The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-10-19
Che South.
OUR SOUTHERN LETTER.

Invited to attend the Universalist
! Convention Of Georgia which was held
in the town Of Winder, Sept 20-22, we
left Hartman in season to spend the
| 10th in Chattanooga and vicinity and
Witnessed the dedicatory services of
The Chicamauga Military Park.
That this was most remarkable and
| significant occasion there is abundant
evidence. Because of the vast multitude
of people gathered from many States,
because of the eminent military leaders,
statesmen, national officers and legisla-
tors, because of the conciliatory and fra
| ternal utterances of the orators of the
day, and the meeting and mingling in
peace of the soldiers and generals who
in '63 here engaged in mortal combat,
and also the meaning and the lesson of
the park itself must make this event no.
table in our military annals.
1t is calculated that fully forty thous-
and people were present. Vice Presi-
dent Stevenson presided. -Four mem
bers of President Clevelands cabinet
sat upon the platform. There were the
governors of fifteen States. Schofield,
the ranking general of the United States
army, was conspicuous figure. So was
General Longstreet, the Confederate,
who on this ground led the "boys in
gray" to fight for the cause now lost.
Old, feeble and broken in voice, he yet
responded to the repeated calls for
"speech," but he could be heard only by
the few near at hand. OF all the speak
ers. and there we're many, Senator Cor
don. U. S. Senator from Georgia, easily
carried off the palm, so far as popular
appreciation and effect are concerned.
Surrounded by monuments and towers
that mark the spots where the generals
of both armies we're stationed and where
brave men fought and fell under the
shade of the very trees which now by
their shriveled trunks testify that they
we're witnesses of the ordeal of war; in
the presence of battle SCARED veterans
from armies both of the North and of
the South, he, with the power OF the
real orator, led the vast throng to the
heights Of tumultuous applause. or into
the cypress valley of tears.
1t was stated that of the full number
engaged in the battle of Chickamauga
the percentage of the slain was greater
than in any other engagement ancient or
modern. This park of over six thous.
and acres, testifies to sad, terrible past.
but to happy and suspicious present.
Let us realize that "the war is over"
and. in the oft-quoted words of General
Grant Let us have peace"
The Georgia Convention.
The Georgia Convention was partic-
ularly good one, and in some respects
quite unlike any which the writer had
ever before attended. OF the ten church
organizations in the State every one was
represented. The State Up. G. U. held
its annual meeting in connection with
the Convention, and all the Unions in
the State-there are seven-had dele
gates on hand. The ministers residing
in Georgia were all present likewise.
Rev. D. B. Clayton. of South Carolina,
and DIR. Shinn of the United States, to-
gether with the writer, made up the Wis
iting clergy of our denomination. A
Rev. Mr.. Peyton, from Michigan, editor
of a paper called "The Worlds Hope"
was also present and presented an &C
ceptable sermon. This brother is Uni
versalist in conclusion. but does not
agree with us in all of our premises and
so works outside of our denomination.
The attendance at the Convention was
large. The people came by all modes of
transportation, railroads, carriages, emil
grant wagons, containing in some in
stances whole families that had driven
from thirty to sixty miles on purpose to
| attend their annual meeting; many
came by horseback. or muleback while
not a few followed the method of the
pilgrim and made the journey afoot.
Nearly three hundred horses and
mules were hitched in the grove around
the church on Sunday. and the attend
ance of people almost reached seven
hundred.
Under the branches of great trees a
table some forty feet in length had been
constructed and thereon the dinner was
served in picnic fashion. The church
edifice was entirely inadequate for the
accommodation of the throng and con-
venient amphitheatre was provided in the
grove. One feels most sure of the future
of our cause in Georgia after attending
such meeting. 1t was voted to raise
five hundred dollars for missionary pur-
poses and three hundred and fifty one
dollars of the amount we're pledged by
parties present.
The churches in Georgia are all in the
smaller towns excepting the one in At
lanta, which has not heretofore been &C
tive, it having been organized by DR..
Shinn only last March. But the minis
tiers are an earnest. self denying, and ag
gressive body, the people ably support
them in the purpose to extend our faith
and work, and the future will testify to
| A. e.