The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-20
GUARDS AT A BANQUET:
THE OLD BATTALION DIMES AND
Makes SPEECHES.

Makes SPEECHES.
Serenity Of the Corps SIT Down to g
tiFeast at the Screven - Brilliant
Speeches Follow the Diners-T. S
Morgan's Tribute TO Gen. Lee-Col
scrsven on the Veteran Members OF
the Corps.
The first annual banquet Of the Savannah
Volunteer Guards was given last night at
the Screven house. Il was much after 9
o'clock when the members and their guests
sat down at the well laden table, and it was
late this morning when they arose. satiated
with the effects Of oratory and good living.
The invited guests were Capt. John F.
Wheaton OF the Chatham Artillery, Col.
George A. Mercer and Lieut.. r. G. GaiIlard
Of the First regiment and Col John
| Screven.
When the Guards bad taken their places
at the table, preparatory to sitting down,
| Lieut.. John ID. Bryan announced with re-
greet the Inability Of Col. William Garrard
to be present and preside.
Although be commanded the battalion on
| parade in the afternoon, be was detained at
home by illness last night.
THE BAEQUKTERs.
The Guards who were present were as
follows: Capt. VIM. W. Williamson Capt.
John Reilly. Capt Thomas Scrsven, Lieut..
j. 2. Kollock, Lieut.. W. w. Rogers, Lieut.
John N. Bryan. Lieut.. Geo. 7. Cam. Lieut..
Geo. Nd. Gadsden, Lieut.. j. P.
HugeF.r R. f. Burdsll, II. NJ.
Conner, Jr., Il. A. Charlton, e. d. Dieter
ich, K. >. Cope. w. G. Hartridge. j. NJ
Lawton, J. M. Baker. J. L. Spivey, H 2.
Black. O. 9. Hayward C. L. Montague, J.
Z. Nelly, G. E; Craig, Davis freeman, II.
/ IL Bacon, Z. y. Whitehurst, Robt. Van
Z. Baker, w. H. Craue. }. G. Cornell, W.
| Z. Leaken, Z. Ii. Kent, 7. s. Morgan, Jr.,
/ Henry Freeman, N. II. Solomon, A. s.
0uckenheimer, f. J. Solomons, F. K. Will
iams, w. ID. Wilson, l. l. Phillips,
Y. >. Rockwell D. Robinson, w. r. Nc
intyre, r s. Solas, s. ID. Rayenel, A. w.
hacost, Laurence Lippman. Herman Myers,
| Guckenheimer, G. r. Heron, C. #. Prem
dergast, Frank Weldon.
THE SPEECHES.
After two hours Of solid eating and
drinking had passed away, speeches were in
order. The first to respond was Thos. S.
Morgan, ESQ. who was introduced by the
presiding officer as a future senator. The
toast, the first on list, was
1
Mr. Morgan's rising was the signal for
long and continued applause. He spoke as
| follows: "Mr. Chairman aud Fellow Mem
bers-You will readily understand my en-
barrassment 10 view of the kindly words
our chairman has been pleased to utter.
/ My embarrassment is doubly increased
| when realize the immensity Of
the theme and the insignifcance
of the orator. Many other persons could
| grace the theme with purer force OF She
torio and embellish it with more lustrous
gems of thought but meme there are present
TO whom will give place in my affection,
my admiration, my alteration, my love, of
that God-like character, whose natal day
| VIC celebrate, whose memory we revere and
perpetnate Throughout the civilized world
| the natal days of great men are observed,
and here In the south we are confronted
with the unexanpled spectacle of observing
the birthday OF defeated soldier, Gen.
Robert e. Lee. ~
| SHOULD the ever-incrsasing and develop
ing love OF the southern people cease thus
to embalm and preserve his memory, we
would be false to our traditions and would
observe and merit eontumely.
| Lee was essentially a southernsr, south
| erner by inheritanca; a southerner by edu-
cation and d southerner by sentiment OF
| an ancient and illustrious lineage. who
4
and who had besn conspicuously
| identified with the proudest eff
forts in that glorious history.
| Lee was a born soldier. From his earliest
| infancy he manifested those traits of
| character which presage military greatness
Two distinguishing characteristics were the
ruling elements OF his nature-obedience
and devotion to duty.
| Hannibal was great general; Caesar was
| Ambitious Nan0Iann iJf
Washington fought for liberty and Lee
fought from a pure sense of duty
and fidelity to his native state
How wildly is the character of the
man shown in these few words that he said
to his army, when wasted and famished
and from she'r exhaustion; when their
ranks were decimated by years of rernorse-
less carnage. they surrendered to that
grand and magnanimous enemy, Go home
and do your DUTY What did he do?
He went home and did his duty.
de did not, like Achilles, sulk in his tent
and grow morose and discontented. No!
He went as professor to Washington at
the Lee university, and there by his precept
and example admonished the freeman and
youth of the southern land to become true
and useful citizens OF this reunited country
He did not ask political honors. which he
| might easily have obtained. He did not
pose and attitudinize. A stranger passing
him on the street would not for a moment
suspect him of being the man he was.
trust In God, hand in hand, heart in heart,
cheek by jowl, that these states viii march
/ on to a glorious destiny, the regeneration
| aud regeneration of the political world"
4 Mr.. Morgan's speech was series of bril-
liant word pictures and polished rhetoric,
in which he portrayed Gen. Lee in peace
| and war. aud was throughout literally
punctuated with applause of the most vo-
| ciferous kind.
The second toast. sour invited guests y
was replied to by Col. George A Mercer,
who made some very facetious and peril
nent remarks anent the battalion's guests.
| THE VOLUNTEER soLDIrRY.
The old warrior, Capt John F. Wheaton,
rose ct the call of the chairman and reused
| the whole assembly with his remarks on
The volunteer soldiery of the state" He
spoke substantially as follows:
81 wish that could express to you my
| feelings upon this subject. have been
forty-three years in the service as regular
and volunteer. | think that as a man
and a good citizen he is
the highest type of manhood. Sad
upon occasions of sadness; genial upon all
festive occasions: extending the hand of
fellowship TO every fellow man who is
worthy of fellowship; so generous and so
i full of good feeling that it seems to me