The record-union., 1898-07-21
General Gordon Makes an Eloquent
Address,
Full Of Patriotic Sentiment and Loyalty to
aPerpetuaI Union.
Speaks of the Complete and Long
Delayed Unifcation Of the
American People, Which Shall
No More Be Called in Question.

ATLANTA, July 20-Ten thousand
Confederate veterans and their friends
completely filled the vast auditorium at
Piedmont Park to-day and cheered to
the echo speeches which eulogized con-
federacy, eXtolled lone nation" and
cast glowing tributes upon the records
and achievements of the soldiers of the
South in the war with Spain. General
Gordon, surprisingly strong in voice,
delivered splendid speech, which
thrilled the hearts of his audience and
sent the famous rebel yell echoing into
the rafters
The grafton of the day was delivered
by Charles E. Hooker of Mississippi,
and addresses We're made by Governor
Atkinson, Hon. W. A. Hemphill. Mayor
Charles Collier and Representative
Fielder.
Fully 10000 veterans and visitors are
in the city
The morning trains brought thou
sands of people into Atlanta to attend
the exercises of the United Confederate
Veterans. Not room was to be had
at any hotel last night and but for the
arrangements made by the committee,
which furnished sleeping quarters for
2.OOO veterans at the Park, many of
the old veterans would have been COM
PEELED to walk the streets. The in
tereSt of the day centered in the con-
VentiOn at Piedmont Park Among
those who arrived early and took seats
on the stand were General Charles f.
Hooker of Mississippi the orator of the
day; Governor Atkins of Georgia. Gen.
eral Dickerson, Commander of the
Florida Division, and General Stephen
ID. Lee looked upon by some as a can-
didate for Commander in Chief.
Before the convention was called to
order three cheers We're given for the
gallant son of Alabama" Lieutenant
Hobson, followed moment later by
three more for the famous cavalry Of
ficer now at the front, General Joe
Wheeler
General John b. Gordon, the Com
mander-in- Chief arrived at 11:20 and
was given a tremendous ovation Cheer
after cheer spread through the hall and
the audience could not be stlled for
five minutes. General Clement A.
Evans, the commander of the Georgia
division, called the convention to order
at 11:3O, and prayer was offered by
Rev. j. William Jones of Virginia the
Chaplain of the United Confederate
Veterans
In concluding his response to the ad-
dresses of welcome, Commander in
Chief John b. Gordon said: Il press
the question. What is the inmost mean
ing of these Confederate pageants?
Are they due to any covert or sinister
aims, or in the remotest degree to self
seeking? Their open sessions and pub
lished proceedings, which all the world
IS challenged to inspect, furnish the
answer. Do these reunions and popu-
lar demonstrations which attend them
draw their inspiration from any sug-
gestion of disloyalty to either Of the
tremendous results Of the war-the
freedom of the slave and the eternal
unity of the Republic? The protection
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 States and to the honor
and glory of the Republic-the South
has been continuously answering since
the close of our Civil War; and she is
answering to-day by the presence and
prowess Of her heroic sons at the front
in the war with Spain. Her Lee, her
Wheeler, her Bagley, her Blue, her
Hobson, and her thousands of volun-
teers who sprang to arms at their coun-
try's call, are answering from their
camps in the Philippines and from the
jungles of Cuba
You, my Confederate comrades,
would be there If the country needed
you. Many of you assembled here
would have been there but for impaired
health and falling strength. But our
sons and grandsons are there. With
our prayers and blessings they are en-
listed in this war for high and holy
purposes. Among the great ends to
be attained in this conflict with Spain.
the freedom of an oppressed people in
these islands. the wider influence of
America in the councils of the nations,
the increased respect for her power
on land and sea, there is still another
achievement to be attained, no less
glorious and far-reaching, namely, the
obliteration of all traces of distrust
among ourselves, and the complete and
the long delayed unification of the
American people, which shall be called
in question no more forever"