The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-05-17
TIE REUNION.
Soldiers of the South Gathered to
Charieston's Loving Arms.
THEY HAD A GRAND TIME.

thirty ihousand strangers W!Ihifl
Her Gates Last Week But All
Were at Home in the
Cradle Of Seces-
sion.
Almost the first official act OF the
ninth annual reunion Of the United
Confederate Veterans was an attempt
by Gen. Stephen D. Lee of Mississippi
to secure an Endorsement Of President
McKinley's suggestion made in MS re-
cent Atlanta speech that the care OF the
graves Of Confederate dead should be
undertaken by the Federal government.
Action on the resolution, however, was
frustrated by motion to refer 1t to
the committee on resolutions IN spite
of rather general sentiment to put 1t
through with enthusiasm. The motion
to refer originated with DR.. ). NAIlam
Jones Of Virginia.
The business sessions Of the reunion
was called to order Wednesday morn
ing by Gen. C. l. Walker, commanding
the South Carolina division, IN the
handsome auditorium erected for the
occasion by the city Of charleston: Its
enormous floor space was crowded ana
thousands we're unable to gain admit
sance to the building. When Gen.
John B. Gordon, the commander-in-
chief, appeared upon the stage ne was
greeted with thunders Of applause.
The band struck up Dixie, and the vet,
erans cheered and cheered again. In
calling the assemblage to order Gen.
Walker spoke Of Charlestons invita-
tion to the veterans to meet at the
birthplace of secession, and SAID the
sa7el he was using was that with
which in 1850 had been used to call to
order the secession convention. ihe
chairs used By the officers Wednesday
and the table Of the presiding officer
were the same as used on that memo
rable occasion.
When Gen. Gordon was escorted to
the front of the stage his appearance
was the signal for storm Of applause.
Cheers and shrill yells for the com
mander-in- chief mingled with the
crash of the band, and hats, handker,
chiefs and flags were waved frant!cally;;
When order was finally secured the old
Confederate chieftain was presented by
Gen. Walker, and delivered an eloquent
address. He spoke with all the vlgor,
elouuence and grace which has won to-
hln. = --tional reputation as an orator.
Gen. Gordor said:
':Governor, Gentlemen OF the Com,
nittee, My Fellow Countrymen OF
South Carolina: The food OF emotions
which stirs the sensibilities OF these
veterans today is their loving answer
to your gracious greeting. These emo
tions will speak to you in language fal
more impressive and eloquent than any
words that could utter. The ringing
shouts from these thousands Of Con1eo'
crate throats are veritable echoes Of
she inspiring resolutions of welcome
unanimously adopted By Your genera
assembly. While those resolutions
have cheered and thrilled every south
ern soldiers heart, they were not need
ed to tell US of the reception that await
ed rs in South Carolina. Her whole
history and that Of her commercial cap,
ital we're the promise and guarantee O.
this magnificent reality. For more
than two hundred years, made memors
bic by heroic struggles IN war and bril-
liant achievement in peace, the uame:
of South Carolina and Of Char!cstoa
have been the synonyms of hospitality
Of chivslry, and Of valor.
ssWbat else could be exy ected OF q
people in whose veins are commlogiec
The blood Of the proud English Cava:
liers? the blood Of those devoted ano
resolute men, y 40 protested against the
immorslities and grinding exactlons OF
the Stuarts; the blood Of the sta!war'
Dissenters and Of rhe heroic Hlghlan
ders of Scotland and of the sturdy dem
oeratic Presbyterlans Of Ireland; the
bIooS of those defenders of freedom
wbo came to your shores from the
mountain battlements, Of SwitzerIane
and lastly. but no less pure and sacred
the blood Of the high.soulec Hugenot;
Of France, whose martyrs, by glorlou;
Sdal;ty. even unto death, have maof
syeeter aud richer the record OF human
devotion to conscience and liberty.
'sNo resolutions, lrepeat, by wvhlct
shis great commonwealth extends 1t!
glowing welcome" were needed to as
sure these remnants of the south I'M
mortal armies that the freedom OF the
State was theirs. and that every hear
within her borders was soldier
shrine. We had but to remember thai
South Carolina was the nursery OF he
roes, as well as Of statesmen and OF pa
triots-that no one State, except thai
she be endowed with az almost bound
less afiuence Of greatness, could IN on one
century have given to the cause OF no
erty and the republic such splenoic
galaxy as South Carolina presents II
her Rusleage, her Sumter, her Moui
tr;e. her Middleton, and her Marion
in her Butler, her Pinckney, and ne
Pickens; in her McDufie and her Gal
houn; in her Hamilton, her Hayne, an'
her beloved Hampton.
''If Ee turn from this incomplete ar
raw Of her noble sons to the contenpla
ton of the scars upon her bosom re
cei7ed iu her battles for American tree
dom at Cowpens, at Camden, and Char
!essoa: at Eutaw Springs, Fort MouI
THE and Kings Mountain, while he
HSvanp Fox, with his ragged brigade
roasted their rations Of sweet potatoe
n her forests at night, and by thel
sudden sallies, now from the mountain
ard nov from the marshes, amazed AM
- L. Pn;t;Sh invaders: II "