Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-10
A BOOM FOR THE HOME.
1900 PEOPLE AT THE COOPER
INSTITUTE MEETING.

the Old Foes Have Become Fast
Friends-Gen. Gordon on the Patriotic
Motives and Bravery of Both Armies
Phil. Sheridan Says that 1t was a
NiD-and-Tuck Fight.
NEW YORK, April 9.-Fifteen hundred
people gathered in the large hall of Cooper
Union tonight to take part in the inaugu-
raj public ceremonies relating to the es-
tablishment of a home for disabled ex-
Confederate soldiers at Richmond. Va.
The platform was neatly draped in Ameri-
can and foreign flags and banners and
shields, and the band played patriotic
music at appropriate intervals during the
meeting. The opening strains of ''Dixieo
called forth loud applause. Col. James
r. O'Beirne called the assemblage to
order and named the we'll known veteran.
Corporal Tanner, of Brooklyn, as the
Chairman. ''in the forced absence of our
great Captain, Gen. Grant," TApplause, I
Corporal Tanner, who had both legs
shot way in battle, and walks on two
wooden legs, came forward amid cheers.
and began his opening address by saying
that he was with the movement "With his
heart and soul, and from the crown of his
head as far down as he went" He did
not forget Gen. Grants wOTc. to Gen. Lee
at AppOmattoX, when he said to the great
Confederate General to tell his men to
take their horses home, as they would
need them for the spring plOwing, and
then distributed 100000 rations among
the defeated army. Gen. Grant in this
epitomized the feeling of every man who
is willing to give credit to those who have
stood the hard knocks of the battlefield in
the cause they believed to be just.
HUMANITY STILL LIVES"
The Corporal went on: 81 have thought
this thing over, and see that those of the
other side have not the same pictures to
look back on that we have. The great
majority went out to fight for what they
thought was right just as we went ont to
fight for what we knew to be right. |
know that the old bitterness is dying out.
If we are men we will see to it that the
sufferers who differed with us will find
out that humanity stillIives. Applause
remains of its great men, whether
they fought for the kingdom,
empire or republic. We are bound to take
up this thing and carry it to a successful
end applause We can do it and we
We'll" Great applause The speaker
then told how it was frequently his mis-
sion to go to Washington to procure pen
slons for our soldiers, and how Southern
members of Congress, without exception,
were always to be relied upon for their
support Of such relief measures for their
old enemies. He said that the building
of this asylum would be another bond be-
tween the North and South. Corporal
Tanner told an anecdOte of a little son of
his and the child. daughter of an eX-
Confederate, who lived next door to him.
One summer evening he and his friend
were sitting on his front porch when the
little ones had taken up a position on a
picket tence' in front. Presently a kiss
passed between the two youngsters.
John" said the Corporal to his neighbor,
81 guess the Union will be all right in the
next generation" Loud laughter and
applause.
Maj. Quincy, OF Maryland, read letters of
regret from several distinguished persons.
GRANTS LETTER.
Gen. Grant wrote: 81 am in hearty
sympathy with the movement and YOU
can rely upon me for doing all / can in
carrying out the purpose of the meeting.
L promise my support financially and
otherwise"
Gen. Hancock wrote: ''You have the
assurance Of my best wishes and efforts
for your success in the accomplishment
of this long deferred benevolent enter
prise"
Gen. Ben. II. Bristow said in his letter
that it was appropriate to hold such
meeting in house founded by a true
phllanthropist, and promised his support.
Senator Hawley, Rev. Il. Dewitt Tai
madge, Gen. G. N. Christensen, Gen. Sam.
W. Crawford, G. p. Huntington, Gen,
Roger A. Pryor, Gems. Wilcox and Lii
ley and others. also wrote letters of regret.
GEN. GoRDON's ADDRESS.
Then the Chairman introduced Gen. j.
B. Gordon, one of the inauguratOrs of the
movement, who was warmly welcomed
when he took the platform, and many
times interrupted by applause. Gen.
Gordon spoke as follows:
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentzemen: As
an eX-COnfederate soldier, who surrendered
his arms and forces to your great Captain AT
AppomattoX Court House, Virginia | greet
you to- night with pleasure sincere and pro
tonnd. Nearly twenty years have passed
since the war ended, and il i5 fitting on an Oc-
caslon like this to recall a few facts connect
ed with that conflict, which. in its last analy-
sis was in no sense a conflict of forms of gov
ernment' but conflict of constructions. On
one side, at the South, were long entertained
and inherited theories Of consti-
tuuOnal construction, patriotic ardor
born of the spirit of self-defense, devotion to
ones own treside, people and kindred, which
is one OF the most exalted of virtues, and
which lifts by its intrinsic power the humblest
soul into life of unselhsh heroism. andwhich
stretched across the Southern border Gordon
OF as brave breasts as were ever faced to the
storm of battle.
THE NoRTH's MOTIVES.
On the side of the North was the purpose to
maintain this Union, a high. manly inleXi-
Bile resolve that America should be the abid-
ing place Ofbut one great, free Republic Two
grand motives inspired the Union
soldiers, nerving them to high
thoughts and great achievements.
These two grand motives which throbbed
through every fibre of the Union soldiers
being and whispered in thrilling accents In
the hour OF battle were the indissolubilitv of
the American Union and the universally of
American freedom. Both armies were patr-
otlc, both were republican and devoted to the
principles OF republican government both
were marshalled under constitutions which
Incorporated all the great cardinal PRINCIPLES
OF equality oil states, habeas corpus, trial by
jury, freedom OF the press. religious liberty.
and the supremacy of the central consti-
tuition; and there was not moment
during the conflict when either army would
nave hesltated to put down any attempt to
found monarchy or ar order Of nobility or
a privileged priesthood in this fair land, con-
secrated by their common ancestry to free
dom and equal rights. Devotion to liberty,
to constitutional liberty, was the fountain
from which both drank in inspiration for the
mighty conflict, and every sOldler who fell in
the strife on either side turned his death pale
face to heaven, a glorious martyr for right,
as he understood it.
COMRADES AT HEART.
Though foes in fact, they were comrades at
heart in ultimate purpose, and now they
mean to be comrades IN fact. The cause
which brings us here is worthy of the men
whose herosm in the late war thrilled the
world with ast0nishment and admiration. 1t
is movement by brave and magnanimOus
victors to protect, shelter and befriend the
disabled and suffering of their honorable and
valiant though vanquished brothers. 1t is to
make practical, to give form and direction
and scope to an impulse conceived in the
noblest minds, born of brave and generous
hearts, inspired by Godlike charity,
and which destined to exert
a power for good on the future
of this reunited country, resistless, measure.
less, enduring. This movement nv country
men, in its effects upon those now living and
those who are to come after us, is worth more
to this country than all the resolutions of no
litical platforms or parties, more than all an
peas by eloquent lips for the restoration of
sectional concord and American fraternity
for it is the Northern hearts own eloduence
addressed to the Southern hearts own sensi-
blities. 1t is a brotherhood Accomplished.
1t obliterates passion. 1t touches. softens and
unites all the hearts of all our people and will
bind them together in bond of brotherlv
affection, sincere, strong and immortal
SANCTIONED BY BOTH SIDES.
To understand that the Significance of this
movement, unsolicited and spontaneous is not
exaggerated, it IS sufficient to know that it
receives the sanction and cooperation of the
brave men of the Federal army from its great
eX-commSnder, whose fame fills all CONT
nents, down to the humblest private who