The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1889-09-21
Confederate Reunion at Wlnona.

tonleaeratc Reunion AZ Wtn0na.
From the Winona Times we proeur
extracts Of the speeches of Senator
George and Walthall at the recent n
union at Winona In that ofthe form
er We have not only deservedly higl
tribute to an act Of self sacrifice ant
generosity of the Confederate sol
dier, which has had but scant notice
but the vindieation ofthe Southern peo
pie from most serious imputation b,
Hon. Jas. G. Blaine. That stateman Il
bis ~2Oyears Of Congresssrecognizes tn
calamitous blunder of the 18th Con
stitutional amendment, and to reliev,
the Republican party from its fearfu
responsibility, flagrantly perverts his
tory. He argues that the Southerr
States contumaciously rejected the I4tl
amendment, BECAUSE it provided that
where the negro was not admitted ts
exercise suffrage, that race should no
be included in the basis of Congress
sionsl representation. This rejection
he asserts led up to and neces-
STATED the 18th amendment. No one
can blame Mr.. Blaine for apologizina
for and attempting to escape the onu.
Of the 10Th amendment. But hi.
plea IN avoidance is utterly untrue, as
to the motive Of the Southerners
In refusing the l4th amendment
The truth is as Senator George
shows The Southern people re-
jected the 14th amendment because
1t disfranchised their leaders. lis
other feature on which Mr.. Blaine
so laboriously and artfully dwells cut
no material figure in the rejection.
Wequote Senator George:
any design now is simply to call
your attention to one thing TO which |
hope you viii listen.
| am not going to call your alton
ton to the glorious and valiant sacri.
fees ofthe Southern soldiers through.
out the war. There is, In my opinion,
no honor TO which soldier can be
entitled which should not be accorded
the Southern soldier--the Southern
private soldier. lilo Is entitled to our
gratitude and affection for the intrep-
idity and matchless valor with which
he followed his commander for four
long years. But after tho end came,
my friends the three million men, of
whom our friend DIR. Ward has Just
spoken, burnt our cities, our home
stcads, and DESTROYED our property.
Then there came ar era in American
affairs which was the era Of Recon-
The Northern statesman determined
that before the South should have rep
resentation in Congress, they would
make the Southern people brand them
selves with the mark of odium. They
30 announced II in speeches made in
tho American Senate and House Of
Representatives. They intended to
mako you, by your own hand, affix the
stain Of dishonor and iium upon
your people,
They appealed to " sclhshness ofthe
soldier they told him ho was
not responsible. upon you we will
not inaict this brand Of disgrace, but
We require Of you the ratification Of
The l4th amendment to the Constitu-
lion, so you yourselves shall fix the
brand Of infamy and dishonor upon
your leaders,"
There never was a sublimor specta-
Gle, there never was grandcr act
chronicled in the history of human AZ
fairs than when the Southern soldiers
md citizens throughout the Southern
States responded, saying:
awe will not have your pardon,
your favor, your pleasure, by dishon-
bring our name."
In the whole South there was scarce
y found single soldier who was will
ng to purchase their dishonorable re-
,ognition Of himself by, branding bis
eader with infamy and dishonor.
desire simply to call your atten-
ion to that fact as one Of tn bright
'st jewels In the Southern crown,
Having done 30, and knowing others
IRE going to engage your attention, I
will thank you kindly for the careful
'ttention you have eyinced, and bid
'ou q respectful good-byc.'
Senator Walthall closed with this
pathetic and beautiful appeal for Con-
ederate reunions and The State mon-
lment:
II am here to-day to meet these com.
AIDES, who, twenty-five years ago, peo-
lie use to call boys. But 1 must re-
member that since first we met more
han quarter Of a century has rassed
way. The frosts Of winter have been
ettling upon your heads, and when I
ook into your faces | see them mark
d with the touches time has placed
Ipon thom, | ace some with your
hildren and even your children's
hildren, and am forcibly reminded
hat we, my comrades, are the old men
f to-day. l am reminded that the
meridian of life, for us, has been pass
d and the surrounding shadows tell |