West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-07-11

tiers objecting to him being present
at the reunion were published in
the Journal and Era. IL the letter
does not bring the blush of shame
to the checks of his traducers, they
have no particle of manhood about
them. Let them read and stand
condemned before the whole people
as they do before their comrades.
The letter:
CHARLEsTowN, w. VA, !
July 1, 1889.
CAPT. j. L. MURDOCH,
Ch'r'm Soldiers Reunion Com
mittee,
DEAR SIR IL write to request
that my name may be omitted from
the program of your exercises for
Thursday next, July 4, and to say
that | shall not be able to attend
your interesting meeting during it's
session. This decision is advised
by private considerations, as / am
unusually pressed with work in an
ticipation of an early absence from
home for some weeks, but / should
not be frank without saying that it
has been definitely reached because
of articles in two of your county
papers, which have this day been
seen by me. When ! received the
courteous invitation of your COM
mittee to attend and address the re-
union, / fully understood that it
was to be, not gathering of citi-
zens generally, but primarily of ex-
Union soldiers, and l also knew
that your committee were fully
aware that l myself was an ex-Con-
federate soldier.
Although l was preparing to leave
home, L felt that proper recogni-
ton Of your compliment required
some disregard of my personal plans
and prompt and hearty acceptance.
To this l was impelled, not only by
the wish to manifest grateful sense
of the honor done me, but by my
desire to meet and address a gath
ering not marked by those political
divisions, in whose presence it has
usually fallen to my lot to speak to
the people of this district. 1t is
pleasant on such occasions to find
that the things wherein we all agree
are more important and numerous
than those over which we fight, at
intervals, with so much sound and
fury, and with much misconception
and prejudice that melt away in
personal association.
l felt also that l could as appro-
priately, before company of Union
veterans, discuss and ponder some
of the grave issues of American cit
izenship in the future, as before any
other men in the country.
But am not left in doubt by the
two communication referred to,
that to some of the ex-soldiers my
presence at their reunion would not
be as welcome as to your committee.
And one writer affirms that such
presence may prevent some of them
from attending. The mere intima-
ton Of this fact is conclusive with
me. 1t is not general gathering
OF citizens. 1t is their reunion.
They, and each of them, with wives
and children, are entitled to attend
and to enjoy every part of the ex-
ercises. If to any one Of them my
attendance would mar that eniov-
ment, it is for me-not for him
to stay away.
/ would be the last one to ccnsure
or find fault with such feeling and
if entertained, it was only frank to
express it.
BE assured that ! have reached
this conclusion with no feeling what
ever Of disappointment or pique, but
that in any event / should have an
ticipated, If present, only courtesy
from all at your gathering. Permit
me, therefore, while thanking your
self and the committee again for
your kindness, and assuring you
that you rightly judged in suppos-
ing that could say nothing, on
such an occasion, unworthy the at
tention and approval Of a thought.
ful and intelligent citizen, to bow
myself of the stage, with the hope
and request that all concerned, my
personal friends and those whom ]