The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-07-01

ton. This action will be reported to-
morrow TO the convention.
Gen. Gordon introduced Gen. Peyton
Wise, to turn over to the veterans the
building in which the convention is
being held. Gen. Wise made an elo-
quent address in performing this task
Several times during the day there
had been calls for a 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
arose and applauded. A veteran was
passed to the front bearing an old
battle flag that had been shot through
in many places and waved it before the
vast assemblage.
When Gen. Hampton was permitted
to speak some one cried louder, louder.
Il used to be able to speak loud enough
to make you charge replied Gen.
Hampton. Words, he said, could not
express his gratitude for the great
honor which had been done him. He
perhaps for the last time, and do hon
or to the memory of that great man,
President Davis. The General said he
would be still fighting now if the Con-
federate flag were waving. Great APP
plause). He had no apology to make
for his course. When his State called
upon him he went into war as a pri-
vate and served his country as best he
could. The speaker paid a beautiful
tribute to the private soldiers and in
conclusion said the only epitaph he
wanted written on his tombstone was
that he was a Confederate soldier.
Gen. Gordon responded to the adj
dress of welcome and received the
building on behalf of the veterans. The
Generals clear voice penetrated every
part of.the hall. He said;
Governor, Mr.. Mayor and General
Wise, ladies, and my Confederate com
rades:
''You will not wonder that / am lit
orally overwhelmed by the flood of
emotions which this scene evol<es. As
we look upon the grizzled locks and
furrowed brows of these stalwart men,
who 80 years ago, were soldiers of an
army which they immortlaized by their
deeds, how utterly inadequate are the
words of our lips to express the emo
tions of ourhearts. Let me say to
these gentlemen who, in the name of
this great people bid us welcome, that
full and cordial as is our appreciation
of this splendid reception we are in
no sense surprised at it's princely
munifcence. We are not surprised be-
cause we know Virginia and Virgin
ians. The legacy which these men
leave to their children and people is
record of untarnished honor and of the
most heroic defensive struggle in hui
-
for their services and sufferings is
that reward which noble natures feel
in such recognition by their grateful
countrymen.
son the other hand, no popular as
semblage of intelligent and high-spir
tied citizens in the worlds posterity
were freer from partisan zeal, or self
seeking spirit, or ignoble jealousies, or
sinister intent, and the muse of history
will yet embalm, in one of her sweet
est stories, the absolutely unselfish
character and exalted aims of these
Confederate gatherings. The pathos
of that recital will be deepenel by its
simplicity and it's beauty heightened
by the lesson which it will teach to
humanity. That story will record the
simple but sublime truth, that while
these reunions occurred year after year,
there comes behind every stage of their
proceedings, the indisputable proofs
that these broad minded men were
neither embittered by disappoinments
nor dwarfed by ignoble passions, nor
warped by political ambitions, nor
narrowed by sectional prejudice nor
blinded to the common interests OF the
country by selfish aims, but made un-
selfish through suffering, broadened
and ennobled by sacrifice, refined and
purified in the fires of affliction, they
embrace as brother every true lover
of their country and acknowledge no
superiors in devotion to the common
veal and in unfaltering support to the
laws, the flag, the honor and the free
dom of thisAmerican republic.
"And now, by the memory of that
white-robed army of comrades who
have gone before us to the better land,
but ,Ahose spirits are with US to-day
and voicing the sentiments of the thou
sands who long to be with us-in their
name and as their representative, / lay
at Virginia's feet the sincerest tribute
of our grateful hearts"
The speakers tribute to Virginia and
NlTRllldnS was SEcSIcu WIN piOIouSCu
applause.
After the announcement of the COM
mittee on Credentials. Gen. Stephen
ID. Lee was introduced to present the
report of the committee on History.
1t was lengthy paper and dealt with
the whole subject of histories. The
report recommended the establishment
of a chair of American History in
Southern colleges and universities and.
the more thorough teaching of history
in the schools, public and private,
throughout the South. The report di-
yides histories into three classes:
First, Those written in the North and
are totally unfair to the South; second
those written in the North and deal
fairly with the South; third, those
written in the South. The report con-
cluded with an eloquent tribute to the
Confederate soldier and the Southern
woman.
The report of the committee was,