Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-05-18
CONFEDERATES MEET
Winnie Davis Memorial Exercises
One Of the Features.
GEN. JOE WHEELER MAKES A SPEECH
An Eloquent Tribute Paid to the women
of the south and the Part
They Bore In the
War,

Charleston, $. c., May 12.-The Con-
federate Veterans held but one session
Yesterday, which was shortly after
noon, and gave way to the Winnie Da-
Wis memorial exercises, at the conclu-
sion of which an adjournment until
ten o'clock to-day was taken. The an
nouncement that Gen. Joe Wheeler was
to speak filed the auditorium, and the
hero of two wars was given rouslng
reception by the immense audience.
Gen. Stephen D. Lees resolution, ac-
cepting President McKinley's sugges-
ton that the federal government should
assume care for the confederate graves,
Is now in the hands of the committee
on resolutions. The committee held a
protracted session, but reached no final
action. 1t is probable the matter Will
be disposed of to-day.
Maj. William Robbins, the confeder-
ate member of the Gettysburg park
commission and ex-cOngressman from
Louisiana, offered the following reso-
lltion, which was referred.
Whereas, The government of the United states
has undertaken and spushing forward the WORK
Of permanently marking the lines and positions
OF the troops Of both the contending armies on
several great battlefelds Of the civil war, among
them Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Shiloh, Vicks-
burg and Others with the design Of making
these battlefields permanent memorials OF the
prowess Of American soldiers without respect
OF section
Resolved That the confederate veterans sym
pathze with and commend this patriotic pur-
pose Of the government and will lend our influ-
ence and aid toward Its realization.
Resolved That we trust that the people OF
the southern states will take early and effective
steps to erect upon these batt)etields suitable
monuments in honor of our glorious heroes in
gray who fought and died for what they believed
to be right.
Resolved, That we rejoice with our brethren
throughout the union that the sectional dlscord
of other days is ended and that we are u re-
united people with one country and one flag.
The morning session opened at IL
o'clock with the singing of the doxol-
ogy followed by prayer by Chaplain
Smith
The committees on credentials and
resolutions We're appointed, one mem
Der being selected from each state.
After letter from Gen. Fitzhugh
Lee was read Gen. Gordon introduced
Gen. Joe Wheeler Gen. Wheeler de-
clared that the military history of the
southern people has been a prominent
feature in history from the first settle
lnent Of this country. He cited Wash
ington and other southern commanders
of the revolution, Winfield Scott and
Andrew jackson, and the heroes of the
war of 1872, the southern generals who
won fame in the war with Mexico ano
then passing to the war between the
states he said,
The battle-scarred veterans who during -four
years of bloody warfare, dazzled the world viii
the splend0r of their her0ism are fast paSslnl
away. The few who remain gather annually t(
renew the friendship which, formed among sucf
scenes, is the warmeSt and most enduring, NJ
greater heroes were in the legions led by Alex
ander, Hannibal, Charlemagne or Napoleon, fol
your achievements excelled all theirs, In thu
greatest battles of the civil war you contendet
with men of endurance, fortitude and courage
men with the same birthright of freedom, i'm
bued with the same spirit of liberty, men wh'
were as conscientiously contendng for VIVA
they deemed the right of the federal government
as you for what you just as firmly held to b.
your rights.
While our civil war was, | may truthfully as
sert, the most sangunary recorded in history, i
was also the most remarkable, as in 1t there
was no element of personal hostility, and TIN
4 soldiers, as individuals, could not in the nature
| of things have entertained feelings OF hatret
for each other. They fought not from revenge
not from malice, not from desire to shed blood
not from ambition but simply because the
felt that there lay the path OF duty. The life
time of a generation has softened the memorie
of that conflict, and, side by side, both north an
south have stood together in battle against
foreign foe.
In concluding his address Gen
Wheeler paid an eloquent tribute to thu
women of the south and the part the,
bore in the war and the dark years tina
followed, saying:
Although some of those blessed women or
still with u.s. many more have long since gon
to their reward, but they have rocked |
cradles the principles minds and character
which are to control the future Of their believe
land The thought which | wish to impress
upon the minds Of the generation to whom "
must soon intrust sacred charge, for the cor
federate soldiers race is nearly run, and the II
junction which would leave with your sor
anu uaugntcrs-iUr tnc uaugnters nave
nobler part, and know they will faithfully pei
form it's this: See to it that the women {
the confederacy have, in their posterity,
monument more lasting than any that could /
built Of stone
The audience applau ded wildly
Every sentence of Gen. Wheeler
speech brought shouts of applause an
stirred the veterans to a frenzy of Ell
thusiasm. After deciding to select tn
next meeting place the next mornin
tha convention adjourned until tina