The morning call., 1891-08-06
THE VETERANS.
Every State and Territory Rep
resented at Detroit.
Opening Session Of the Twenty An
nual Grand Army EnCampment.
Address Of Commander In Chief Yeazey.
Reports Of Officers, Committees Ap-
pointed and Resolutions Adopted
Special 10 TIRE MORNING CALL

the hall it was crowded to the utmost.
A few minutes before the opening Gen.
eral Veazey and staff entered the hall and
were escorted to the grand stand. The ap-
pearance of the Commander-in-C Chief was
the signal for applause. Rapping the as
semblage to order he announced the formal
opening of the encampment and directed the
Adjutant-G General to call the roll of the de-
partments. Every State and Territory in
the Up'on was represented, and the roll
showed the fullest attendance of delegates
in the history of the organization.
The opening address of the Commander
in Chief was listened to in rapt attention.
THE OPENING ADDRESS.
Comrades" said General Veazey, "this
is the silver anniversary of birth, not of a
wedding. The wedding occurred when the
bridegroomS, the youth of the land, enlisted
in its defense. Abraham Lincoln celebrated
the marriage nuptals. Columbia was the
bride. Her veSture was the nations flag
A pledge 10 re-establish that flag over the
domain of SeceSsia was the price of her
hand. When the pledge was grandly re-
deemed through bloody strife, through suf-
ferlng and death, and after the victors had
placed on the brow of the bride the new
diadem, whose gems were honor, valor,
fame, liberty unstained with slavery. a
country united and free, the fruit OF that
marriage was the Grand Army of the Re-
public, an offspring worthy of its royal
parentage." Reference was then made by
the General to the increasing esteem in
which the G. A. r. is held by the people
generally, and comrades in particular.
touching alluSiOn was made to the numerous
deaths IN the order during the past year,
spec lention being made of Sherman and
Porter. A tribute was paid to the present
and prospective usefulness of the Sons of
Veterans organization. which is increasing
in membership yearly.
THE CoLoRED POSTS.
In touching on the negro question:" as
affecting the q. A. R., General Veazey re-
viewed the difficulties which have existed
over the colored posts in the Department OF
Louisiana and Mississippi ever since they
organized in 1863. Continuing, he said
The charge has been from different sources
that the organization of these posts was so
tainted with irregularities TO be utterly
destructive of their legal existence. Our
rules and regulations provide plain rro-
cedure for the department to pursue in
order to test the validity OF such charges.
The Department of louisiana and Missis-
sippi never, so far as l am informed, re-
sorted TO that procedure. | have held, in
dealing with those posts, that they must be
regarded as Aavlng legal existence until
otherwise regularly adjudlcated."
SEPARATE DEPARTMENTS.
The Commander-in-C Chief ordered an In
vestigation by the Inspector General into
the affairs of this department, and the
recommendation of the spector-General
was that this encampment should authorize
the creation Of separate department. COW
ering the same territory as the several exist
ing departments in the South. This is sup
ported by memorials addressed TO the Com
mander-in- Chief By six postssin the depart
ment, whose mem bership is composed of
colored comrades. In regard to this he
said: From various sources of informa-
ton accessible to me | believe large ma
jority of both white and colored comrades
in the d tpartment of Louisiana and Missis-
sippi are strong in the conviction that il
wuuld be for the best interests of all to have
separate departments III Louisiana and some
of the other Gulf States, made up Of such
posts as may apply to come into it and hav-
ing concurrent jurisdiction with The depart
ments already established in such States. |
have nc policy to urge other than such as
will be for the best interests of the order
and at the same time protect the rights of
all comrades.
During the year now closing the G. A. r.
paid out from its relief fund 1854, 400. Dur
ing the same period the Woman's Relief
Corps paid to distressed comrades Sl55, ,00O."
THE MOUNT MGREGoR COTTAGE.
Referring to the Mount McGregor cottage,
where General Grant died, General Veazey
recommended the encampmeut take action
TO secure from the Government an appro-
priaton for the maintenance of the property
and its preservation in the same condition
that 1t was at the demise of General Grant.
Failing TO secure an appropriation by Con-
gress, he suggested that trust fund be es-
tabllshed, or the maintenance of the cottage
be insured by charging fee to visitors.
The question of creating Memorial Hall
at Decatur, ILL.,, the birthplace of the G. "A.
X, was brought up, and he recommended
that this encampment take action to aid the
project.
LIBERAL MEASURE.
In regard to the Disability Pension Bill
passed by the last Congress General Veazey
said If it is not the wsest it is certainly n
liberal measure. The labors Of the G. A r.
Pension Committee were also reviewed The
COmmander-in-C Chief urged the encamn
meat to renew its effort to procure an
amendment to the Revised Statutes which
would give preference to appointments to
civil office in the case of Union veterans.
only one new department was chartered the
past year, that of Indian Territory
The COmmander-in-Ch Chief closed his ad
dress with feeling reference to the observ-
ance OF Memorial day and the high prnci-
pies which actuate the g. A. II. The deca-
ration that the Commander-in-C Chief was in
favor Of the establishment of departments
Va buC VI ~ IL lOI ueSIO veterans created
decided sensation. The whites of Louis-
ana and Mississippi are overjoyed at his
recommendations.
STRENGTH OF THE ARMY,
The reports of the other officers of the
staff were presented and spread before the
encampment The Adjutant-G Generals re-
port for the period ending June 80 1891, as
Tar as the returns were received, shows that
there are in good standing forty five depart
ments, with 7400 posts, and 1893, OCT comrades
in good standing The sum expended in
charity, as reported for the year ending
June 80, 1891, was S334,oOO. The total num-
ber OF deaths for the year was $3.50.
The Quartermaster Generals report
showed assets of $4,000 The report on
the Grant Monument Fund showed il had
been augmented but $237 81 during the past
year.
The Inspector-G Generals report, after de-
falling the condition of the order, says in
conclusions: "Our comrades in the stronger
and more prosperous departments should
not oe 1orgetful OF the necessities of those
In the weaker and less favored territories,
ana should assist and encourage them In
ferS."
THE RACE QUESTION.
The report OF the Judge Advocate General
derives Its chief interest from his decision
on the vexed race question, and as his con-
cluslons differ from the recommendations OF
tne Sonhihander-ln- Chief, the dispute is only
further complicated. The decision is as fol-
lows: The question proposed is whether
there can lawfully be two departments cov-
erlng the same territory at the same time
f4r instance, department made up of
whlte posts, and another of black posts, or
one oil foreign born and another of native
born. think the question must be an
swered in the negative. The idea is con-
trary to the usages and universal under
standing OF the order hitherto. If additional
departments in the States may be formed on
lines Of color or both, they may be on
lines OF personal antipathes, or upon dis
agreements OF any kind. But without ad-