The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-25
VOICE OF THE PROFILE.
The Ladies', nermi,nnc Aasoc,.,,on

Hsootts htctNtltNRC Associations.
To the Editor OF The Appeal:
SRA bill was recently introduced in
the General Assembly OF this State grant,
ing the entire Hermitage estate for twenty
five years to the ex-Confederate Soldiers
Association, for a home for disabled and
INDECENT ex-Confederate soldiers, their
widows and orphans, together with an
appropriation Of ten thousand dollars
(Sl0,0O0) 10 aid in its establishment. Not
n rod OF land was reserved OF the estate,
not the homestead, the garden, nor even
the tomb and burial place OF the Old hero
and his dead, all being left alike to the
disposal OF, or occupancy by the inmates
OF said home. At the same time 4 counter
bill was introduced by the Hermitage
Ladies' Association, a duly organized,
chartered body, having for its object the
purchase of one-half OF the Hermitage
estate, %coyenanting TO beautify said por-
ton, to preserve and p%erpetuate its char
acter forever, as the home OF Andrew
Jackson, even as Mt. Vernon is being pre-
served rs the home OF Washington. After
weeks OF untiring labor spent in canvass
ing Nashville in search OF aid, editorial,
financial and social, for the Hermitage
Ladies' Association, its members find
ing that the ex~.Confederate Soldiers
Home bill wa so popular and
had already secured so much %legisla-
tive support as TO render the success OF
their petition, asking for one half OF the
estate, hopeless unless they could secure
the amendment Of the Soldiers Home
Differentiated their efforts toward Sc
curing some amendment TO said bill favor
able to their object, and have so far only
succeeded in securing an amendment re-
serving only twenty-five (25) acres out Of
the five hundred acres comprised in the
estate, for future disposition by this State.
Had il not been for the efforts of these
ladies this entire estate would have been
lost to the Nation, and its character Us
Andrew Jackson's home would have been
forever destroyed. AS the matter now
stands, the Senate having passed the Sol
diers' Home bill, has virtually refused TO
grant the petition OF the Hermitage La
dies Association, and by 30 doing has re-
fused 10 grant the mostfeasible, commend
able and practical proposition that has
ever been made to the Legislature OF this
debt-burdened State during all OF these
past thirty years that the Hermitage has
been State property. How the representa-
tive men OF this State can take such action
rs this Is incomprehensiblo TO any disin-
terested party, TO say the least 1t may
be regarded by some as merely q To-
cal fight, but 1t also involves a ques-
ton that should be OF equal national
interest with the disposition OF Washing.
tons home and il should be placed
49,. N.lN.. -. f..I. 49, IL
reading public Of this Nation than ii has so
lar ever been, owing 10 the fact. perhaps,
that no Nashville paper has commented
editorially upon this question save in favor
OF the ex-C~oniederate Soldiers Home bill,
utterly ignoring the petition Of the Her
mitage Ladies' Association. Aud threats
arc actually being made by parties inter-
ested, threatening political decapitation
against those future aspirants for office who
dare at present to oppose the passage OF
the exc Confederate Soldiers Home bill.
In Justice TO the better class OF ex-Conied-
crate soldiers, this explanation Of tho state
OF affairs should be offered, viz They, to-
gether with the membersoi the Hermitage
Ladies' Association, advocate the provision
by the State for the deserving and suffer-
ing x.Coniederate soldiers by means Of
pensions, or II this Is not practicable now,
by means Of private subscriptions, and not
by the establishment OF a home so far from
the city by rail, river or pike; and they
alike oppose the destruction Of the charao-
ter Of this historic spot for any purpose
whatever, however laudable. And the
most jealous advocates OF the ex-Conied-
crate Soldiers Home bill are those who, as
usual In such cases, are actuatcd more by
motives OF self-interest than by either
their comrades best interests or any patri.
otto sentiment Of theirown. Surely, asthe
New Orleans 7iHes- Dcmocrdt once editori-
ally remarked, "Surely republics are pro-
verbally ungrateiul-patriotism as eyanes-
cent as the perfume OF tlowor-and graf
itude an old fashioned virtue that people
in these days seem 10 scorn TO recognize or
practice"
SEcY. HERMITAGE LADIES Assn.
Donelson Postoiice, Davidson Co., Tenn.