The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1897-08-18
THE GEORGIA HUMORlST
CONFEDERATE REUNION AT NASHVILLE
DRAWS HIM OUT.
Not Tears of Sorrow, But Caused By the
Recalling of Old Members Of the Battle.
1eId--Interesting "reminiscences Cited BY
the Philosopher.

the Philosopher.
My good, happy, genial FRIEND
Charley Lane, delivered most en-
ioyable 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 rs
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
ouickened into life the hard but heroic
scenes that were living facts third OF
century ago. How hard they look
these old soldiers-hard in 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 disappolnt,
ment. The bronze on their furrowed
faces has never yet been bleached, and
their walk is still true but tired
march. Yes, I 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
cornter-marched, they advanced and
retreated, they charged and double
quickod for four long years, until the
spring of their instep was worn down
to plane with heel and toe, and now
it is a fact that the hollow of the foot
makes hole in the ground.
But Why should an old man weep?
l 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 I felt the culver of his massive
frame. He leaned more heavily and l
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 a little. 1 an
feeling good. Thank God for His
mercies. I feel like old Nicodemu'
when he said, Now let me die since
have seen thy salvation.
The medical books tell us that tears
are contagious. We all know that ant
have experienced it, but ordinarily oul
tears come from our own emotions ant
not from another's. I suppose tina
there were probably ten Thousand
bona tide veterans at Nashville, anl
while under the influence of the occa
sion, the surroundings, the memorie
of the past and the thoughts tina
breathed and the words that burned
they all shed tears or felt like it
What spectacle for northern eyes
What a commentary on northern In
tolerances. How long will it take t
eradicate our love for the lost cause O
our admiration for it's heroes. Lik
father, like son and daughter, and
is already transmitted adown the lin
from generation to generation and i
few years more these reunions Wi
be baptized with another name and b
called the sons of the confederate VIC:
Grams. 1 said that probably Their
were ten thousand real bona fde con
federate veterans gathered at Nash
vile, for it is fact that our veteran
are swiftly passing away. There ar
not 100, 900 now alive-not more tina
one in seven of all who served. Their
might have been more, but upper
= stoned soldiers don't live forever
neither do they multiply as the yeal
, roll on.