The record-union., 1898-12-19

by Democrats, many Of whom fought
for the stars and bars, and to all Of
whom the name of Davis is a sacred
memory
The frank references to and the dis
cussion of the civil war have led to
many delicate situations that were only
saved from becoming irritating dilem-
mas by the tact of a President who
fought against Southern troops, or by
the graceful utterances of the Confed
crates who years ago opposed him on
the battlefield. The marvellous scenes
OF an audience in the old Confederate
Capital cheering the Stars and Stripes
until they grew hoarse, or Confederate
veterans struggling to grasp the hand
OF Northern Republican President, Of
General Wheeler leading the people CT
his State in cheers for William McKin-
ley IN the place where Jefferson Davis
once urged the South to fight for sepa-
ration, are all redeemed from the sus-
plclon of fulsomeness or the faint praise
OF politicians by the blunt truthfulness
OF the men who led in these new and
tremendously fervent declarations of
loyalty. Governor Johnston, of AIaba-
ma, said at Montgomery:
we, of the South, have nothing to
regret, except our dead,' but he at once
went on to say that he rejoiced in the
United States, with a strong accent on
United" and if any man now said "is
Alabama loyal to the Union" he asked
an absurd question, because Alabama's s
loyalty had been proven by Wheeler
and Hobson and there were hundreds
of nf1
bama ready to give equal proof of
Alabama's glad fealty to the Union
Such utterances as these have marked
the trip with more frequency than it
has been possible to report On the
part Of the former Confederates who
have made addresses of welcome to
President Mckinley there has been no
eleventh hour confession of sin. In
substance they have all said that thay
fought for what they then thought was
right, that they neither blame them
selves nor their dead fathers or sons
for enlisting in the cause of the Con-
federacy, but that they accept to-day
the changed conditions with a gladness
and sincerity they never felt until the
war with Spain knit the nation into a.
common cause and until a Republican
President urged the people of the North
and South to honor the Confederate
dead.
In the latter reason lies the main in
centive to the intense and almost un-
expected enthusiasm with which the
Presidential party had been greeted
since Mr.. McKinley's first speech in
Atlanta. Scarcely a speaker or a paper
in Alabama or Georgia has made ref
erence to the President without men
tioning on every occasion his tribute to
the Confederate dead. A distinguished
SOutherner said to this correspondent:
There have been many reunions of
North and South on paper and in
speeches. These were we'll meant, but
they signified little because neither
side had given in to the other on the
principles that they fought over. This
suggestion of the Presidents to care
for our dead is the first practicable evil
dence given to the South that theNorth
dence given to the South that the North
touched our hearts more than we can
say. Coming as it does upon the heels
of the war with Spain, which gave to
the South the chance to prove her
enables us to say not only that we are
true to the Union but for the first time
that we love it,
This utterance represents a host of
public and private speeches that have
been made since the arrival of the Pres
idential party in the South. 1t is the
consensus of various opinions expressed
to this correspondent by State officers
and citizens of Georgia and Alabama,
nearly all of whom are opposed to the
President in politics, but who have well
coined him right gladly in his capacity
Of Chief Executive, and who have given
vent to wild enthusiasm over his ut
terances regarding the Confederate
dead. In this way what was planned
to be a celebration of the peace with
Spain has become almost entirely
genuine practical ratification of the
peace between Uorth and South, epoch
making in it's significance, thrilling in
its details and pathetic in the countless
memories that it awakens.
The feature of the Presidents day
was his visit to the Georgia Agricult-
ural and Mechanical College. This is
an institution for colored persons, sup
President is R. r. Wright (colored),
who was recently appointed by Presi-
dent Mckinley as a Paymaster in the
volunteer army, with the rank Of Ma
jor. but who has resigned and returned
to the school. There were no elaborate
exercises connected with his visit. The
pupils were gathered in the chapel.
Mr.. Mckinley was introduced by the
President of the college. He said:
'Fellow-citizens: l have been pro-
foundly impressed with this scene, and
1 have been deeply touched with the
eloquent words and exalted sentiments
which have been uttered by the gen
tleman whom you delegated to speak
in your behalf. It gives me peculiar
pleasure to meet you and to greet you
in this institution Of learning, presided
over by one whom 1 have known for
more than twenty years, and whom l
have come to admire and respect as
one Of the splendid leaders of your
race. l congratulate him and all asso-
ciated with him in the good work done
here for the exaltation Of your race.
L congratulate all Of you upon the
splendid advance made by you in the
last third of a century. You are all
entitled to praise and to high COM
mendation, which l am sure you re-
ceive from the white fellow citizens in
this and every part Of the country. l
congratulate you upon your acquire
ment Of property. Many of your race
nave large properties on the tax lists
IN the several States, and in that way
contribute proportionately to the sup
port of the Government. 1 congratu
late You on what you have done in
learning and the requirement of useful
EnOWlp1crp- fha faa ha hor i-