The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1895-05-29
GENERAL JOHN B. GORDON.

The encampment and reunion
OF the United Confederate Vet
Grams Association opened at Hous-
ton, Texas last Wednesday with
thousands of visitors resent
Gen. John Is. Gordon was intro
duccd and made the address ofthe
day. General Gordon said:
"Govemor, Mr.. Mayor, Com
rades and leilow-citizens: Around
the name and history of Texas are
gathered associations glorio is al d
liallowed, and in her futu e c, r.
Ger are centered high hopes Of
richest contributions 10 the repub-
lie Iii fifty ycais Il Statehood
she has risen to a commanding
position among her sisters, and tie
Imagination can scarcely keep
pace with her assured progress in
fifty years to come.
"The assembling of these war
SCARED veterans in this war-scar-
red State recalls a striking con-
trast IN their war histories. Sixty
years ago Texas won her fight for
independence. Thirty years ago
these exConfederates lost their
fight for separate nationality, but
Texas, victorious, was not more
glorious and grand than were
these brave men around me in
their overwhelming defeat. Texas
VIGOROUSLY won her way to State
hood and a place in the front rank
of States. These Confederates,
crushed and disbanded as soldiers,
addressed themselves TO the duties
of citizens with d conservatism so
conspicuous, a patriotism so true
and broad, a fidelity to the deci.
sions of battle so unquestioned and
sincere as to challenge the conf
dence and esteem Of patriots in
every section Of the Union.
| "This leads me to recall three
remarkable achievements BY these
exConfederates in peace, which inn
partial history will pronounce a
fitting climax to their splendid re-
cord in war. The first is the re-
construction, mainly through your
instrumentality, of the labor sys.
tenn Of our entire section. You
returned from a long, exhaustlng
and unsuccessful struggle to find
the agricultural labor of your
States not only disorganized, but
as a system Ito the management
and control of which you were
born and trained) it was utterly
destroyed. Yet you heroically
undertook the task of its reorgan.
ization under a new system and
of adapting yourselves to that new
order The success of your efforts
is the noblest commentary upon
your wisdom and justice. with
no power to control that hitherto
seryille labor and no money Ia
pay for it. you successfully guided
tito plane Of self-support and tc
yastly'increased production Of the
SoutiI's great staple. The second
is your astounding success in se.
curing, in spite Of the radical re.
volution in the conditions around
you and in 50 short period, fin.
ancial independence for youl
families and industrial prosperity
for your section. You returned
from the war poor, tens of thou.
sands Of you pennies, many shot
and main ed, and yet bravely aud
uncornplainingly by laboring with
aid from no source save from God
and your own self.reliant man.
hood, you have fought your way
y competence, provided for your
disabled comrades until scarcely
a Confederate soldier can be found
deprived Of the comforts OF life
AT the same time your combined
efforts have carried these South.
ern States toa height Of material
advancement from which YOU
may now calmly look back over a
land which but thirty sears ago
was a wide waste Of desolation
and ashes around you over a
country now happy in its rebuilt
homes and redeemed farms radi.
ant IN the light Of industrial re-.
surrectIon, Of assured prosperity
and enduring material indepen.
ence." ..~-
At the conclusion Of the Gen.
erals address Miss Winnie Davis
appeared and began TO greet vet
Grams. The crowding was terrific
and it was impossible for many TO