The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-07-01

RICHMOND, Va, June 30.-The con-
federate reunion opened with charming
weather and an immense throng pres
ent. As General Gordon showed his
face on the rostrum this morning the
mighty confederate yell went up. Gov
ernor O'Ferrall welcomed the veterans.
General Gordon was the orator of the
occasion.
Before the convention was called to
order General Gordon was presented
with a gavel made from a tree from
The battlefield of Chickamaugud. Rev.
j. William Jones offered prayer to the
memory Of Lee, of Jackson and Davis.
Governor O'Ferrall was introduced,
who on behalf of Virginia. welcomed
The veterans. Governor O'Ferrall said:
Veterans and Comrades: You were
enlisted in these bands who wrote
their name in glory's skies and carved
them deep in the -emDle of fame; who
made the cause of the south so imper-
ishable and the renown of her armies
so faultless. It was
NEITHER CONQUEST NOR POWER
for which you fought: it was in de-
Tense 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 10 you. If you were rebels.
so were the fathers of constitutional
liberty of one hundred and twenty
years ago. If you fought to sever your
connections with a union whose bonds
were calling. so did the men now i'm
mortal1Zed in song and story when
they snapped the cord of British allie
glance in 1776 If you had within a
spirit that would not submit to wrong,
and dared to assert itself. it came to
YOU by ancestral inheritance. or if
foreign-born you imbibed it from the
air you breathed." He closed with
AN EULoGY OF LEE
and called attention to the fact that
the monument to him would be erect
ed without governmental aid.
While Governor O'Ferrall was speak
ing, Wade Hampton came in and was
received with cheers.
At the conclusion of the governors
address Mayor Taylor delivered an ad-
dress of welcome on behalf of the city
General Gordon's speech was in part
as follows.
Governor, Mr.. Mayor and General
Wise, Ladies and my Confederate Com
rades: You viii not wonder that I am
literally overwhelmed by the flood of
emotions which this scene evokes. AS
we look upon the grizzled locks and
furrowed brows of these stalwarts who
thirty years ago were soldiers of an
army which they lmmortaliZed by their
deeds, how utterly inadequate are
words of our lips to express the emo
tions of our hearts.
No popular assemblies of intelligent
and high spirited citizens in the worlds
posterity were freer from partisan zeal
or self-seeking spirit or ignnble jeal-
ousGy or sinister intent. and the muse of |
history viii yet ernbalm. in one of her |
sweetest stories, the
UNSELFISH CHARACTER AND EX- /
Allied AIMS
of these confederate gatherings. The
pathos Of that recital will be deepened /
by its simplicity and its beauty, !
heightened by the lesson which il will .
teach to humanity. That story will 1
record the simple but sublime truth
that these reunions year after year
convey the indisputable proofs \ that
these bpoad-minded men were neither
embittered nor disappointed, nor
warped by political passions nor mar
rowed by sectional prejudice. nor
blinded to the common interests of the
country by selfish aims but that made
unselfSh by sufferings. broadened and
ennobled by sacrifice, refined and puri-
fed in the fires OF affiiction, they en-
brace as a brother
EVERY TRUE LOVER OF THEIR
COUNTRY
and acknowledge no superiors in devo-
ton 10 the commonweal and unfalter-
ing support to the laws. the flag, the
honor and the freedom of this Ameri-
can republic.
And now. by the memory of that
white-robed army of comrades who
have gone before US to the better land.
but whose spirits are with us today,
and voicing the sentiments of the
thousands who long to be with us. in
their name and as their representative.
j lay at Virginia's feet the sincerest
tribute of our grateful hearts
General Gordon introduced General
Peyton Wise TO turn over to The vet
Grams the building in which the con-
vention is being held
Several times during the day there
had been calls for a. speech from Gem
eral Hampton. When General Wise |
took his seat the calls were renewed
and the South Carolinan walked to the I
front of the stage. The bank struck /
UP Dixie, while the whole audience |
arose and applauded. A veteran was
passed to the front, bearing an old bat
tie flag that had been shot through in \
many places, and waved 1t before the /
vast assemblage.
When General Hampton was permit !
ted to speak, he said words could nor
express his gratitude for the great hon. /
or which had been done him. He had |
come TO mingle with the veterans
perhaps for the last time, and do honor
TO the memory Of that great man
President Davis. The general said he
would be still lightning now if the Con-
federate nag was waving. Great an
plauseD He had no apology to make
for his course.
THE ONLY EPITAPH.
In conclusion he said the only epi-
taph he wanted written on his tomb
stone was that he was a Confederate
soldier.
The speakers tribute to Virginia and
NirGinians was greeted with prolone-
ed cheering.
General Stephen D. Lee was intro
Gnced to present the report of the com
mlttee on history. 1t was a. lengthy
paper. and dealt with the whole s1,h
1ect of histories. The report recon-
mended the establishment of a chair. of
American history in southern COLLEGES
and universities. and the more thor
ough teaching ot history in the schools
public and private, throughout the
south.
The report divides histories into three
classes First. those written in tho
north. and totally unfair to the south.
second, those written in the north. and
winch deal fairly with the south; third
those written in the south.
The report concluded with an ejo-
quent tribute to the Confederate so;.
diers and the southern women.
The recommend-fi-,s contained g.,
the report were adopted. The commit
tee was continued