The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-05-27
ON TO RICHMOND.
Next Year the COnfedcrates Will Meet
at the Old Capital.

at the Old Capital.
Houston. May 23-Another day of stir
ing cheers. of martial strains and touch
ing scenes has passed and only one more
day of the great reunion remains. 1t has
been rich in the incidents which in after
years cling to the memory of men like
"nower. in the crannied wall" and as the
scattered remnants of the army of the
confederacy diminish with the passing
years. those who survive will recall this
fifth reunion with increasing pride.
The business of the convention has been
of the greatest interest and Importance;
the gracious daughter of the confederacy
has been the recipient of a successive ova-
ton which must have made the veins that
flow with the blood of Jefferson Davis
thrill with a rapture such as no other
woman could know; while the aged vet
erans with hair as gray as the uniforms
they WORE have gathered about their re-
spective leaders with husky voices ana
swelling hearts and recalled the stirring
scenes through which they passed to-
gether
Happy Virgininns.
The Virginia delegation are the happiest
people in Houston tonight and every three
times three" for the south and her cause
concludes with heres to the Ola Domlh-
ion: drink it down."
No wonder they are happy, for they
have achieved the end toward which they
struggled so long and so labOricuSly, ana
tonight the fact that Richmond Will be
the place of the next reunion will visit
their tranquil dreams and trace smile
upon their sleeping lips. Her siXty-fonr
delegates, together with their friends,
came fourteen hundred miles to be present
on this occasion and work for Richmond
as the place of the next reunion. They
did not come in vain and. of course, are
delighted with their success.
Another gratifying fact in the develop
ments of the day is the fact that nearly
900 was subscribed to the jefferson Da-
Wis monument to be erected at Richmond.
for which $4,000 is already on hand. and
when the veterans go to Richmond next
spring they will witness the laying of the
corner stone of the memorial to the con-
federate president
The first business of the convention was
to hear the report Of the committee on
constitution and bylaws. 1t was read by
the chairman, Stephen D. Lee. 1t was
practic lily the old Jackson constitution
restored, and provides for the committee
on history, which the Birmingham constl-
tuition abolished. 1t divides the United
Confederate Veterans Association into the
following departments:
The department of the Army of Virginia,
composed of the states of Virginia, Mary
land, North and South Carolina and Ken
lucky.
The department of the Army of Tennes-
see, composed of the states of Georgia.
Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, louisa
na and Florida.
The trans Mississippi department, com
posed of all the states and territories west
of the Mississippi, except Louisiana.
There was a movement on foot to fix
the same memorial day for all states. but
the new constitution provides that each
camp may fix it's own.
General NJ. j. Claiborne objected TO the
part of the constitution separating Texas
into five divisions. saying it was done
for political purposes.
General Lee explained that the state
practically was not arranged differently
from other states. These subdivisions
were merely for the sake of convenience
in a state so large as Texas. There was
but one major general General Ross for
the state, the other generals being merely
brevets.
The constitution was then adopted amid
loud applause. The report of the commit
tee on credentials was then read in full
The number of delegates was shown TO be
as follows:
Louisiana, 176; Tennessee. 50; Florida, SO;
Alabama 1871; Mississippi, 123; Texas, SOL;
South Carolina Sc; Indian Territory, 10;
Missouri, o.; Kentucky, CO; Arkansas, 81;
Washington, u. c., II; Evansville, Ind, 2;
Virginia. GA; North Carolina. Il; Georgia, 20;
Maryland. ,; Oklahoma, ,; West Virginia,
>: New York, L; total. l,6O2.
The report of the committee was then
adopted as read.
The special order for II o'clock this morn
ing was the report of the Jefferson Davis
monument committee. 1t was noon. howev-
err, when the matter was reached.
Urged by Mr.. Jones.
he
port Chaplain j. William Jones made an elo-
oucnt speech saying that jefferson Davis
needed no monument to perpetuate his name
in the hearts of his Countrymen, but we
owe Il to ourselves The man who bore his
country's flag in battletelds of Mexico, who
sat in the United States senate when 1t was
a body of giants, who was Il peer of Web
stcr, Clay and Calhoun needs no smart 10
keep his memory green.
1--WE owe this monument to ourselves, he
said because jefferson Davis was the en-
bodiment of southern principles. We thought
we We're right, and we know it now. l am
no rebel, and l am not going to make q
rebel speech. | never made rebel speech
in my life. We were never rebels. l will
shout for old glory loud and as long as
any man, and | remember that the star
Spangied Banner was written by a south
ern man on southern soil. True, there was
a right smart difference between us ana
Old glory in the dark days OF the SlAuSS'
That was when old glory was being wav-
cd for other purposes than it was intended
for"
He paid a high tribute to General Gordon
which was greeted with a loud applause
which continued for some time. when the
knightly and chivalrous general on the
floor of the United States senate pledged
the loyal assistance of southern states
to put down the Chicago rebellion-which
was indeed a rebellion-he but voiced our
sentiment. DIR. Jones proposed that the
roll be called by camps and that each
camp would say how much it would raise
for the monument. Before the call could
begin there were several spontaneous Of
fers. r. T. Lee camp, of Richmond, pledg-
ed $500 and j. r. Hubbard camp. of Balti-
more, only one month old, came to the
front with $100.
General Gordon gave 500 and Generals
Lee and Stewart put down $50 each.
The Charleston camp stated that move
naent was on foot in that city by which
81 goo would be raised.
,,I hoo tNt,t