Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-11-27
Characteriitie Lettar.

enclosed his check for $25 for the
x-Confederste Home, which hs
calls hard tack in his letter:
BLOOMINGTON, ILL.,, Nov. IT,
Capt. w. H. Kennan, vics-Presi-
dent, etc.: Ny DEAR SIR-I regret
inability to accept the kind invita-
ton sent me to attend the meeting
of the ex-Confederate Association
in st. Louis on the 18th and 10Th,
and meet many Of the chivalric,
honest rebels whose hospitality I
accepted at Lexington in 81, and
whom I had the pleasure Of enter
tanning at Vicksburg in '63 and
again at Mobile in '65. Men with
whom I hold the brosdsst possible
difference in political opinion, yst
esteem it . pleasure to enumerass
them among my personal friends.
While it is true that the war de-
veloped many miscreants whose
atrocities shocked every fibre Of
human nature, for whom our most
horrid ideal of perdition would not
furnish punishment too great, yet
never knew An honest fighting
Confederate who would not share
his pone and fragrant. delicious,
"flatterbacker" with his Yankee
prisoner or . fighting Union soldier
who would not share his blanket,
coffee, hard.tack and "sow BELLY
with his rebel captive.
If any such there was on either
side, in the vernscular of that day,
"You can set it down for . cer-
tainty that he was q mean, orery
cuss," an exception among hil
fellows.
The reason for that humane,
soldierly feeling which recognised
the contest as one between ideas
only, not personal to the individ.
uals, still exist unchanged and IN.
changeable.
Your purpose to provide for the
disabled and destitute ex-Confed.
crate soldiers is commendabls, and
will, I hope, meet with the hearty
cooperation of all good people, ir'
respective OF their creed OF opin'
ions.
Humanity, in this free country
of the people, on its march to {
higher civilization, cannot leave
any sufferer the victim Of its oon'
hicts by the way side, uncared fol
because of the color Of his cost
The law ofheredity will make sold
liers alike of the sons of tho mel
who wore the blue and of thos>
who wore the gray, and in future
wars they will fight side BY sid>
for one country, under ono aag-
the flag Of our restored Union
making an army OF invincibles.
It is generally but wrongly &C.
cepted as an axiom that "they whe
win may laugh" I beg to assure
you that this is not applicable Il
the great game of war; that it hsl
not been all sunshine and smile,
in our camp, either, since the wa1
closed.
In this Union-loving State Of Ill
inois, reveling in wealth and pros
perity, it is only within the pas
few months that the last Of th,
Union veteran soldiers have beer
moved from the country poo
houses where they were held il
large numbers, and many thousans
pthers are relieved from actua
want enly by the recent act o
Congress. Our veterans have ha'
the light of hope of the perform
ance of long past-due promises
while yours have had no expecta
tions. yet they Will, or should, b
cheered by the plaudits of thsi
own friends and the respect an
administration of the other slds
who, while they condemn 9Th
cause" commend the courage an
sympathize in misfortune with th
brave, manly men who fought 70
| it and against them. recite th
misfortunes of our men only WIT
the hope that it may tighten th
shadow that fell upon yours, an
to hold out the hope that - or
, troubles are dissipated . mol
active soldierly sympathy, such Z
: We used to see upon the picket lint
can be expected.
The destitute Confederate veteI
= an is now, like . broken dow
picket, lost on q mountain side, &
from camp with no berries 70 picl
The man who would not chip
o and help him 10 no man at all; !
10 0 mere substitute. Enclosed
Q send you some hard tack. Unit
q the next war, truly yours.
y JoHH McNuLTA.