The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-03
GORDON AT GETTYSBURG
THE GEORGIAN GIVEN A GREAT
OVATION ON THE FIELD.

! ONA110N YIN If16
A Speech In Which the Virtue of
Magnanimity is Eloquently Extolled
"A High Compliment to Gov. Beaver
The Pennsylvanian Wildly Cheered
"A Telegram from Mrs. Pick ett-The
Parade.
GETTYSBURG, PA, July 2.-To-day was
a beautiful one, and the town has been
crowded with people, majority of whom
are veterans of the war. The earlier part
of the day was occupied busily enough in
holding regimental, brigade and corps re-
unions and dedicating memorials.
At 4;30 o'clock the grand procession
moved from Center square and Baltimore
street, along which the federal troops
returned after the bloody fighting of the
first day, to the national cemetery. Into
this it turned and swept up the northern
avenue to the beautiful avenue First rode
| Col. Gibson, followed by two aides.
GLrrrEarNG PAGEANT.
The United States baud followed, and
then came the regular troops, the light ar
tillery under Col. Livingstone and the cav
airy under Maj. Carpenter, marching only
as regulars can march when they know the
| eyes of major generals are upon them.
| Conterno's band of sixty pieces, led by
the Ninth militia, Col. Stevens, New York's
crack command, and the various posts came
struggling along afterward, many with
drum corps, the whole making a noise
which was, perhaps, equalled by the awful
artillery duel twenty-five years ago. Here
within hearing of the spot where Lincoln
made his immortal speech at the dedication
of the soldiers monument, Nov. 10, 1868,
the exercises of reunion between the blue
and the gray took place.
ON THE RosTRUM,
On the rostrum the front row Of chairs
was occupied by Gen. Sickles, Gen. Beaver
and Gen. Robinson, all with crutches; Gen.
| Gordon of Georgia, Gen. Graham, Gen.
| Butterfield, and Rev DIR. Valentine of the
Southern theological seminary.
At 5:04 o'clock Gen. Robinson arose, and
in few brief words introduced Gen.
Sickles as presiding officer, who opened the
exercises with an eloquent address.
GEN. sICKLEs' SPEECH.
| Gen. Sickles said:
This assemblage marks an epoch. You are
| survivors of two great armies. You and your
| comrades fought here the decisive battle of
| long and terrible cruel war. Twenty five years
have passed and now the coIubatants of 1868
come together on your old field of battle to unite
| In pledges of love and devotion TO one consttu-
ton, one union and one flag. To-day there are
no victors and no vanauished. AS Americans
| we may all claim common share in the glorieS
| of this battlefield, memorable for so
| many brilliant feats Of arms. No si-ll rests on
| the colors of any battalion, battery or troop
that contended here for victory. The gallant
Buford, who begun the battle, and the brave
| Pickett who closed the struggle, fitly represent
| the intrepid hosts that for three days rivalled
| each other in titles to martial renown. Among
| the hundreds of memorial structures on this
| field, there is not one bearing an inscription
| that wounds the susceptibllities of an honor
able and gallant foe. This meet,
| build here on this battlefield to-day an altar
sacred to peace and tranquility and union. We
SOW the seeds of friendship between commnni-
ties and states and populations once hostile and
now reconciled We all share in the rich har
| vest reaped by the whole country, north and
| SOUTH east and west from the new America
born on this battlefield, when the republic con
secrated her institutions to liberty and justice.
| PERPETUATING THE MEMORIES.
| 1t is sometimes said that it is not wise to per
| petuate the memories of civil war and such was
| the Roman maxim but our civil war was not
| conspiracy against the ruler it was not the plot
| of a soldier to Oust a rival from power, it was
| not pronunciamentO. The conflict of 1S6l'65
| was war of institutions and systems and poll
| cies. 1t was "A revolution ranking in Importance
| with the French revolution of the eighteenth
century and with the English revolution of the
| seventeenth, universal in the benifcent infiu-
| ence upon the destinieS of this country and In-
|
| of our national progress The memories of
| such war are as ndestructible as our civiliZa-
| tion. The names of Lincoln and Lee and Grant
| and Jackson can never be effaced from
| our annals. The valor and fortitudes and
| achievements of both armies we're unsurpassed
| IN any age, demand a record in American histo-
| ry and now that>time and thought, common
| sense and common interests, have softened all
| the anmositieS of war, we may bury them for
| ever, whilst we cherish and perpetuate as
| Americans the immortal heritage of honor be
| longing to the republic that became imperisha-
| bic when it became free.
OUR HEROIC AGE.
The war of 6l-65 was our heroic age IL
| demonstrated the vitality of republican institu-
| tions. 1t illustrated the martial spirit
| and resources and genius of the American
soldier and sailor 1t was a war in which
| sentiments and ideas dominated interests. The
| lavish sacrifices of blood and treasure the un-
| yielding tenacity of the combatants, the con
| stancy and frmness OF the people Of both sides
men and women, old and young, rich and poor,
| signalzed the great conflict as the heroic age
of the republic. We now see that the obstinacy
| of the war on both sides compelled settle
| ment of all the elements of disunion
| between the north and south. An earlier peace
| might have been mere truce TO be followed by
| recurring hostilitieS. We fought until the
| furnace of war melted all our discords, and
| moulded us in one homogeneous nation. Let us
| all be devoutly thankful that God has spared us
| to witness, and to share the blessings bestowed
| by providence upon our country, and the com
| pensaton for the countless sacrifices made to
establish on just and firm foundation
| government Of the people, by the people and
| for the people. For myself ! eioce that | am
| here to-day TO meet so many comrades and so
| many foes, and to unite with all OF you In
| pledges Of friendship and fraternity, and now
| ask you, one and all, the survivors of the blue
and the gray, to affirm with one voice our
| unanimous resolve TO maintain our union, pre-
| serve our institutions and defend our flag.
GORDON GIVEN AN OVATION.
When Gen. Gordon appeared before the
great crowd that filled the vast lawn before
the rostrum the cheers and hurrahs were
almost deafening and throughout his speech
he was interrupted by cries Of "Goodw
| "Hurrahn and other expressions of pleas
ure and approval such as must have been
fattering in the extreme to Georgias chief
| executive.
THE GOVERNORS SPEECH.
He said:
Mr.. PRESIDENT AND FELLOW SOLDIERS:
greet you to night with far less trepidation and
| infinitely more pleasure than in the early days
| of July, 1858, when last met you at Gettys.
| burg. / came then as now 10 meet the soldiers
Of the union army. 1t would be useless to at
tempt utterance Of the thoughts which now
| thrill my spirit. The temptation is TO
| draw the contrast between the scenes
| which then were witnessed and those
| which greet us o.night to speak OF the men
| whom then marched and OF those whom we
met, Of those who have survived TO meet again