The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-15
IN HONOR OF WASHING ON
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE
VETERANS LAST NIGHT.
C0NfEDERATES TALK0f THE REVOLUTION
They Tell of the Part the South Took in the
War For independence. A Hymn Com
posed in 1900 on Washngton's
Death Was Read.

Inc anniversary OF the ueatn OF Gen-
eral Washington was observed here last
night by the L. OBJ. Branch Camp of
Confederate Veterans.
\ special meeting had been called for
this purpose. 1t was held in the
mayors office, which was decorated with
flags appropriate to the occasion.
The exercises were very simple, but
most interesting, consisting of num-
Der of short speeches by members of the
camp.
IN calling the meeting to order and
assembled, Commander \. b. Stronach
said:
1T is decidedly appropriate that
patriots who failed of success and who
are therefore called rebels should cele-
brate the one hundredth anniversary of
the death of the original great American
rebel who, by reason of success, is the
great American patriot.
The Civil War and after events
placed what seemed to us a wide gap
between Washington's day and ours,
and / am afraid that the most of us
have come to look ON Washington as a
lack number. and the days of the
American Revolution as q mere incident
in the history of the world. We of the
South in relinquishing the stars and
stripes seemed also for a time to have
relinquished all claims to George Wash
ington and the days of American INDIE
pence. lit is well for the sake of our
children and for coming generations that
we should renew our claims and interest.
The Sons and Daughters of the
Revolution are doing good work in this
Enc, and we who have been both patriots
and rebels so called should do all we
can to awaken an interest in and live
for the study of our earlier struggle for
liberty.
These are the reasons for calling this
meeting tom ght.
1T is appropriate that Confederate
veterans, as Confederates, honor his
memory The difference between them
and Washington is that they failed and
Washington succeeded, and that is how
it happens that the one is a patriot and
the other a rebel.
Then again Washington was a
Southern man and no part Of the Union
had more part in the Revolution than
did the South. Hence we tonight cele-
brate his memory"
Mr.. Stronach expressed regret at the
absence from the city of several gentle
men who had been invited to address
the meeting, but thought there We're some
members of the camp present who might
have something interesting to say
And in this he was correct. Splendid
short speeches We're made by Mr.. o. r.
Smith, Mr.. NJ o. Sheriff.. Col. VIM j.
Saunders and Mr.. NJ. Del. Haywood.
My grandfather was in the Revolu-
ton from the beginning" said Mr..
Smith. MY father was at New Or
leans with Jackson. | was in the Civil
War from start, to finish and would
have been in the Spanish war had | been
needed"
Mr. Sheriff. rather gloried in the name
rebel for he was not ashamed of the
cause for which he fought and he had
never been convinced that it wasn't
right. He believed that Washington
would have entertained much the same
view of the matter had he failed i'm
stead of succeeded.
Col Saunders compared Washington
and Lee and thought they We're much
alike Lee, The always thought, had
taken Washington as his model. He
paid glowing tribute to the private
soldier and spoke feelingly of the move
ment about to be started to build a
monument to the women of the Com
federacy.
Mr.. Haywood said: Il heard a prom
inent Confederate veteran of this city
say the other day that the Declaration
of Independence was penned by a
Southern hand and made glorious by
Southern valor under the guidance of
q Southern general. And in this war
for independence no State figured more
conspdcuously than did North Carolina.
The first Wing victory was at Moore's
Greek, the turning point of the Reyolu-
ton was at Kings Mountain, and the
prelude to Yorktown was GuilfQrd court
house"
At the conclusion of these speeches
the following hymn, composed for the
22nd of February, 1900, by Mrs.
Tapscot, was read by Col. VIM. j..
Saunders. The copy of this hymn is
still preserved as originally printed by
David Amen, at Fincastle, Va. 1T is
the property of Mrs. A. NJ. McPheeters,
Of this city, who prizes it very highly: