Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-07-04

ovation. Gov. OFerrall and other dis
tinguished men went up and grasped
his hand, the band played Dixie"
and the people shouted. Before the
convention was called to order, Gen.
Gordon was presented with a gavel
made from tree from the battlefield
of Chickamauga. Gen. Gordon, with
out making a speech. introduced Gov.
OFerra1l, who, on behalf of Virginia,
welcomed the veterans. Gov. O'Ferrall
said:
Veterans AMI Comrades: You who enlisted
in these bands, who wrote your names in
glory's skies and carved them deep IN the tenn
pie of fame, who made the cause of the south
SO imperishable and the renown OF her armies
so fadeless; it was neither conquest nor power
for which you fought: it in defense of
home and country. The rights for which
the founders of this republic struck were
no more sacred to them than the rights
for which you struck were dear to YOU
If you rebels. were the fathers of
constitutional liberty 100 years ago. If you
fought to severe your connection with union
whosetbonds were calling, so did the men now
immortalized in song and story when they
snapped the cord of British allegiance in 1776.
If you had within you spirit that would not
submit tamely to wrong and dared to assert
itself in the front OF grim -viSaged light, it
came to you by ancestral inheritance, if
foreign born, you imbibed it from the air you
breathed
He closed with a eulogy of Lee and
called attention to the fact that the
monument to him would be erected
without governmental aid.
Gen Gordon introduced Gen. Peyton
Wise to turn over to the veterans the
building in which the convention was
held Gen. Wise made an eloquent adj
dress in performing this task.
Several times during the day there
had been calls for speech from Gen.
Hampton. When Gen. Wise took his
seat the calls were renewed and the
South Carolinian walked to the front
of the stage. The band struck up
-'DiXie," while the whole audience rose
and applauded. A veteran was passed
to the front bearing an old battlefag
that had been shot through in many
places and waved it before the vast as
sem blage. Words, he said, could not
express his gratitude for the great
honor which had been done him. He
had come to mingIe with the veterans,
perhaps for the last time, and do honor
to the memory of that great man, Pres
ident Davis The general said he
would be fighting now if the confeder-
ate flag were waving. He had no apol-
ogy to make for his course. When his
state called upon him, he went into the
war as a private and served his coun-
try best he could The speaker paid
a beautiful tribute to the private SOL
dfeTS ana IN conclusion SdlQ the only
epitaph he wanted written on his
tom bstone was that he was a confeder-
ate soldier.
Gen Gordon responded to the ad-
dress of welcome and received the
Building on behalf of the veterans
The generals clear voice penetrated
every part of the hall He said:
You win not wonder that 1 am literally over
whelmed by tine flood of emotions which this
scene erokes- As look upon the grizzled
naesn, who 80 years ago were soldiers of army
which they immortalized by their deeds how
utterly Snades uate the words of lips to
expzess the emotions of hearts Let me
say TO these gentlemen. who, in the name of
the great people, ibid welcome, that, full
and cordial is our appreciation of this
splendid reception. we are in sense sur
prise6 at its princely munifieence. We are
not surprised. because we knox Virginia and
Virginians
Gen Gordon then paid An eloquent
tribute to the men who fought for the
confederacy- The speakers tribute to
Virginia and Virginians was greeted
with prolonged cheering.
After the announcement of the com
Eittee on credentials. Gen Stephen D.
Lee, was introduced to present the re-
port of the committee on history.
After the appointment of tie COM
mittees, the convention adjourned un
til ten o'clock this morning.