The Opelousas courier., 1894-08-25
The U. c. v. Reunion.

okVukudy unuGI I'll
= ausP1ces OF 4. E. Lee Camp No. ID. I
-. Y: was largely attended notwitf
n,anuing the threatening weather. an
: peoseu a most enjoyable affair in spil
Of several Interruptions caused hv n
showers of rain. =" :"
Many old vets from every mart of tb
PARISH. and quite a number from ad
ioindng parishes, were on hand to shak
nands with old comrades they had 40
: mel lot q quarter of a century or more
ladies' graced the occasion in Iare
ne rMoer and formed at least one hal
u tne looo or 1000 present, includinI
: making up the rest Of the interesfa,
) gathering. "'o'oSte'
: AZ ABOUT IL ID. Hon. Jno. N. Ogden
, 81 chairman OF the committee on sneak
ing. called the assembIage to order an,
spoke as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen You al
uouotless understand the object ant
purposes OF this meeting. We havt
me lot the purpose of commemorative
q acnlevements of that gallant army
most OF whom have gone to the spiril
Iand and are now b~ivouacing in their
sliemt tents OF marching to the music of
mamed drums. following the leader
sup OF our dead commanders. W.
AYE no met to sing the praises of any
miliCary mere nor to pronounce eulogies
upon the attainments of any great lit
craft. We have met for the holier mr.
pose ot commemorative the rise and
laii o. the most exciting and important
epocn tnaI has ever passed over our be-
country. l allude to the lost
cause when the star of our hopes was
nrst seer emerging from the political
SKY IN the fullness of her beauty, cast
ing an efulgent light athwart this
southern Ian which invited the chival-
~ q patriotism of the country to fol-
low her bright light and offer their
Ives upon the brightest altar that ever
oreathed incense v a great and elo-
rious cause, and although this bright
and beautiful star was not destined to
become a fixed constellation in the GAL
axy OF nations that adorn the world.
still In its brief and short career it shot
forth such luminous rays as will for all
time to come dazzle the gaze of it's ad-
mlrers and challenge the admiration of
the world. just before that awful strife
there were no happier, freer and braver
people than they who dwelt in
THIS beautiful south land. Hospitable
ana kind, generous and forbearing a
Do1ler and a better people, a happier
ana q falrer country never lived either
.4t was lu0u
thai grim visaged war spread his wrin-
k.ed front over the fair south, tuning
her blooming fields into waste places,
reducing her homes to ashes and it's hot
breath, like the poison of the Upas tree,
cast death and desolation in it's
wake. Ii was then that the spirit of
the Southern people shOne forth in all
OF Its native grandeur; her sons rallying
to her standard and lighting for what
they deemed To be right, went forth to
JOIN In the battles Of their country and
by their prowess and courage impressed
upon the temple of fame as proud an
epitaph as was ever won by a gallant
people.T Brave 10 their lives and cour- |
ageous in their deaths. We, the survi-
vors, are doing the right and proper
thing when we meet here and offer to
their memories our sincerest praises for |
their acts of heroism and their devotion |
to the lost cause.
10 my comrades | will say that there
are some things that ear never be for
gotten; there ale s0me things that have
become Il part and parcel of ourselves
in our very substance, and
we who partook OF the tragic events. of
the lost cause, who heard the fire of
mnsketry and saw our comrades falling
by our sides, can never obiitelHte from
our minds tue impressions that were
by the daring and clivalfous
OF the South who sacrificed their
in order to uphold principles,
which to them were dearer than the
very life blood which coursed through
their chidren's veinss
Although defeated in war we have
conquered in peace and rising from the
ashes OF our ruins we have shown to the
world that
freedoms battle once begun,
Bequeathed from bleeding sire to son,
Tho often lost is ever won.a
ind while the sword was not sufficient
10 accomplish the destinies of this great
country, We met U defeat not like the
'epining sluggard, but in the flllness Of
'nr manhood. and although surrounded
w Il condition OF things requiring the
OF greater energies and forti-
ude, we hesitated not in our course,
nut shaking hands with our brother of
he blue across the bloody chasm, we
Iuried the dead issues of the past
md living up TO a newer standard,
We soOn regained what we had lost
ind the carnage and destruction of
var was quickly followed by
lie smiles OF prosperity and peace.
ferventiy pray that no more fratrici-
|al strife will eve frown upon our
,reat republic and that she will con-
inue to grow greater and greater as the
ears pass by, recognized all owe the
world as the greatest nation upon the
ace of the earth, with her star spangied
amer floating to the breeze emble-
natic ofsthe home of the free and the
and of the brave. Standing as we do to-
lay, not amidst the blood stained fields /
f battle, but In times OF peace we can
oOk back over the dark cloud that
over our beautiful country some
odd years ago as a shadow that is
Iast and looking with hepe and faith |
nto the broad possibilities of the future J
nr efforts to promote the welfare OF |
he country in which we live, and to ]
arm the esteem and good will of our !
elbow man. |
AS / look around me I am reminded .
hat the rank aud file Of those who |
for the Confederacy is growing |
ewer and thinner each day and IL
to me that / can draw q picture j
t one Of these Confederate meetings
hat will occur in the future, when al- !
the order will be kept alive by {
children there will be present but 7
Confederate soldier, who wearing 9
d that occasion the emblem of his 9
INK the uniform Of grey with the gild- J
d bnttOns dignified by the silvery 9
,cks that will RdOrn his brow, will as g
1e last scion Of those departed heroes 9
o invited to address the meeting. g
IN see him a. with tottering steps aided 9
y his sustaining can6 h~e-ascends the 2
3eakeres stand. q ace him long z
lgiy scanning the assembled crowd, =