The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-21
CONFEDERATE VETERANS MEET
CHEERED SOUTHERN HFRoES
NOW AT THE FRONT.
General Gordon Receives An Ovation
and Speaks On Loyalty to the
Flag and Unity OF the People.

Atlanta, Ga, July 20-The morning
trains brought thousands of people into
Atlanta to attend the opening exercises
/ Of the reunion of confederate veterans
+ TN-enty-three thousand veterans and
their friends reached the city up to
I midnight. Not a room was TO be had
at any hotel last night. and but for the
arrangements made by the committee,
which furnished sleeping quarters for
I 1000 veterans at the park, many of the
, old fighters would have been compelled
to walk the streets.
The interest OF the day centered at
Piedmont park. Among those who ar
! rived early and took seats on the stand
were General Charles Z. Hooker of
Mississippi. the orator of the day; Gov
ernor Atkinson of Georgia, General
Dickerson, commander of the Florida
division of General Stephen d. Lee.
looked upon by some as a candidate
for COMMUNICATIVE chief
Before the gathering was called to
order three cheers were given for the
gallant son of Alabama" Lieutenant
Hobson, followed a moment later by
three more for the famous cavalry Off
Ger now at the front, General Joseph
Wheeler.
General John B. Gordon, the COM
mander-in-ch chief, arrived at 11:2O. and
was given tremendous ovation. Cheer
after cheer swept through the hall, and
the audience could not be stilled for
minute.
General Clement Evans, the comman-
der of the Georgia division, called the
convention to order at II 80, and prayer
was offered by Rev. J. William Jones
of Virginia, the chaplain general of the
United Confederate Veterans.
In concluding his RESPONSE to the adj
dress of welcome, Commander-in- Chief
John 3. Gordon said:
Il press the question what is the in
most meaning of these confederate
pageants? Are they due to any covert
or sinister acts, or in the remotest de-
gree to self-seeking? Their open ses-
sions and public proceedings, which all
the world is challenged to inspect, fur
nish the answer. Do these reunions
and popular demonstrations which at
tend them draw their inspiration from
any suggestion of disloyalty to either
of the tremendous echoes of the war;
the freedom of the slave and the eter-
nal unity of the republic? The protec-
ton of the negro by southern courts, |
his reliance for security upon southern |
sentiment and his education through |
white taxation in southern schools fur |
nish the south's answer as to the first. |
To the second loyalty to a perpetual /
union of the state and to the honor and I
glory of the republic-the south has /
been continually answering since the |
close of our civil war. and she is an
swering today by the presence and |
prowesS of her heroic sons at the front |
i'm the war with Spain. Her Lee, her
Wheeler, her Bagley, her Blue, her
Hobson and her thousands of volun-
teers who sprang 70 arms at their
country's call, are answering from their
camps from the Philippines and from
the jungles of Cuba. You, my confed-
crate comrades, would be there if the
needed you. Many of you as
sembled here would have been there
but for impaired health and falling
strength. But our sons and grandsonS
are there. With our prayers and bless
ngS they enlisted in this war for high
and holy purposes. Among the great
ends to be attained in this conflict with
Spain, the freedom of the oppressed
Islands in both oceans, the wider influ-
ence of America in the counsels of the
nations. the increased respect of her
power on land and sea. There is still
another motive to be attained. no less
glorious and far-reaching. namely. the
of all traces of distrust
among ourselves and the complete and
90 long delayed unifcation of the
American people which shall be called
n question no more forever
The grafton of the day ives delivered
~ Charles Z. Hooker of Mississippi,
md addresses were made by Governor
Atkinson. Hon. w. A. Hemphill. Mayor
sharles Collier and Representative Eel
,e-.
Fully 10000 veterans and visitors are
n the city.