The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-31
BROTHERS OF GRAY AND BLUE.
OConlinued Con - 20


voted women, strew flowers over the
graves Of the federal soldiers. II the hui
name, generous action Of the people OF
THIS city in doing honor to the memory
OF their old antagonists, is denounced as
dissertation. il would seem 10 follow that
the decoration of federal graves By rebel
hands, should be open 10 the same criti-
clsm, but no denunciation Of southern peO-
pie Tor daring TO honor the memory Of men
VINO were once their enemies has met my
eyes such narrow and biggotted feelings
as would prompt a discordant note on oc-
casions OF this sort are rarely found
among true men and brave soldiers. and
nave often thought that IL the two great
captains who wee engaged in that death
grapple In Virginia had been left to settle
the terms of peace. each supported by his
Ialthiul followers, the country would have
had peace indeed. one honorable alike 10
Nietors and vanquished and which would
nave prevented the evils brought about by
tne politicians. As it Is. the south recog-
nlzes and honors the magnaminty of Gen.
NFahI towards our great chief Gen Lee
ana depiores as an unmitigated misfor-
tune the assassination of Lincoln | re-
peat emphatically, that the untimeIv death
OF PRESIDENT Lincoln was regarded by all
thoughttul men Of the south as one of the
most serious evils which had befallen our
section, and / venture to saw that my
tain my assertion. We know that duri,g
the war he devoted every energy
OF mind and body for a restoration of the
union, and that result ACCOMPLISHED We
felt that his big brain and his kind heart
would prompt him to deal kindly and len
lehtiy 10 his fellow citizens of the south
Tor his highest, II not his sole aim was "a
see the union restored. and il was crusI
rate that deprived him of what he hoped
would be the reward of his labors, and the
south OF one who would have been her
need. "a
some of our northern fellow citizens
seem to paraphrase the Biblical question
can anything good come out of Naza-
rethE by applying it to the south. but. nv
trends we really are not all evil. Put
yourselves IN our places and judge us from
that standpoint. In the convention which
formed the constitution, there were two
partles which held opposite positions, one
urging the formation OF a strong central
government. and the other advocating the
doctrine of state rights II was attempted
10 reconcile these antagonistic views by
d compromise by which il was declared
that all powers not delegated to the gen
eraI government were annexed to the
states, but like all compromises II left this
Nllal question unsettled and from 1877 I'M
I'll 1851 the proper construction to be placed
on the clause of the constitution lust re-
ferFed to has LED to constant and often TO
angry discussion. This unfortunate con-
dit'on OF affairs was further complicated
by the injection of the question of slavery
INTO II and we all know what has been
the result of these unhappy differences
These are now all dead issues and do
not propose to discuss them.
1t was wise philosopher who said to n
seneral Commanding an army 4 90 not
choose to argue with the commander OF
ten legions,' and when questions are sub
United to the arbitrament of the sword
the decision is generally i'm favor of the
ten legions. The veXed questions which
have disturbed the country since the foun-
dation of the government are settled. ana
reference to them is made only to show
how natural the course Of the south was.
educated as the people there were IN the
school OF strict state rights Every south
ern man felt that call made upon him
by his state was an imperative command.
and that his duty was to obey without hest
tation and at all hazards. When the north
called on its citizens 10 rally 20 the old
tiag, they responded to the summons from
a sense of duty, as did the people of the
south to the call made on them. State al
legiance and state pride in each case was
the moving cause which arrayed millions
of men in arms in this country and while
the war that brought them out caused I'M
told misery to the country, it has taught
lesson to the nations of the earth, that
America in arms can defy the world. 1t
seems to me- too. that it should inculcate
another lesson to us, and that is that the
time has come when the actors in that
fearful fratricidal strife and those whom
they represent should Judge their former
opponents as they should themselves be
judged"
This can be done without the sacrifice
of principle on either side, as the example
Of our mother country has
shown us. York and Lancashire,
cavalier and roundhead. no lon
ger wage war on each other; all are
Englishmen, proud of their country, and
the RED rose and white are emblems of
peace, and of the glory of old England
Can we not all be proud of the prowess OF
the American soldier?'
Another vocal selection followed and
then Mai. Henry T. Stanton of Kentucky
recited the memorial ode. He was fol-
lowed by Rt. Rev. Samuel Fallows, LII. D.,
bishop of the Reformed Episcopal church,
and late a major general OF United States
volunteers, who eloquently voiced the
blessings of peace, concluding as follows:
Sheridan and Jackson, Sherman and John
son, Grant and Lee, are here with that
invisible, approving, protecting host And
and the prince of peace, our elder brother,
we repeat the words that came from a
southern woman's lips and loyal, loving
heart:
Together cry the people and together
still shalt
&" An everlasting bond forever for the free!
" For liberty the signet seal, the one
eternal sign.
d" BE these united emblems, the palmetto
and the pine"
Then followed the most impressive por-
ton of the ceremonies, that of monument
ing the guns The four cannons used in
the ceremony formed part of a federal
battery during the war. They were cap
tured from the union forces in the battle
of Mursfreesboro and afterwards fought
on the confederate side in the battles of
Missionary Ridge, Resaca, Dalton, Kenne-
saw Mountain, Peaehtree Creek, Atlanta
and Franklin. They were recaptured by
the federal soldiers at the battle of
Nashville and did service for the union
Cyrus Edison, MD.
Chief of Health Department,