Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-06-05
Gen. wiIiiamson's Address.

well as by designation of the committee, to
call this assemblsge 10 order, that the order |
Of exercises provided for this occasion may |
be gone through with. In calling this meet
ing TO order ii may be proper TO remark that
the occasion is OF go much Importance, the |
duty Of paying tribute TO the memory OF the |
houoFed dead Of so delicate a nature, and my /
want Of confidence In my abilities to speak |
Justly and properly on the occasion, so great |
that csunot--I dare not, trust TO the in |
spiratiou Of the occasion Tor the thoughts L |
NAV utter The 80 b dav of May Annually |
has been designated as Memorial day ia all |
national cemeteries, and On Wednesday last |
all over the land, the "nation knelt with |
earlands TO bind the wounds of battle" |
With US at Memphis, with US at this |
cemetery, on account OF unpropitious |
weather our dead heroes here have |
had TO wait four days beyond the accustomed |
time for their gsrl5nds. With them, how
ever, ii has mace no difference. More flow
ers have bloOmsd since then, and more hands
are here 10 strew them. With Us trust the
delay has made no difference. We are here
now, dead soldiers, 10 discharge our duty
nay, more, we have brought some with Us
who, in thei fearful struggle ia which you
| Lost your lives, were armed against Us. They
are here to-day not to revive the memories
of that strife, but 10 help bind up the wounds
of conflict and of battle, and II there is one
OF the honoIed dead in this cemetery who can
rise up from his grave and point TO tine fatal
wound and say, but not in language or tone
of censure, who did it, that man, who 60 re-
| ctntly wore the gray, would lay special gar
lands on your grave, the more ehectually to
bind the wounds of battle. This sentiment,
this feeling, is growing year by year, day by
day and hour by hour, for there are
| dead heroes on both sides; dead
| heroes who surrendered their lives
on the battlefield, in the hospital,
or In the prison for the sake Of
| principle they thought right-a cause they
| thought just. Whether right or wrong they
are etill heroes. l will not say word
| against those who strove go heroicslly, who
| fought 80 desperately, who sacrificed 80 much
and still lost But yet does it not seem TO US
| all to-day, that the principle in evolution
known as the sUruiuql Of the yf4eSi, was happily
| illustrated in the termination of the greatest
war, the gra1dest struggle recorded ID his
tory, briDging'us all under the same starry
| emblem under which, and following which,
our armies of the Revolution, eur armies OF
the war Of 1872, and our armies of 1S46-47
| were triumphant. Ia sll these the North
and tbs South were together-bfave men add
| herots devoted 10 principle and 10 cause
came from every State, and equally devoted,
brave and heroic. 1t has been said, and
| ;ruthfuliy too, that "our government was
| fused and fashioned in the crucibie OF
| WARP and, may | ask, what nation
| has no.? War has been the record of history
from Eden almost 10 the present hour. 1t
| remained for US in 1776 10 teach the world
| that kings and monarchs were not essential
| TO good government, and that civil and re-
ligious liberty were the rights of all. In 1872
We proclaimed the principle and our armies
fought for it, that We would protect our
| humblest son, whether native or adopted
| l.. 10 rs,,hf 4 60
remotest frontiersman WAS contended Tor at
the lannon's mouth and point of bayonet
under the armies of Scott and Taylor But
after and succeeding all these wars there
| we're no national centuries-there we're no
decorations North or South. The heroes
lived only in history, and in the memories
OF the bereaved household and family. Not
| SO with the more recent dead-and never.to-
be. forgotten heroes-of the recent conflict
The government has added to the principle
of protection to It's living subjects, just pro.
lection to the memory of it, heroic dead. To
the IA coo dead who sre here buried, away
from home, away from family and away
from friends, We come here 10 day to say
with the poet:
| Rest, comrades! rest and sleep.
| Tho thoughts of men should be
| As sentinels to keep
| Your rest from dangers free.
| Your silent tents of green
l
| Yours has the suffering been,
The memory shall be ours.
