The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-06-29

9 full uniform, sword and accoutrement
= ready for battle. Another was a life
, SEA painting of Stonewall jackson
/ similarly mounted and equipped.
= These pictures hung in relative pos
: items on either side Of very large Goa
OF arms OF Tennessee. Directly abov
the coat Of arms was q cupid-like figur
on canvas bearing in its hand parch
meDt ON which was inscribed in glide,
letters, "Welcome.' Suspended from
, the walls. the dome. the galleries an,
every available point of vantage abou
! the immense building were State flag
and coats Of arms arranged in rcgula
order, stars and stripes and bunting il
profusion. The whole was very artist,
in design, anC the effect at first glanc,
most wonderful.
AS the critic examined in detail eacl
piece OF decoration, it was evident tha
every position had been studied ano
each hanging had been made with re
gard to the appearance Of the whole
Nashville Is proud of the Tabernacle
J The business meeting of the secouc
day was even more largely attended
than at the opening session.
The report OF the committee on his
tory wac presented. This report IA
vor,d the plan now being pursued 0
inviting many writer's into the field o
history rather than selecting one on
more to write a history.
The report OF the trustees Of the Con.
iederate memorial association was sub.
mitted, showing that excellent progre SIS
was being made, apd that the trustees
the memorial building at the next re-
union, provided camps and bivouacs
contributed liberally.
! Atlanta was decided upOn 40 tbo
place Of meeting in 1898.
resolution commenting the reign
OF Queen Victoria was voted down, and
a resolution in praise OF the queens
| jubilee was defeated.
Gen. Gordon delivered his annual ad
dress, and prefaced his remarks with a
| determination to resign the position of
commanding general, but this was re-
ceived with decided mo" from eyerv
part OF the hall. The address was in
the nature Of a farewell, and reviewed
the work done under his admnstra-
tion. The following extracts give the
chief points of the address:
MIR. President, in these closing hours
OF my long service as commanding gen
cral, must ask the conventions indulg-
ence for a brief review of that official
relation and possibly for some sugges-
tlOnS as 10 Ine luture.
''On the 10th day of June, 1889, eight
years ago, while serving as Governor
OF my native State, | received from
New Orleans the wholly unexpected
announcement Of my election as com
lnander-ln-chiet OF the newly organized
United Confederate Veterans. This
new communion Of ex-soldiers began
its somewhat unpronising career with
the modest number of but,tcn organiza-
tions united for peaceful and noble
ends. Today 1T presents the proud ar
ray of more than D thousand camps an
sWering the roll call and rejecting
merited honors upon the different com
manders and especially upon our able
az jutant general. lnthe next few hours
| snail turn over to my successor this
army OF more than a thousand organ
iZations rapidly advancing towards the
second thousand.
~ said, Mr.. President, that would
turn over an army. 1t is an army OF
eX-solders, of ex-Confcderate soldiers,
of eX.Gghting Confederate soldiers at
whose OpOwress and endurance enlight-
cncd christendOn stood in brcathlcss
amaZement. 1T is an army still, Mr..
President, but an army for the bloody
work OF war no longer. It's banner
no longer bear the Naming insignia of
battle. Its weapons no longer flash de-
tiance to the foe nor deal death to op-
posing ranks. Its weapons are now the
pen without malice, the tongue with
out asperson and history without mis-
representation. It's aims are peaceful,
philanthrOpic and broadly patriotic.
is sentiment is lofty, generous and
just. It's mission is to relieve the suf-
iering Of the living, cherish the mem
nry pf thp Ipa1 and tn Shinl6 frnp, ~.
proach the fair name OF all This now
mighty organization, while insisting
upon complete historical Justice to the
South. Will scOrn to do less than com
plete jlstice to the North. Proud OF
the Suuth's chivalry in defending the
rights of the STATES, they honor the
herOism Of the North in defending the
perpetuity of the Union. Having com
mitted the South's cause to the arDitra.
mcnt OF battle they Loyalty and manful-
ly stand by that tribunals verdict.
Fighting and suffering for their homes
and rights as men have rarely fought
and sun ,red in the worlds history ;ex-
hibiting on hundred fields and in a
thousand emergencies a heroism
never exceled yielding from utter ex-
haustion ana only when their PROSTATE
section was bleeding at every pore :
failing after the most desperate defen-
slve struggle In human annals to estab-
lish their cherished CoDfederacy, these
high-sDuled sons of the South Olfer this
record OF devotion as the noblest pledge
Of their fealty TO freedom and OF their
readiness to defend the republic of the
| fathers
"My comrades of the United Confed-
erat; Veterans, II this brief summary
fairly represents your sentiments and
your aims, then my cup OF JOY is full
indeed. cannot doubt, | do not dOub
that have caught and correctly voiced
the impulses and hopes OF I'll !. most rep
resentative body OF Southern manhood" "
When Gen. Gordon concluded his ad
| dress, q motion was made that Gen.
| Joseph Wheeler be requested to nom
| mate Gen. Gordon for reelection,
which Yves carried with enthusiasm.
: Gen. Stephen d. Lee, who was occupy
ing the chair, declared that nomina.
tions were closed and Gen. Gordon was
unanimously reelected. The thou.
sands of delegates present cheered and
waved their hats and handkerch efs
and the scene was most impressive
one.
The committee on credentials re
ported 1000 delegates present and | ,0O(
camps represented.
The parade on Thursday, 9th inst
in which nore than 10000 veterans
took part, was the largest in the history
OF the organization and one Of the
great6sI ever seen In Nashville.
The regular and special trains ar
J riyinp In the mnrpipp brnnuht thnn