San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-06-14
GORDON TO HIS COMRADES.

Speaks of the Success of the Old Vet
erans-Time for Him to Retire.
Atlanta, Ga, June 14.-To My Con-
federate Comrades:-It was my proud
privilege to announce officially a few
days since that thousand camps
have been Incorporated in the United
Confederate Veterans" a glorious
brotherhood organized for on-partis-
an and noble ends. All~the camps will
be represented, 1 trust, in our annual
reunion at Nashville. This remark
able growth of our organization must
be to you source of sincere pride and
pleasure. 1t will be welcome news to
brave and magnanimous men in every
section of our country, who compre-
bend it's philanthropic and patriotic
aims! To me it is a source of profound
qualification that our brotherhood has
reached it's present vast proportions
during the years in which you have so
steadfastly and with such unparallel-
ed unanimity honored me with the po-
sition of Commander-in-Chie This
growth is the more remarkable because
1t has occurred in an organization
WHICH has no partisan purpose to
stimulate it's efforts, and no cohesion
of sectional passions of selfish aims to
| bind it together. While eliminating
from its life all narrow prejudices that
| tend to dwarf it's manhood, and while
| inspired by sentiment most helpful
| to the harmony of the sections and the
well being of the republic, this repre-
sentative body of ex-Confederate SOL
| diers is resolved to guard through the
potent agency of impartial history, the
self-respect of our people and to con-
serve the manhood of southern youth
by transmitting, not the passions, but
the hallowed memories Of marvel
| ously heroic struggle.
Such a success could never have been
attained except by the earnest Coop
GRAFTON of the able commanders of
| departments and divisions, and of their
co-workers in the camps. But these
men commanded by them, will unite
with me in according to General Geo.
Norman, my chief of staff, the largest
! share of honor in the achievement of
this great result. 1t is but simple JUS
| tice to this superb staff officer to say
that in all these years of upbuilding
of anxiety, and of labor, often amidst
| difficulties and discouragements of the
| gravest character, he has given his
time, his thought, his energies and his
! talents, ungrudgingly 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 organization has
been to onerous or exacting for him
to cheerfully and efficiently perform.
fHyin
cess 1 wish to make my most grateful
acknowledgements to my comrades of
every rank, in every state. While it
has been one of the chief pleasures, as
well as highest honors, of my life, to
serve in the station to which your par
TALLY has so repeatedly called me,
and while 1 shall ever cherish the num-
berless evidences of your confidence
yet l ask you to prepare for the seIec-
ton at Nashville of some one else as
your commander. You are my wit
nesses that 1 have repeatedly in the
past sought to surrender this high and
responsible position; and / have yiel-
ded my purpose only at your earnes,
solicitations. 1t must be apparent TO
you now that whether the exigencies
supposed to exist in the past were real
or fancied, there certainly no longer
exists any sufficient reason for asking
my continuance in that high office.
Fortunately for the well being of our
association, there is no difficulty in Sc
lecting from the many illustrious ex-
soldiers of the southern army COM
mander, whose ability and devotion
will ensure the continued growth and
harmony of the United Confederate
Veterans. j. B. GORDON,
Commander-in-Ch Chief United Confeder-
ate Veterans.