The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-05-12
His Appearance at the Veterans Conven-
ton Causes a Frenzy Of Enthusiasm.
The Veteran Soldier Makes a
Strong Plea for Expansion, Fa-
voring Even the Annexation Of
Cuba-To Return to the Start
ing Point of Year Ago Would
be to Lose What It Would Take
Century to Regain.


CHARLESTON Is. c., May 1.-THE
morning session Of the Confederates' re-
union opened with the singing OF, the
"Doxology," followed by prayer by
Chaplain Smith. The following letter
from General Fitzhugh Lee was read:
Il am obliged for your kind and COM
plimentary letter I do not know of
any thing that would give me greater
pleasure than to be at the reunion in
! Charleston, but my duties are so press
ing that I fear I will not be able to
leave, if only for a few days. Then,
too L think the quarantine regulations
would prevent me from getting to
Charleston or any other Southern port
in May. You see after these quarantine
laws are in force, we Cubans are, sup
posed to have yellow fever, smallpox
and all other diseases, and we are set
down as not being proper persons for
anybody to associate with until the
gray frosts overspread the land. Yours
very truly, FITZHUGH LEE"
General Corbin then introduced Gen
eral Joe Wheeler 'I need not tell you, -
said General Gordon, that here is one
of the widest of Confederate wizards.
l need not tell you of that day in San
| tiago when he saw the Spaniards fly
ing before him. and when in the wild
enthusiasm of the moment he forgot
where he was and called upon his men
! forward boys, the Yankees are run
ming If l should tell you any of the
things I would strike a chord in every
heart, but I am not going to do it. I
am going to strike every chord at a
single stroke at once by calling the
name of Joe Wheeler
The audience applauded wildly. Every
sentence of General Wheeler's speech
brought shouts of applause and stirred
the veterans to a frenzy of enthusiasm
AT times it was impossible for the
speaker to proceed
General Wheeler declared that the
military history of the Southern people
has been prominent feature in history
from the first settlement of this coun-
| try.
while our civil war was I may
truthfully assert, the most sanguinary
| recorded in history it was also the most
remarkable, as in it there was no ele-
ment of personal hostility, and the sol
diers as individuals could not in the ma
ture of things have entertained feelings
of hatred for each other They fought
not from revenge, not from malice, not
from desire to shed blood, not from
ambition, but simply because they felt
that there lay the path, of duty
THE armies of the South laid down
their arms, but not one iota of their be-
lief in the truth and justice of their
cause did they surrender With energy
and determination they met the new
problems confronting Them
| General Wheeler declared that South
ern soldiers and Southern statesmen
had ever taken prominent part in all
movements looking to the enlargement
of our territory.
Those upon whom rests the cares.
duties and burdens Of government" he
! said, have encountered no embarrass-
ment or complaints or criticism from
Southern States. None of their brave
volunteer regiments have asked to be
returned from fields of active duty. and
when the request has come from Gov
ernors of other commonwealth volun-
teers from the Southern States have
promptly begged for the honor of fill
ing their places in the front Of battle
The position in which the American
people find themselves to-day was not
sought by them, but is the logical result
OF conditions thrust upon the country
by course of events beyond our con-
troll. The supreme test of American
institutions is involved, and the Ameri-
can system of government is on trial
In one year We have risen to the first
| place in the family of nations. To
make the smallest retrograde step
would be at the expense of the prestige
we have won. To return to the start
| ing point Of year ago would be to
| lose what it would take a century to
regain.
''In answer to those who say that the
| policy of our forefathers forbade the
extension of territory 1 would point
to Jefferson and the Louisiana purchase
Monroe and Florida, Polk and Texas
and the vast territory acquired from
Mexico, and later to Andrew Johnson
and the acquisition of Alaska
IF there be any who contend that we
should not permit the island of Cuba
to become part of the United States.
and it's people, if they desire it, to en-
| joy ali the rights of American citizen
ship, I have only to point to the official
declaration of our great statesmen,
commencing with Thomas jefferson and
running through almost the entire peri
| cd Of the first half of this century. Dur
| ing all that period our honored states
men and Presidents, from Jefferson 10
Buchanan laid down in their MESA ges
and State documents the imperative ne
cessity of making the Pearl of the An
TILES part of the United States"
| In concluding, General Wheeler paid
an elegant tribute to the women of the
South and the part they bore in the
| war and the dark years that followed.
After deciding to select the next meet
| ing place tomorrow morning, the con-
vention adjourned until that time
| The Committee on Resolutions of the
| Confederate Veterans. to which was
| referred General Lees resolution ac-
| cepting President McKinley's PROPOSAL
that the Federal Government should
make provision for the care of the
graves Of the Confederate dead. spent
several hours discussing the matter to-
day, and late tonight a compromise
resolution was framed and will be Of
fered as substitute tomorrow. The
resolution is to the effect that if the
National Government cares for the
graves Of the Confederates do not object
to it's taking charge of those in the North
and in the neighborhood of the old war
prisons. The resolution will state that
the South has voluntarily undertaken
to decorate and properly preserve the
graves in the South, and the associa-
ton does not feel warranted in taking