The gold leaf., 1898-04-21
Baltimore SUM-

Gen. j. z. S. Goblin. commander
in-chicf of the Grand Army of the
Republic, has returned to his home.
Lebanon, Pa. after an absence of
about two weeks in the far South.
whittier he went on departmental
business in connection with the Grand
Army. The General was interviewed
Monday and freely expressed him
self.
Yes" said he, in answer to ques
ticn, II made tour over several
States that many years ago | visited
under different conditions. And |
want to say had l been the greatest
friend the South ever had could not
have met with heartier welcome.
been more cordially greetAl. had
more attention bestowed on me, been
made to feel more at home. Talk
about bloody shirt, there is not any.
| never heard muttering even in
any place l went, and every place |
stopped in l met with nothing but
the most brotherly treatment.
"At campfire in Atlanta | be-
lieve there were more Confederate but
tons than Grand Army Insignia, and
many of the faces of the fair sex
belonging to societies similar to our
Women's Relief Corps were present.
At Decatur, Ala, met with the same
kind of reception. Decatur | expect
ed would be hostile, for Sherman's 5
army left it only three houses stand
ing in 1865. Now there are two cities
side by side-Decatur and New De-
catur-a population of about 5000.
We had campfire there. where also
several splendid speeches were made
bv ex-COnfederates.
"While in Atlanta two large guns
arrived, destined for coast defence at
| point I've now forgotten, but our
party was invited by several leading
| citizens to take in the sight. We
saw the guns, but never in my life
did | see more American flags than
did that day.
"Loyalty shown at Decatur was not
wanting in other places, particularly
Charleston. | say particularly be
cause there | went abroad more and
had better opportunities of hearing
all shades of opinion. l was met b.
the Mayor and a committee Of citi
zens, all ex-Confederates, and enter
tanned royalty. Fort Sumter ma.
not be as pretty as it once was, but i
looks far more formidable. Oh
Moultre is still there. Forts Johnston
and Ripley, Battery Wagner and Cas-
tie Pinckney, formerly Fort Beaure
gard"
The General, replying to aquestio
as to the view entertained by Soutl
erners as to the probability of wa
between the United States and Spai
and what part the South would take
said:
| sYOu can leave out of calculation
so far as men are concerned, all til
States north of Mason and Dixon
line, for | believe the South will ful
nish more men to our army and nav
than we would need to whip tw
Spains. They resent the Maine ma
sacre and hate the cowardly treacheI
that brought it about, and they a.
only too willing to avenge the hero
dead and the blighting insult. Add'
to this is a desire to show us Mort
ern men that the South resents Il
imputatiOn on its Americanism
the bare suggestion that as secti'
q it is for peace at the expense
\ national honor. | do not belle
: that in all these United States a
q more loyal, patriotic and brave M
q than the Tigers of the Confede
e acy.
Il "And think by the way" add
a, the General, that these newspaF
:. fellows are little off in their lo'
h declarations that our coast is defent
a less, and that our coastwise cities a
at the mercy OF any foreign Pow'
"a l have a good reason to believe tn
v we can give the best navel Pow
Al afloat more Of a job in levying tribu
;s on our commercial centres than a
:. one thinks. / have the utmost &c
"a fidence in our ability to easily defe
. every port from Portland to Galv'
al ton. Our coast is not defencelc
% and we are not at the mercy Of f.
s. eign army"
Al. Il