The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-08-09
THE REUNION.
The Soldiers at McKinney-An I'M
mense Gathering.
Especial to The Statesman /

hlled with gerS-SoldierS, Yete-
rams; pioneers and visitors to the re-
union of the pioneers and ex-Confed-
crates. Trains all come crowded. AT
8 o'clock this morning the throng
moved to Andrews Park and to the
old and new fair grounds, where
grand preparations had been made.
Over 5000 people were present. AT
IL o'clock Col. Thos. H. Murray, of
this county, opened the ceremonies,
and Col F. Mitchell offered prayer.
Gen. w. F. CabeH, Of Dallas, grand
marshal of the day, introduced Gov.
j. w. Throckmorton, who delivered
the address OF welcome:
Pioneers of Texas, soldiers of the
civil war, veterans of the Mexican
war and ladies and gentlemen: 1t has
been customary among civilized and
barbarous nations in ancient and mod
ern times to commemorate important
events in their history. Jews, through
their long and checkered career, when
prosperous as great and ruling
nation, in bondage and in exile,
| OIlC11 DctoOOfO 1hO OlCChO
for thousand years had their quad
rennial celebration of olympic games,
to which people fiocked from remot-
est corners of classic lands, and which
were witnessed by countless thous-
ands from other lands. The Ameri-
can people commemorate Declaration
of Independence day, on which they
became a nation of free men.
Thronging millions from every
quarter of the republic, and
strangers from almost every
cline and country witnessed the cele-
brated centennial of that grand event,
but this gathering of thousauds-com-
posed of gray-haired fathers and
mother of Texas, the matured man
hood and lovely women of different
countries, the youth and beauty, the
veterans of the Mexican war and sur
vivors of the civil war-aSsured us
that it was not meeting, on this oc-
casion, to commemorate any particu-
life or their country's history.
| We commemorate no day on which
| the ruler of the universe saved, nor a
day on which nations of free men are
born, nor one made glorious in our
history when that history was bathed
in blood and defeat, and carried dis
ease and desolation through the land;
neither have we met here to eXult
over the success of the cause
of the Union, or to lament
the downfall of the Confederacy.
| Thank God, the eXultation and lam
entation is over The results Of war
in patriotic breasts are done away
with forever. The American heart
beats responsive to higher and holier
aspirations. A reunited country, with
one sentiment of devotion to its glory
and prosperity and preservation of it's
free institutions. Animated, patriotic
hearts throughout the land express this
sentiment and give it impress to re-
new recollections of our country and
return thanks for blessings we en-
| joyed, to brighten ties of friendship
formed on tented fields, to exchange
experience, to exchange past events,
to indulge in bright anticipations of
the future, have met here to-day in
view and with hope that all who may
be here will so enjoy the reunion and
make it memorable for its pleasant
recollections and happy results; that
our pride in Texas, our common coun-
try, may grow stronger; our devotion
to the Union and the government of
our fathers be increased; the respect
for our country in every quarter of
the nation be strengthened, by re-
newed ties of friendship; and the fires
of patriotism be so renewed
and rekindled as will make
them endure in our mind forever. |
With such purpose and promote such |
sentiments the people of Collin coun-
ty bid you all hearty welcome. If
time permitted opening these cere-
monies it would be a pleasant task to |
address you at length in regard to
your struggle, privations endured |
and dangers overcome while you |
were retaining this land of |
flowers from wilderness and con-
verting it into cultivated fields, |
smiles, lands and homes of bounty |
and plenty. My mind reverts back |
twenty-five years ago when the from
tiersman's ak first disturbed these |
forests. That was the time of peril. |
On many occasions you have wit
messed scenes of misery, ruin and |
desolation, wrought by the relentless |
and brutal foe. Happily those days |
of savage cruelty and atrocities with |
you are passed and gone. Your work |
has been fully accomplished by the
soldiers of the civil war when the |
Stars and Bars went down on the |
fields at Appomattox. With those
on both sides who battled, sectional |
animosities engendered by strife |
ceased to exist. The soldiers and peo-
pie of the South have received more
generosity and kindness from those
who upheld the banner of the
Union than from those OF the North |
who periled no lives in its defense.
PROFESSIONALLY the American people |
are, in a great measure, indebted to
the soldiers of the Union army for
that feeling Of fraternal regard not so
generally prevalent throughout the
cauntry:' Recently the soldiers of the |
Union army visited the graves of the
Confederates who died at Johnson's |
Island and decorated them with flow |
ers. While these sad generosities
were being performed in the North,
the Confederate soldiers were paying
same tribute OF respect TO the memory
of dead soldiers of the Union buried |
at Maysville, KY. Mutual acts of |
respect are being exhibited every day
by survivors of both armies, and bat
tie flags captured during the strife are
being returned with evidences of the
highest respect and esteem. The Con-
federate generals of our regiments
have been invited and received North
with that high courtesy and chivalry
so characteristic of brave and gener-
Gus men. These examples call back
the days when fathers of the North
and South stood shoulder to shoulder
at Eutaw and Yorktown, at
Lundy's Lane and New Orleans,
at Buena Vista and Chepultapec,
- I'D s:..5se worthy OF the highest EMU
lation, and they should teach us that /!
the fame of Lee and Grant, of Stone
wall Jackson and Hancock, of John |
son, Mcclellan and Meade is common
fame and belongs to all the people
and every section of the country, and
the military glories clustering around
the battlefield of war, regardless of
the banners upon which victory
perched, are glories won by matchless
services and the proWess of the SOL
diery of America, and constitute the
heritage of military grandeur belong
ing to the whole American people.
Gov. Ireland was introduced amid
great applause. He said it were bet
ter to have chosen one of the older
pioneers than him; that it was appro-
pirate to meet here, as Collin county
is the Egypt of America, capable of
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