Birmingham age-herald., 1895-09-20

who loves his country and it's freedom, and. who fails to discern these coming dangers and the urgency for united et- fort to meeet them, is not statesman, and the statesman, if we may so charac- terize him, who, realizing these dangers, would still for personal or party ends, aHenate the sections or classes, is but half patriotic
 Perish, then, forever, perish from American minds and hearts. all distrust, all class and party sectional bigotry and ahenation; but live long, forever live, as the last hope of the republic, mutual trust, confidence, brotherhood and unity between their children, who are the heirs of their immortal honors. Forever live the spirit which animated the American congress and government in making pos sible this inspiring hour, and may the spirit of this hour abide in the hearts of our descendants through all generations.
 General Gordon closed an impassioned and eloquent peroration as follows:
 Every uniform worn by the brave, whether its color was blue or gray; every sheet of flame from the ranks and rifles of both; every cannon that shook Chick amauga's hill or thundered around the heights of Gettysburg; every whizzing shell that tore through the wilderness of Charlottesville or Shiloh; every bullet rent flag that floated in victory, or went down in defeat on any field; every patri- otic song or prayer waited heavenward lIOll tue HoIlI UT SOul0, every lONillS anu tender ministration a the dying soldiers side; every agonizing throb in woman's heart or burning tear on devoted wom- ans cheekTall all were contributions to the upbuilding of loftier American man. hood for the future defense of American freedom.
 And now by the authority of the American congress and the executive de- partment of the government, in the pres ence of these survivors of the great struggle, in the midst of this historic woodland, by the flowing fountains, whose crystal waters symbolic the pur- ity of purpose which convenes us-in the presence of all these witnesses. and in the name of this great republic and it's people we set apart as the American Mecca and consecrate for all time this immortal battle ground made for ever glorious by American valor."
 A Thrilling Intident.
 General Gordon's thrilling close was the signal for an outbuIst of applause lasting several minutes, during which there were calls from the spectators for Mckinley and Morton.
 The programme of having speeches from the visiting governors was the next in order. There were cries for Longstreet and that old veteran, still erect and wig orous despite his 78 years was introduced by Vice-PreSident Stevenson. Before he
 
 claimed the attention of the crowd. Hold ing aloft his hand he said: q have here a button drenched with blood and taken from the coat of the poet soldier, General Lytle, author of the well-known lines beginning, I am dying Egypt dying,' who fell on this immortal field. It was cut from his coat by G. c. Lindsay, color, bearer of the Tenth Mississippi regiment, who authorizes me to present it to any friend of that hero who will cherish it and hand it down to posterity"
 Turning to Attorney-General Harmon, a resident of Cincinnati, which was also General Lytle's home. General Gordon presented it to him. Subsequently Capt. Silas Mofert of Cincinnati informed Gen eral Gordon that General Lytles nephew, the son of his sister, was present on the ground and MT. Harmon sent the pre- cious relic to him.
 General Lon gstreet's Speech
 This incident having been closed Gen. eral Longstreet made a short address He said that he had had the honor of a presentation to the Army of the Cumber- land on former occasion. The season was more pleasant than the present, but the events even more stirring. Very near the spot on which he stood one la te sum mer years ago, his fragile lunch was spread. It consisted of Nassaue bacon and Georgia sweet potatoes. It was rath- CT dry, but enjoya ble. There was no wa ter nearer than the river a mile away. and all other liquids were on the other side of the line. And when we got through, said the general, we found ey- erythlng as dry as with us. (Laughter) General Longstreet then read the ad- dress, prepared with view to it's deliy- cry at the joint meeting tomorrow night Of the survivors of the Army of Northern Virginia and that portion of the Army of the Potomac that fought at Chattanooga. He said: 'On similar occasion at Get tysburg President Abraham Lincoln said It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work, and again MT. Lincoln says, For us to be here dedicated to the great task remain ing before us,' and from such green graves some good is born
 T would look to the unfinished work and the great task remaining before us' in which the blue and gray and the sons and daughters of veterans on both sides can heartily join in extending broaden ing. confirming and perpetuating a gov ernment of the people by the people and for the people"
 He referred to the exasperatinp Euro pean interference in Hawaii, Mica ragua. Venezuelan, Trinidad and the general. but steady purpose of Great Britain to nullify or encroach upon the Monroe doctrine In its inception Great Britain co-operated with the United States in declaring for the doctrine, rather than see Spain powerful on the American continent. Now the conditions are diff ferent, said General Longstreet "and from this battlefield" he continued, T appeal to my comrades in gray and their sons, to lock shields with the blue and their sons, to prevent any further ag- grandizement by England of Nicaragua. and in fairness to the. president and his able secretary of war (who is here with us), and to the secretary of the navy, who fought with me at the Wilderness in 1864, I will say had we been fully pre- pared that British gunboat would never have landed at Corinto. If we had pos sessed navy strong enough to cope with England, the American flag would have f1oated from the topmast, the decks cleared for action and bristling guns from an American man-of-war hoarsely thundered the grand doctrine of 1876 But in our sectional wranglings we had wasted valuable strength and squander-- ed wonderful energies upon each other upon members of our family instead of concentrating all efforts against our ancient enemy There is useful lesson in the occurrence. Strengthen the army and navy: look to the armaments of our warships and render more efficient our