Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-04-29

AouI uemVnstrhu0n now eXcoeos suss
which welcomed me then. This shows
that the spirit Of southern liberty Is
not dead. Long and continued up.
plause.l Then you were full Of joyous
hopes. You had every prospect Of achiov-
ing oil you desired; now you are wrap
ped in the mantle Of regret, and yet that
regret only manifests more profoundly
and does not oblitcrate the expression
Of your sentiments. I felt last night
as ] approached the Exchange Hotel,
from the gallery Of which your peerless
orator-William l.. Yancey--intro-
duced me to the citizens of Montgomery
and commended me in language which
only his eloqusnce could yield, and
which far exceeded my merit, |
felt, / say again, that / was
coming to my homecoming to
land where liberty dies not and
serious sentiments will live forever.
[Applause.l ] have been promised,
my friends, that should not be called
upon to make speech, and therefore !
will only extend to you my heartfelt
thanks. God bless you one and all
old men and boys-and the ladies above
all others, who never faltered in our
direst need" Loud and long continued
applause.l
When he retired the shouts were so
long and loud that Mr.. Davis had to 90
to the front again. He bowed his
Acknowledgements and thanks.
Governor O'Neal, when it was pos
sible to be heard, made a handsome
speech in reference to the cause Of the
gathering and Of the love the people
had right to feel for the statesmen
and soldiers Of the South, and intro
duced General John b. Gordon, the
orator selected to deliver the address.
GENERAL GORDoN's SPEECH.
General Gordon received a grand
welcome, as many soldiers that he had
commanded were present.
General Gordon commenced his
speech with a splendid tribute to Mr..
Davis. He also made glowing allu-
sion to the attempt of the late Charles
Sumner to have stricken from the battle
flags the names of the battles Of the late
war, in the course of which he said:
81 acknowledge inferiority to no
man in admiration Of the broad liberal
ity which prompted the effort of Charles
Sumner to strike from the flags Of the
Union the names Of the battles between
his estranged and embittered country
men; yet l subscribe neither to its
policy nor to its Justice. All honor to
the spirit Of the man, who, facing a
storm of political wrath, could rise to
the lofty purpose Of destroying all me-
mentoes OF northern triumph over his
southern countrymen 4! All honor to
the eloquent utterances by which he
sought to make practical his magnani-
nous conception But | utterly dis
sent from the opinion that such oblitera-
ton was either essential to the frater-
Dization Of the sections or just to the
intrepid armies Of the Union. The one
thing essential to the manhood and self
respect, and therefore, | repeat, to the
patriotism Of the people, is that exact
historic justice sh.ll be meted to each
army and all sections. Let malicious
detraction cease; let envy - which
enslaves ignoble minds-Gnd no
place in the breast of any lover
Of truth. with what measure ye
mete it shall be measured to you again.
A just appreciation of the motives that
impelled and Of the heroism which sus-
tanned each army and section in their
Titanic conflict is the symbol as well as
sustenance Of patriotism. Liberal
criticism is not only unpatriotic-it is
irrational. Merited encomiums Of
southern heroism is implied eulogy Of
northern prowess."
in conclusion General Gordon said {:
"And now let the manly virtues of
the fathers and the stainless purity of
the mothers dwell richly in their sons
and their daughters; let personal and
public honor be the commanding law
both ofyour thought and of your action;
let your representatives, State and Fed
eral, still maintain untarnished reputa.
tiCns for incorruptibility in office let
your fidelity to the whole country be as
conspicuous in peace as was your devo.
ton to the South during devastating
war let the South's plighted faith to
the permanent union Of the States and
the Legitimate results ofthe war be forever
unquestiOned; let all constitutional
policies that tend to unite more closely
the sections and people, and at the
same time to promote simplicity and
economy Of administration, find among
you their sincerest and most enlght-
ened champions. Then, in the march
Of the republic TO its high destiny, the
South will resume her place with the
ranks at the head of the column, and
the names Of southern statesmen aud
southern soldiers will live among the
most conspicuous and honored in our
country's history"
General Gordon's speech was re-
ceiyed with great pleasure and at many
points he was interrupted by the ap.
proving shouts Of the multitude. His
references to Mr.. Davis and the gran
deur of his life, especially the scenes de-
picted in Fortress Monroe made pro.
found impression and brought tears to
hundreds Of eyes. His tributes to the
soldiers Of both armies and the con-
tempt for men who would attempt to
detract from the valor or either received
long continued shouts Of applause. 1t
was then announced that Mr.. Davis
would receive his friends at the City |
Hall as soon as the meeting adjourned. |
When Mr.. Davis and others of the es-
cortiDg party had passed through the |
lines and reached their carriages the
vast throng dispersed. AS he started
from the Capitol portico the artillery |
doomed forth and fired a salute of one
hundred guns. The same scene of
cheering and waving Of handkerchisfs |
vas enacted as when the procession |
moved up the avenue. Mr.. Davis was
,arried to the City Hall, where gene
al hand-shaking was INDUCED in, the
'ast number Of callers only permitting
/ moment to each.
This ended the days demonstration.
N xrao a GRAND ouoonec A. 49,. |