1t is known to all that the result Of the
war in which these dead lost their lives, was
An extension of the glorious right Of civil
and religious liberty 10 all within our Dor
ders, and 10 unloose the shaekles and turn
the bondman free. Let me say TO these pee.
pie, that they probably owe more to The dead
than to the now living. Te be sure, after a
lapse OF nearly two decades, some OF the
heroes still live; but rest assured that thole
who gave up their lives were those who were
in the iron. ranks ef battle, where the peril
was greatest. Many fell ia the first
conflict. Others carried their lives oa
many batl, fields, but finally fell.
Some died in the hour of defeat, and some in
the hour OF victory, but there is ne more
honor due the one than the other. AS each
returning Memorial day comes around with
the seasons Of blossoms and flowers, let us,
or those who survive, assemble here in this
city OF the dead, and weave a few wreaths
of evergreens and leave few fOwsrs-not
that it will do III. dead any good, for they
are past our help and assistance. but let
US do this much for the lessons We may re-
ceive oursslve, or may impart to others;
let us do this much for the rising genera
ton, for they ara dependent upon Us for
proper teachings ss 10 the homo: that is
due and should be accorded TO the heroic
dead.
"REsT, WARRIORS, REST"
was then sung by the following members of
the Mennerchor and Casino Clubs: Fl. Pc
tersop, l. Roesher, first tenor; Theo Krekel,
o. Zimmerman, Bell Etheridge, Henry Kus-
senberger, second tenor; L. 6. Fritz, F. w.
Buttinghaus, Charles Merz, FIRST bass; Charles
Eberhardt, II. Lang, second bsss.
An eloquent prayer by the Rev. Abraham
Wells followed this song, and at its conclu
sion the band rendered an aria from Bellini.
An appropriate selection followed by
members of the Liszt-Millard Club, whose
names are Garter Harris, president; Mrs. J A.
Hooks, musical director; Annie S. Wright,
organist; Fannie A. Mccullough, Jennie
Dixon, Mrs. Fannie J. Bradshaw, c. F.
Hooks, J. r. Wright, Ut. Turner, A. NJ.
Thomas, Prof. james Lott, D. w. Washing
Ton ard c. J. Williamson.
Prof. B. K. Sampson delivered the follow
ing address and ode:
REMARKS OF PROF. SAMPSON.
LADIES AND GEETLEMES-These speak
ing mounds, this Cemetery Of the nations
dead, tell OF the greatness and glory of The
American people. Within these walls, CON
) secrated TO The memory OF fallen heroes, We
come TO pay tribute to those who died that
, the nation might live. The brightest chap
: ter in the history of the United States, or OF
| Inc WDOle NOrlO, ls u II Nnlch relates 10 the
mstchless daring, the unparalleled suffering,
and the terrible sacrifices Ct the patriot
soldier OF our country. He braved
the trials and conflicts OF war, En-.
dured the hardships of the struggle, sur
rendering all in patriotic devotion TO the
'-~urage Of conviction. He died from his
family kat he nigh: live to IT, nation, he
d;ed for wbat ,E.e believed to be right, and in
Thai death he emulaied the example OF that
, immaculate Being who gave himself living
sarrifics for all m snkind. When he entered
the contest for national independence, he
recognized the significance OF the move
meat, and nerved with resolve akin
! 70 inspiration. ne followed in the lead OF the
uncomfortable Washington, through ire ard
blood, sgainst immense obstacles to certain
and lasting victory. And when the irsolent
foe dared 10 invade these shores, the indomit-
able Jackson met the enemy znid shower OF
> shot and shell and put him d an inglorious
!, flight. Does any one wond2r that after so
many years Of peace and prosperity, that IN
times of impending dsngeI ne should be
found vindicating the nstioal cause2 The
, same spirit which animated the breasts OF
, | our fathers was the spirit which called the
nation to stand In defense Of its own lie,