The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1896-06-17
ATKINSON SEVERELY ROASTED
BY THE SUMTER COUNTY CONFED.
ERATE VETERANS.

Object to His Participating in the Reunion
at Richmond. Pointed Resolutions
and Letter.
At a largely attended meeting of
the confederate veterans of Sumter
county at Americas Saturday the fol-
lowing preambles and resolutions were
introduced by Colonel G. w. Hancock
and carried by a rising vote:
Believing that the reunion at Rich
mond is to perpetuare hallOwed sem
timent dear to southern hearts, and is
not the occasion or opportunity for
posing or conspicuOusness of any indi-
vidual, though filling high position,
whose utterances and actions are in
opposition to confederate sentiment,
which will for ages burn with an en-
during fame, and that such should not
be allowed to participate in the reunion
at Richmond, and
Though men deserve,
They may not win success,
The brave will honor the brave
''Sick and tired; lOnged to see it
buried Thank God, such is not the
sentiment Of this grand old state.
They honor the brave and teach their
children the deeds of heroes dead, and
give their living comrades praise for
wearing the grey.
e
Confederate Veterans, this day assem-
bled, heartily endorses every word and
paragraph of the open letter of Private
Lewis Cook, addressed to w. Y. Atkin-
son Of date May 28th, 1896, and does
earnestly protest against w. Y. Atkin-
son participating in the confederate re-
union at Richmond or elsewhere.
Resolved, That the papers be re-
quested to publish the above, and the
letter of Private Lewis Cook hereto at
tached; also that the adjutant of this
camp be required to furnish the COM
mittee at Richmond in charge of the
reunion with a copy of these proceed
ings."
PRIVATE COOKS LETTER.
ATLANTA, GA, May %, 1885,
"W. Y Atkinson, Governor of GeOr-
gia-Dear Sir Last Mondays issue of
the Constitution contains the declara-
ton that you, accompanied by your
staff and cavarly escort, will attend
the confederate reunion in Richmond
ON June Both.
"FrOm the reading of the article re-
fered TO the confederate ct lrans info r
that you are making elaborate prepara-
lions to place yourself, as governor of
Georgia, in a conspicuous and lead
ing place in the ceremonies there to be
observed.
"YOu are aware, sir that this will not
only be reunion of all the confeder-
ate organizations IN the United States,
for business and social interchange,
but the laying of the cornerstone OF
the monument to be erected in the
memory of the confederate president,
that grandeSt of patriots, Jefferson
Davis.
'"The occasion must be, to every true
confederate, one which should be sa-
Credly guarded from invasion by foes
to confederate sentiment, be those
foes from without or from within our
confederate limits.
Gin speech delivered in Rome dur
ing your canvass for the exalted posi-
tiOn you now occupy you declared
yourself as sick and tired of this con-
federate sentiment and 'lOnged to see
it buried That very confederate
sentiment actuates those who will as
semble in Richmond to build monu-
ment to their beloved chieftain; and
whose hearts, warming to their old
comrades, will tell of long years ago
when fighting for that very 'Confeder-
ate sentiment you so bitterly con-
mn they went foot-sore, hungry
and almost naked into battle against
the largest and best equipped army
then in the world; and for over four
years maintained the unequal contest
then lost all save their honor and
their undying loye and admiration for
That very confederate sentiment
''The public career of your excellen-
cy, so far as we are informed, has been
marked by continuous effort to de-
strOy and bury that confederate
sentiment with zeal and pertinaci-
ty worthy of nObler and more hallow-
ed cause. You followed, relentlessly
the confederate home to its death.
But enough Of this.
Governor, where will your place be
during any Of the ceremonies to be OBJ
served ir Richmond? Certainly not
among the confederate, for you have
persistently antagOnized them, and
this will be most emphatically con-
federate occasion. Then | repeat,
where will your position be? OF this
you may rest assured; it will not be in
our line.
IL z L