Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-12
general disposition today to unite with the
Woman's Relief Corps.
Tho Eucn u,,mcnt OUcnA.


By far the most interesting reunion of the
week began today at 10 o'clock in Music
Hall. 1t was the meeting of the encamp-
ment for the election of executive and COM
manding officers for the ensuing year, ard
to decide upon a place of meeting for the
next year.
The hall las a seating capacity of $3.50,
and every seat in the house was occupied.
None but G. A. r. men and accredited dele
gates were admitted to the hall The dele
gates entitled to vote in the meeting oc-
cupied the main floor, while the visiting
veterans remained in the galleries. There
was considerable delay and 1t was near ii
o'clock when the delegates were all at their
posts. Gen. Lawler, the commander-in-
chief, was loudly cheered.
AS soon as quiet was restored he formally
called the meeting to order. He said that
as this was the first national meeting of
the Grand Army of the Republic south of
the Ohio river. the executive committee
had changed the usual program. The citl-
zens of Louisville desired, he said, to give
expression of their pleasure in having the
honor of entertaining the boys in blue.
You will be glad to know that" he con-
tiEUed, the man who is to give the adj
dress of welcome is no other than the Hon.
Henry Watterson, editor of the Louisville
Ccurier-Journal."
Col. WattersOn's Remarks.
At the mention of Mr.. Watterson's name
there was an outburst of applause, and
when it had died away Mr.. Watterson
stepped forward and spoke as follows:
That promssory note, drawn by the city
of Louisville, Endorsed by me and dis
counted by you in the city of Pittsburg
year ago, has matured. and l am come to
pay it, Except that historic distinctions
have long been obliterated here, 1t might
be mentioned that 1 appear before You as
the representative alike of the people who
wore the blue and of those who wore the
gray in that great sectional COMBAT which,
whatever else 1t did or did not, left no
shadow upon American soldieIship, no stain
upon American manhood. But, IN kef.-
lucky the war ended thirty years ago.
Here, at least, the lesson has been taught
and learned that
You cannot chain the eagle
And you dare not harm the dove;
But every gate
Hate bars to hate
Will open wide to love.
"And the flag! God bless the flag! Can
you doubt the loyal sincerity OF those VINO
from house top and roof tree nave thrown
II to the breeze? Let some sacrilegious
hand be raised to haul it down and see.
These are honest flags, with honest hearts
behind them They are the symbols of a
nationality as precious to US as 10 you. ,,o,,
and me to cavil about, far less to fight
about? Slavery is gone. Secession is dead;
The Union, with its system of statehood
still intact, survives. 1t Is therefore Win
gates of this gateway to the south; l bid
YOU welcome in the names of the people
whose voice is the voice of God. You came
and we resisted you; you come ana we
change with them. You will find here
scarcely sign Of the battle; not remin-
iscence of its passions. Grlm-v1saged war
has smoothed his wrinkled front and
whichever way you turn on either side you
shall encounter, as you pass those molder-
ing heaps, which remind you OF your valor
and travail, only the magnanimous spirit
of dead heroes, with Grant and Sherman,
and Thomas and Mcpherson and Logan
locking down from the happy stars as If
repeating the words Of the Master
Charity for all, malice toward nome"
A Brief Response.
Mr.. Watterson was frequently and
loudly applauded during the delivery of
his speech.
In response to this address Past Com
mander-in-Chief VIM. Warner of Kansas
City, Mo-, spoke briefly. He said the boys
in blue would never forget the generous
and loyal hospitality of the good people of
Louisville.
Gen. LAWYERS Address.
In beginning his annual address, the COM
mander-in-chief Gen. Thomas G. Lawier
Of Rockford, ILL.,, said:
IT take great pleasure in calling to order
the twenty-ninth national enoampment Of
the Grand Army of the Republic. We meet
for the first time south Of the Ohio river,
in this beautiful city of Louisville, not as
we did thirty-four years ago-then we were
ordered here-but now we come because
we are invited by all its citizens to accept
their hospitality and receive royal and
loyal welcome to old Kentucky and the
new south. What memories of the past
rise before us as we stand here and think
of the great men born on Kentucky soil.
But the one whose memory is honored most
by the people of this great republic is the
name of him who by stroke Of his pen
and the power of your bayonets struck the
shackles from four millions Of slaves
Abraham Lincoln"
Continuing, the commander-in-chef said
that the experiment of having both the
adjutant general and quartermaster gen.
eral at headquarters has proven very sat
isfactory, both in the matter of time and
expense. He complimented Adjutant Cen