Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-07-10
THE REUNION.
Splendid Gathering Of Veterans
at Richmond.
GOV. O'FERRAL'S ADDRESS.
Cattle Abbey of the South-Mr. T.
B. Rouss Now Offers to Give
S5OO,OOO-His Proposition
Involves a Change OF
Plans,

A despatch from Richmond says; The Con-
Tolerate reunion opened Tuesday WIN
charming weather, clear and cool. An I'M
mense throng of people was present, and ex'
position grounds, where the convention Is
held in q large auditorium erected for the
purpose, was crowded. The auditorium Is
handsomely decorated As General Gordon
showed his face on the rostrum this morning
a mighty Confederate yell went up, and the
battle-scarred veteran received an ovation
Governor OFerral and other distin'
guIshed men went up and grasped his hand
Jne bands played "Dixe' and the people
shouted.
Before the convention was called 10 order
General Gordon was presented gavel made
from tree from the battlefield Of Chicka.
mauga. Rev. J. William Jones offered fer
vent prayer to the God Of Lee and Jackson
and Davis.
General Gordon introduced Governor
OFerralI who welcomed the veterans on
behalf OF the State, saying in part;
"yeterans and Comrades: You were en-
listed in those bands who wrote their names
in glory's skies and carved them deep in the
temple Of fame, who made the cause OF the
South 80 impershabe and the renown OF het
armies 50 fadelcss. You endured hardships
which no human imagination could picture
and 10 mortal tongue could describe. lOui
exploits equaled those OF the heroic age in
Grecian legends, and your devotion was not
eGtpassed by Leonidas and his three hun
dred at Thermopylae. In the path OF duty
no danger daunted you, no suffering sub
dued you, no force appalled, you, and no de-
feat disheartened you. True as the dial to
the sun, firm as the rock on the mountain
crest. resolute as the lion aroused in his
lair. witt unblanched cheek and steady
nerve, you obeyed every command, however
rained the missiles of death. The greater
the peril the sitter were your sinews. the
flercer the battle the hotter was your blood.
"No Grecian phalanx, no Roman legion
were ever adorned with badges more honor
able than these you wear upon your manly
for wh:th you fought; it was in defense oil
home and country. The rights for which
the founders Of this repub ic struck were nc
more sacred to them than the rights fol-
which you struck were dear to you. II you
were rebels, so were the fathers OF constitu-
tional liberty OF II hundred and twenty years
ago. Ii you fought to sever your connection
with union whose bonds were CALLING, Sc
did the men now immvrtaized in song and
story when they snapped the cord OF British
allegiance in l776 If you had within you 9
spirit that would not submit tamely to wrong
and dared to assert itself in the front Of
GRIM -yisaged might, it came to you by an
cestra inheritance, or, if foreign-born, you
imbibed it from the air you brcathed.
The speakers tribute to Virginia and Vir
glnans was greeted with prolonged cheer
ing
After the announcement Of the committee
on credentials, General Stephen D. Lee was
introduced to present the report Of the com.
mittee on history 1t was lengthy paper,
and dealt with the whole subject OF histories.
Tho report recommended the establishment
of chair of American history in Southern
colleges and universities, and the more thor
ough teaching Of history in the schools, pub
lie and private throughout the nth.
The Battle Abbey Committee also held a
long session. Colonel Woods report
showed contributions of i26,84S in addition
to Mr. Rouss' conditional subscription. Coz.
onel Chaleron, of Louisiana, sal he was op-
posed to conditional subscriptions New
Orleans, he said, had a $4,000 site to offer
absolutely. Mr.. Rouss submitted a second
proposition, Offering to contribute $4,000
If the South would raise an equal amount to
erect great battle abbey in Washington.
Resolutions were finally adopted providing
that the committee ask to be discharged,
and be succeeded by trustees to be selected
by representatives of each division of United
Confederate Veterans, who shall be author
lied and directed to obtain charter of in
corporation for the Confederate Memorial
Association.
A reception was given in honor of Mrs
Jefferson Davis and her daughter, Mrs Hays
in the Confederate Museum at night. SO
great was the crowd that all could no. enter
the house, and the two ladies bowed their
acknowledgements from the windows