The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-05-13

! ton Of the veterans DI both armies
/ Hundreds Of the inmates Of those home
/ IN the North would be greatly benettte
| by being transferred to the South
| Besides. it would break up the insipi
and repetitIOus mOuOtOny aud Danish th
feeling Of lassitude and disgust whicI
I are Iuseperabie from such abode
Confinement 10 the same room, path
mess, table, fare, climate, the sam
I irlgld blasts and weary winter nights
Z the natural loss Of interest In the en-
vlronments all contribute TO make lii,
a burden % men who have led actlv
/ business or warlike lives or pursue,
diversified and animated callings lie
there be homes established in the South
and let there be arrangements for at leas
the occasional visits TO them from thr
North Of rs many as propriety and
proper regard for life, health aul
comfort Of the present Or future in
mates Of existing homes viii Justify
and theu open their doors and cordially
invite the old Confederate Greys to com,
IN aud share The hospitality Of the
Union, the imperishable Union. Doubt
less such a provision would be hailed by
the veterans in "blue'' as a real Godsend
Scatter a few hundred Of the "grays'
among the "blues," North and South
and how it would enliyen the dull anC
leaden hours as they would talk over
the battles, the victories, the defeats ol
other and darker years, years that are
forever gone. The hairbreadth escapes
the gloomy hospital experience, the
march, the camp the bivOuac, the feat.
of valor, the merits of commanders, tho
hearty Jest, the merry song, the inspirit
ing aueCdOte, the revision Of history
the scenes, sad aud otherwise, witnessed
the Sabbath sermon, the solemn worship
the tender prayer, the manly sympathy
the philosophy of war, the glory of the
Union, the future of our land and her
institutions-how these themes and a
thousand more would diversity and
divert, instruct and improve, and so
forever unite the grand old remnants of
the most terrific battles that history
records.
MUTUAL RESPECT OF SOLDIERS.
national battle does not necessitate
personal dislikes if men are true to
their colors, brave and manly. Men of
real courage and trusty honor cherish a
ness the mutual esteem of Generals Lee
and Grant and hundreds of others we
might mention. Indeed were the
question of opening the doors of such a
home to the remnant of those who wore
the gray submitted to the old veterans
in blue we doubt if a dissenting vote
would be cast against their admission,
and for the reason they are soldiers, not
sentimentalists, they are men of heart
and brotherly as they are brave; they
are patriots, not partisans,n not sectarians,
nor quite cosmopolitan, but unsectiona
and altogether American
During the war these men were hos
tile as armies, but friendly as individu
ais. On multitude of opportunities
they established a kindly intercourse.
They entered into commercial relations
and exchanged peanuts for newspapers,
tobacco for coffee, and a canteen with
something in for something else,au with
a cable of thread towed the Argosies
across the dividing waters. Camped on
opposite sides of the Rappahannock,
they saluted each other in strains of
inspiring music! Now with Dixie, -
then with "Hail Columbian and finally
arching the gliding waters with a bow
of hope aud promise, with the tears that
raiued over manly cheeks. while both
camps united in the pathetic and thrill
ing refrain of "Home Sweet HomeW at
once melting the thousand heroic
natures that the thuuders Of battle could
never blanch.
CONDITION OF THE COSFEDERATEs.
The men in blue have been provided
for. The men in gray languish in soil
tude and helplessness, under crushing
burdens of misfortune-ma wasted
poor and rapidly disappearing among
the shades of the tomb. Poor, noble,
brave fellowsl They won the respect OF
the gallant armies they fought by g
courage and daring which has made
them The admiration of the world; and
after all, whatever of glory or renowr
the world accords to a Southern pluck
and soldierly manhood settles down AT
last to the credit of Americaniprowess
and we'll nigh lays the Boys in Blue
under the obligations of gratitude to the
"Boys in Gray" for having furnished
them the occasion to disclose to mankind
what a lion heart reposed under the
rios of the quiet business men of the
Union, all unused TO war and mostly un
used to arms.
There is no Just reason why the mag
unanimous people of America, who wor
the fight, may not, or ought not to ac
consistently with themselves. and TAKE
the establishment of soldiers Southerr
homes for both classes in hand. L
would only be in keeping with tha
high Christian philanthropy that SEN
relief to the sufferers by the great over
flew of Western and Southern rivers
without which multitudes must have
persisted.
THE GRAVE OF BENNER.
Then look at the plague-stricken peo
pie along those same waters, and how
promptly the government sent then
assistance, medicines, nurses, blanket
and bread Alas, that the cost was s.
greatl Lieutenant Benner, representa-:
the government, commanded the ''relie
boat" She was moored near our city
We entered her stateroom, and there la.
the brave soldier contending with tn
uncomfortable foe. He was beyond tn
reach of the relief he had generousl.
brought to Others. We brought him L
his final rest and laid him aown Wit
thousands of his old comrades in arms
The occasion, the scene, and the assem-
blage were most solemn and pathetic
As we lowered him to his narrow be-
the setting sun touched the horizon
II never before looked so sad; and whel
the reverend pastor pronounced tn
touching words Ashes to ashes, an
dust to dust" they seemed at once I
consign the departing sun and the herol
| Benner to the shades of an unendin
night. | looked on the pale faces an
emaciated forms of the hundreds Q
met. mere conyalescents; barely escape
| from the winding sheet, too feeble 70
! the task who had tottered to the grave
some in carriages, some on boats, som
/ on foot, others by any sort of transpoI
tation available-there they stood /
the gathering gloom, weeping as only me
weep in the presence OF fearful visit.
ton. or under the heoyermastering power c
some great sentiment. Both united the
and there to stir the depths of the sens
bilities. There were gratitude and syn
pathy for Benner; but there were hone
and homage, profound and sincere, fC
the benignant government and the oil
flag, the glorious symooi OF lts power
What now, ask, should be allowe
to stand in the way of governmeI
and people with such antecedents to pr
vent them from effecting this importaI
and worthy enterprise? Build gran
soldiers home in the South for prop.
applicants, irrespective of the color ,
the coats that typed their patriotism
let the blue and the gray blend, cor
mingle, live and die together, and /
the dead bury the dead.
| make this earnest and solemn appe
:. to Christian men, to Gods messenger