timated in the article that those whC
claim for the soldier Of st, Andrew
cross his full merit and all his dignit!
are those who were not identified Will
his perils and privations. The revers,
of this is in fact the case and an,
knowledge of human nature woulC
have corrected this statement. 1t i
not he who is conscious Of a want o
merit, that lauds it in another. w,
fear that our neighbor has himself re
ceiyed his inspiration from those VIII
desire the fame Of Confederate militia
ry achievements to perish from tn
memory OF men. There were in tn
Confederate army, as in others, from
the rank and file up, Captain Jiuks
of the Horse Marines We fear tn
"Old Mar" has been talking with thi
sort of cattle.
HAWKINS divides time with Fusscl