The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-08-16
THE REUNION.
The Second Day of the Great
Gathering.

J
the grounds were soon dry and the
roads beaten down smoothly. Hence
throngs came early to the grounds,
and not less than 5000 people were
there by IL o'clock. This is by far the
largest and most far-reaching inf1u-
ence ever gathered in the state before
Gov. Lubbock was first introduced,
and for over two hours entertained
the vast throng with his medley of
style, combining pathos, history, hu-
NOR, wrath, invective, earneStness,
poetry and eloquence, in amanner pc
culiarly his own. He reviewed the
early history of Texas and Texans,
giving statistics, incidents and
movement to enforce his ideas,
but mostly such as the
reader has already heard and read. 1t
was very interesting and instructive.
To the establishment of those who
know him, Gov. Lubbock did not once
abuse the Republicans or mention
Wash Jones, nor attempt to annlhl-
late the Radical party. He was much
cheered and applauded, notwithstand-
ing the length of his speech and the
extreme hot weather. He told of an
incident in the early history OF Texas
when the secretary of state ordered
Semore to purchase or press at least
twenty horses for use of the govern
ment, but that those who had horses
wanted Them themselves to get
out of the county with, or else re-
fused to sell, because they had no faith
in the government, while those who
had faith in the government never
had horses. Laughter.l He men
toned that, in the earliest days OF
1887, Borden 81 Baker started the old
Telegraph at Houston and another
paper at Nacogdoches, which showed
that the people then were ready to
support the presS-the great pioneer
in higher civilization and the defend
er of good gov rnment. Applause.
He told of Frenchman who went to
Gen. Houston and complained to him
that the Texas soldiers had pressed his !
horses, and that, when Gen. Hous-
ton offered to hang the sol
diers the Frenchman begged him
for Gods sake not to harm |
the Door fellows badly, but |
gather let the horses all be taken.
Gen S. l.. Ross, of Waco, was then |
led out tot platform amid loud |
huzzas and deaTeaing applause. His
address was a marvel OF eloquence, |
humor, pathos and "reminiscences. He |
recounted when soldiers eat mouldy |
bread, blue beef, parched corr and
acorns; told how Waco village har~aI
postoffice in the hat of the mail rider, I
who ran the gauntlet from Indians. |
and then compared "nOw" with
"then"; told how the North had arisen
in the grandeur of American frater- |
nifty in our time of need, as witness |
the grand inventions and improve |
ments she sent here, and the gener-
Gus and substantial aid sent |
to sufferers in the Mississippi |
Valley when yellow fever was scatter
ing death everywhere. [Applause.] |
Col. T. T. McChell. pastor of the |
Methodist Episcopal Church South, at
Bryan, then took the rostrum and |
made speech that for practical phil
osophy, intellectual ideas, originality |
and depth of thought was never eX-
celled anywhere. He repudiated the |
ida that war was altogether evil.
Did not the angels of heaven go to |
war? Nowhere did righteousness
and justice demand that principle and |
truth be sacrificed on the altar Of |
peace. [Applause.l l believe that |
war is not altogether evil. Civiliza- |
ton has always been and must |
ever be maintained by appeals
to cannon and muSkets. The |
man who was afraid to give his active |
service to his country in the hour of |
need is not fit to be man. Ap- |
plause.l
Gen. w. L. Caball, of Dallas, then
made a stirring speech. characteristic
of the man and time. He wanted no
more war unless with England on ac-
count of cruelty to Ireland. He
would see the United States go to
war with England immediately, and
would be ready to go in such a fight
tomorrow. He closed by inviting
the next reunion, August Z and s,
1854, at Dallas. assuring them OF the
biggest occasion Of Texas.
Several other prominent men made
speeches after this, but your cores
pOndent had to go to the organization,
and failed to get them until Col. j 9.
Bigger, of Dallas, spoke as representa-
tive Of the army which wore blue. 1t
was cheering sight to see the boys OF
gray crowd around to catch every
word, and applaud and cheer him on
with words of hearty and enthusiastic
approval. He said Gen. Russ was to
have spoken, but was in New York, to
marry: Il think this is the grandest
occasion l ever witnessed. Here are
gathered the blue and the gray, with |
names of blue enrolled on your list, all |
invited here as are people ready and
eager to uphold liberty. iApplause.]
We all worship God according to the |
dictates of our conscience, and here |
we have evidence that each can fol- |
low any political party chosen without |
being molested, thoughtleSs of earnest |
conviction. [Great applause and en-
thusiastic cheers. Such occasions as |
this prove that from every country |
and section people can come and find
united people on the eternal prlDcl- |
Piles of our union. Applause,l AS |
for the late war it, was alto |
gether a matter of education and
locality as to the side man took,
hence all men were equally earnest. |
When men bore arms amid leaden |
hail, courting and meeting death, can |
you believe them insincere? Nohigher |
proof of sincerity can be found than |
that offered by the dead and mangled |
DOQl6S Ol Iuo OIdyO OI1 O1OO1O-AC1uo |
which they could have avoided. The |
Blues did the same. Can you deny |
this same eyidencel [Applause.l You
were educated in the South, to the
views of Jefferson. that each state |
had a right to go out of the Union |
when she wished, as readily |
and freely as she came in, while |
/ was educated in the North to the |
views of Hamilton, that such right |
could not be accorded. This is the |
whole question, and all were right |
under their own convictions; but this |
has been settled by bayonets, and !
whether right or wrong the question |
has been put beyond controversy, and |
now we can be one brotherhood again, |
and am glad we all realize [great |
applause] that it was grand time
when old men and shed tears in joy.
Col. T. Il. Murrah, of Mckinney,
presented two beautiful and fine BAN
ners to Ross, and Eictor's brigades,
and his eloquent presentation speech |
was responded to in behalf of both by |
Gen. Ross.
The celebrated battle flag of the 9th |
Texas Cavalry was presented to the |
old command by Lieut.. G. L. Grissom,
of Gabion, Galveston county. He |
captured this old flag on the last bat |
tie field by running off with it around |
his horseiS neck. RV a resolution from