The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-16
GeN. GORDON TO RETIRE
A NEW MAN MUST BE SELeCE Ed
AT NASHVILLE.
NO Longer Necessary, re Declares
That He Should Remain Com
mander in-Chief.

|
General Gordon announces i'll formal
letter to the Confederate veterans that a
new commander will have to be elected
at the Nashville reunion.
He reviews the progress of the organl-
cation of veterans and tue present status
and announces that he will retire
Just who the successor will be it is now
impossible to say. All of the Southern
States have commanders of Confederate
veterans and General Gordon'S successor
will be one of the commanders. The com
mander will be elected at the Nashville
reunion General Gordon has been at the
head of the veterans since their organl-
cation General Gordon's address follows:
ATLANTA. Ga, June 10, 1897.
$40 My Confederate Comrades-lt was
my proud privilege to announce officially
II few days since that a thousand camps
have been Incorporated into the United
Confederate Veterans, a glorious brother
hood organized for non-partisan and no.
BILE ends All these camps will be repre-
scented, | trust, in our annual reunion at
Nashville This remarkable growth of our
organization must be to you source of
sincere pride and pleasure. 1t will be wei
come news to brave and magnanimous
men in every section of our country,
who comprehend its philanthropic and
patriotic aims. To me it is a source OF
profound qualification that our brother
hood has reached its present vast pro-
portions during the years III which you
have so steadfastly and with such un-
parallelel unanimity honored me with
the position of commander-in-chief. The
growth is the more remarkable because
it has occurred in an organization which
has no partisan purpose to stimulate Its
efforts, and no cohesion of sectional pas
sion or selfish aims to bind it together.
While eliminating from its life all mar
row prejudices that tend to dwarf its
manhood, and while inspired by a senti-
ment most helpful to the harmony of the
sections and the we'll being of the repub
lie, this representative body of ex-Con-
federate soldiers is resolved to guard
through the potent agency of impartial
history, the self-respect of our people and
to conserve to the well being of the repub-
lic thus representing, not the passions,
but the hallowed memories of a marvel
ously heroic struggle.
attained except by the earnest co-opera-
ton of the commanders of departments
and divisions. and of their cO-workers III
the camps. But these distinguished Off
GERS and the noble men commanded by
them will unite with me in according to
George Norman, my chief Of staff, the
largest share of honor in the achievement
of this great result 1t is but simple JUS
flee to the superb staff officer to say that
lin all these years of upbuilding, of ankle
ty, and of labor, often amidst difficulties
and discourag ements of the gravest char
acter, he has given his time, his thought,
his energies and his talents, ungrudging-
ly and without a dollar of compensation,
to the arduous task imposed upon HIM
by the duties of his office, and no amount
of work for the welfare of the organiZa-
ton has been too onerous or eXactIng for
him to cheerfully and efficiently perform.
I'm announcing this gratifying success
wish to make my most grateful ac-
acknowledgements to my comrades of every
rank. in every State. While 1t has been
one of the chief pleasures, as well as
highest honors. of my life, to serve IN the
station to which your partially has so re-
peatedly called me, and while L shall
ever cherish the numberless evidences OF
your confidence, yet l must ask you to
prepare for the selection at Nashville of
some one else as your commander. You
are my witnesses that | have repeatedly
in the past sought to surrender this high
and responsible position; and l have
Welded my purpose only to your earnest
solicitations. 1t must be apparent to you
now that whether the exigencies supposed
to exist in the past were real or fancled'
there certainly no longer exists any suffl-
cient reason for asking my continuance
in that high office. Fortunately for the
well being Of our association, there IS no
difficulty in selecting from the many IL
lustrious ex-soldiers of the Southern army
q commander whose ability and devotion
will insure the continued growth and mar
mony of the United Confederate Veter-
ans. JO1N ID. UOIeDO1N,
''Commander-in-C United Confede-
rate Veterans"