The Waco evening news. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 1891-1894, 1894-04-07
LANHAM'S GRAFTON
A Magnificent Tribute to
Southern Chiyalry.
Hon. John II. COchran'S Finished Address.
The Meeting Of Last Night.

Three thousand people listened Il
the addresses at the oil mills sheC
last night before the u tied Con
federate veterans
Gen. II. b. Stoddard introduced
Col. s. w. T. Lanham, and assured
the audience that he would make no
allusion to politics.
Col. Lanham opened with grace
full allusion to Waco, and the pleas
ure it gave him to attend reunion
held in this city.
He said the world would never
have known the genius of Grant,
Sheridan and Sherman had it not
been for the glorious characters and
brilliant achievements Of Lee,
Stonewall Jackson and Sidney
johnson. Applause) While we
are here to speak in cordial terms
of the living, dwelling lovlir ely on
the deeds Of Southern chivalry all
the way from Fort Sumpter to APP
pomattox, still we have not assem-
bled to detract from the glory of
our opponents, or show lack of re-
spect for the flag of the Union. In
the archives of the war department
at Washington may be found some
tattered flags of the confederacy
that tell their own story.
Twenty-Five years ago, General
Robert f. Lee-N hose name
always speak with reverence-deliv-
cred his farewell address to the
army of Northern Virginia. We
should reproduce the last official
utterances of that great chieftian
here. Col. Lanham here read the
communication OF Gen. Lee, fami-
liar and revered by all, and part
of American history Col. Lam
ham quoted the high encomium of
the London Standard on Lee, which
produced applause and cheers. ut
IS the marvel of the century that
the Confederate army could sustain
itself as long as it did. In how
many conflicts victory was ours in
the face of most Overwhelming
odds-occurrences unparalleled in
the worlds history. Our soldiers
will rank in military history with
those of any country or period"
Col. Lanham here read James G..
Blaine's eulogium upon the courage,
ohivalry and sincerity of the Con
federate soldiers. He told of Ma.
poleons expression that a soldier
was never first or last, which might
apply to the Southern soldier.
lie was one of those who believed
that if there had been no negro there
would have been no war. Many
poor Souherners owned no slayes.
yet fought with zeal unexampled
in the history of the globe, and to
them certainly it could not be
charged that they were fighting
from selfish motives through fear
that their property would be taken
from them; they fought from love
of their homes and tiresides. Their
memories should be cherished and
perpetuated. An object OF these
reunions should be to take steps to.
ward providing for superan uated
and needy comrades. The time would
never come when the influence of
the Confederate soldier would not
be felt.
Col. Lanham beautifully illus.
trated this point. II would be i'm.
possible to do justice to such an
Grafton without reproducing it yer.
batim, and even if the language was
reproduced, the resonant voice, ex.
pressive eye and graceful presence
of the Panhandle orator could not
be appreciated unless seen and
heard.
Pathetic and imprisoned at times,
ne gave humorous description of
the Confederate soldiers conception
of hunger sleep and thirst when on
the field of battle. Each smoothly
ounded sentence brought forth
cheers from the immense throng.
that shook the roof. When he
became serious, impressive, the
great gathering listened with breath.
less attention.
Continuing, he told of the recon.
struction days, the heroic efforts of
Southern people, who, with property