The National tribune., 1882-06-10
THE LATCH STRING Is OUT
AND A WARM WELCOME AWAITS THE
GRAND ARMY AT BALTIMORE.
An Appeal OF the Executive Committee Which Meets
with q Generous Responses General Holi.
day on the Occasion of the Grand
Parade, &C., &C., &C.
Special Correspondence National Tribune.

Special Correspondence National Tribune.
BALTIMORE, June S.-While the programme
of ceremonies for the reception and entertain
ment of the delegates and visitors to the COM
ing National EncamPment has undergone
some changes at the hands of the committee,
yet the plan as originally outlined in the col
umns of The NATIONAL TRIBUNE has been in
the main adhered to and there will be ample
opportunity afforded the pilgrims to the Monu-
mental city for thorough enjoyment. The la
bors of the Committee of Arrangements have
been very onerous and a vast amount of work
remains to be disposed Of The grand parade on
the opening day, Wednesday, promises to prove
most imposing affair, and aside from the in
terest in the display the presence of President
Arthur, and many distinguished officers of the
army, together with leading members of Con-
greSs will add TO the attractions of the occasion.
The National Convention will hold its sessions at
the Academy of Music on Thursday and Friday,
and several measures Of importance to the Or
der will be considered. The committees are all
laboring industriously, and a general interest
has been aroused throughout the community.
CONFERENCE WITH THE CORN EXCHANGE.
Although it is not customary to receive dele
cations on the floor of the Corn and Flour Ex-
change, yet in this instance an exception was
made and a subcommittee of the Citizens
Hospitality Committee visited the Exchange
for the purpose of enlisting the interest of its
members in connection with the demonstration.
Upon being introduced Hon. John L. Thomas,
ex-collector of the port, explained the object of
the visit in brief speech. He was followed by
ex-Mayor Latrobe, and in response Mr.. Young,
president of the Exchange, said that subscrip-
tion list would be started and that privilege of
the floor would be extended to the committee
for three or four days.
REMARKS OF GENERAL ROSS.
The president then introduced General
William E. w. Ross Chairman of the Com
mittee of Arrangements, who addressed the
meeting as follows:
GENTLEMEN: The gentlemen who preceded
me, Hon. John L. Thomas and ex-Mayor La
trobe, have almost exhausted the subject and
have left me little to say; but it may be interest
ing to you to know why and TO what extent YOU
are called upon to entertain the people who
will come to Baltimore on the 21st of this
month. In the convention at indianapolis last
year there seemed to be a general disposition
among the representatives to hold the next |
our citizens would be proud to meet the |
veterans of the war; l extended officially the !
invitation of this Department to meet in Balti-
more in convention in 1882, which was unani- |
mously accepted. At that time, and until |
March last, / had no thought of any large |
number of veterans coming here as escort to |
their respective delegations; but when the |
Commander-in. Chief arrived here in March on |
his annual inspection, having travelled some
two thousand four hundred miles and visited |
every Department Of the Grand Army in the !
United States, and informed me that there
was the greatest enthusiasm throughout the
several Departments, and that we might look
for a very large gathering of representative
Posts in addition TO the members of the con-
ventiOn, and that feeling in favor of Balti-
more ran so high that in Departments where
they had great trouble heretofore in finding
delegates who would come, they had as many
as six or seven candidates for representative
honors, and that, as consequence, the best men
of the Departments have been sent to the Balti-
more convention; and further, that the Posts
of the Grand Army to which these representa-
tives belonged had heard so much OF Balti-
more hospitality, that they had started Balti-
more lists" and appointed Baltimore COM
mittces," and would be here in great numbers.
AS a Marylander and Baltimorean, l was
naturally proud of these reports and it oc-
CURED to me that as the reported hospitality
OF Baltimore was the incentive to this prepara-
ton, it was eminently proper that Baltimore
should dispense her own hospitality, and OBJ
tain her full measure of credit, independent of
our organization here, and upon consulta-
ton with our Executive Committee it was de-
termined to invite number of representative
citizens TO form an Hospitality Committee,
and raise and dispense their own funds, with
out direction or interference from the Grand
Army. In pursuance of such arrangement
q committee was formed, of which our honored
ex-mayOr kindly consented to be chairman,
and has devoted his whole time and influenceto
its success. Our committee further considered
that as the Grand Army had honored this city
and section with IFS selection, it was good op-
portunity to show to the people Of this country {
that reconciliation amongst the cx-soldiers of
the war was an accomplished fact. There has
often been meetings Ofsmal bodies Of cx-soldiers
from the two sections, when the greatest good ,
feeling was developed, and believing that it was
only necessary to offer opportunities for fre- ;
quent general meetings to have the ex.s0diers ,
of both sections, by individual intercourse ]
form high respect and esteem for each other
and thus settle, in a practical way, any lingcr- s
ing animOsities that might remain, giving /
credit for each others gallantry and charity |
for each others faults, it was determined to /
invite several representative military compa-
mics from the South, and distinguished officers
of the war, afiording an opportunity for all to {
meet on Southern soil, and giving the official {
endorsement Of the only representative organ
ization Of the North growing out of the war, j
70 such gatherings Of veterans Of both sides
This has been done, and a number of military
have responded and accepted and 7
must either be entertained at the expense Of !
the citizens or the Grand Army of Maryland J
Our convention will represent twenty three !
Northern and Western States, and Virginia, f
West Virginia, Tennessee, and Florida Our I
people pay their own expenses-every dollar of I
it, The Department Encampment do not ap- {
propriate dollar for expenses of their repre-
sentatives, and each man pays his own bills, f
and the Grand Army of Maryland pays all the G
expenses incident TO the convention. The OBJ
ject of this committee Of citizens, who wait !
upon you to-day, is to provide means for the L
II