The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1897-08-28
THE GEORGIA HUM0RIST
CONFEDERATE REUNION AT NASHVILLE
DRAWS HIM OUT.
Not Tears of Sorrow, But Caused BY the
Recalling of Old Members of the Battle
fieId--Interesting "reminiscences Cited By
the Philosopher.

Ny good, happy, genial friend.
Charley Lane, delivered most en-
joyable lecture on the analysis of
laughter, or "Why Do We Laugh"
Now, if he will analyze our tears and
tell us why do we weep, we will the
better understand another one of the
mysteries of our emotional humanity.
Why does man weep when there is
no sorrow in his heart-especially an
old mana veteran? If it. were not
pathetic it would be funny to see the
tears in these old soldiers eyes as
they met and marched and listened to
the martial music or sat together I'M
der the sound of words that came
from the lips of old men, eloquent
old comrades in arms-wOrds that
awakened soul-stirring memories and
quickened into life the hard but heroic
scenes that were living facts third of
century ago. How hard they look
these old soldiers-hard ia face and
feature but soft in heart, 1t seems
to me I can pick them out from COM
mon people. Every wrinkle tells of
service, of suffering and disappoint-
ment. The bronze on their furrowed
faces has never yet been bleached, and
their walk is still true but tired
march. Yes, can pick them out all
around me. Look at old Captain
Neal, and Major Foute, and McCand-
less, and Durham, and Mountcastle.
They can't hurry now. Their quick
step has gone. They marched and
conference.-the, they advanced and
retreated, they charged and double
quicked for four long years, until the
spring of their instep was worn down
to plane with heel and toe, and now
it is fact that the hollow of the foot
makes hole in the ground.
But why should an old man weep?
1 remember that when Ben Hills
statue was uncovered and the great
speeches were over and queenly Win
ME Davis was brought forward on the
platform and presented to us as the
daughter of the confederacy by Gener-
al Gordon, acclamations rent the air
and reached the heavens and made the
welkin ring. Then everybody cried
except those who had no feeling-no
emotion-no patriotism. Old General
Black was leaning heavily upon me
and 1 felt the culver of his massive
frame. He leaned more heavily and /
turned quickly to took into his face
and saw the tears coursing down as
freely as if he were boy. AS I brush
ed my own away said: "What is the
matter, General? Do you want some
water? Are you about to faint?"
sob, no-no," said he, 'Just let me
alone and hold me up little. 1 am
feeling good. Thank God for His
mercies. I feel like old Nicodemus
when he said, Now let me die since I
have seen thy salvation.
The medical books tell us that tears
are contagious. We all know that and
have experienced it, but ordinarily our
tears come from our own emotions and
not from another's. I suppose that
there were probably ten thousand
bona tide veterans at Nashville, and
while under the influence of the occa-
sion, the surroundings, the memories
of the past and the thoughts that
breathed and the words that burned,
they all shed tears or felt like it.
What O spectacle for northern eyes.
What commentary on northern in
tolerances. How long will it take to
eradicate our love for the lost cause or
our admiration for its heroes. Like
father, like son and daughter, and it
is already transmitted adown the line
from generation to generation and in
few years more these reunions will
be baptized with another name and be
called the sons of the confederate vet
Grams. I said that probably there
were ten thousand real bona fide con-
federate veterans gathered at Nash
vile, for it is fact that our veterans
are swiftly passing away. There are
not 100, 900 now alive-not more than
one in seven of all who served. There
might have been more, but unpen-
stoned soldiers don't live forever;
neither do they multiply as the years
roll on.
'Time cuts down all
Both great and small"
Excepta pensioned soldier.
No. For the peace and brotherhood
Of all our people it would have been
far better for the north to have said
thirty years ago: 'Now let us be bretb
rem. You thought you were right and
maybe you were. You fought a good