New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-12
AT CHARLESTON.
GENERAL WHEELER RECEIVED WITH
GREAT ENTHUSIASM.
sprpcH OF THE FORMER CONFEDERATE
LEADER-MEMORIAL EXERCISES IN
HONOR OF WINNIE DAVIS
ELECTION OF OFF,

GERS TO-DAY.
Charleston. S. c.. May 1.-THE Confederate vet
r.ns held one session to-day, which shortly after
noon gave way 10 the Winnie Davis memorial ex-
.-cises An adjournment until 10 O'Clock to-mor-
-ow was then taken The announcement that
General Joseph Wheeler was to speak filed the
Auditorium and the hero OF two wars received a
-ousing reception from the large audience
The delegates and visitors devoted the afternoon
20 excursions TO nearby resorts. trips down the bay
and social functions and tonight concert was
given at the Auditorium. where a choir and
orchestra rendered a programme of Southern war
songs
The Committee on Resolutions. to which was
McKinley's proposal that the Federal Government
should make provision for the care OF the graves
Ing the matter to-day and finally a compromise
resoluton framed, which will be offered as q
.Ss National Government desires to care for the
graves the Confederate veterans do not OBJ
c+s 10 and in aN the neighSorRood Of the old
war prisons The resolution will state that the
rom4n Of the South have voluntarily undertaken
to decorate and properly preserve the graves IN the
a. taking from them what they have grown 10 re-
gard as a duty.
The convention was opened with the doxoogy
followed by prayer by the Rev. Dr. Smith OF
c,oneWau Jackson's staff. After general business
,ne feature Of to-days session took place. 1t was
General wheeler's address. and the scene that
attended his introduction was one Of frantic en-
tbusiasm Advancing the front Of the plat
form. General Gordon held up his hand, and alb
solute silence upon the vast audience as no
said: -
..Co,rrades I have here real treat for you. II
7 sbould tell this convention there is here the
hero OF Santiago 49,
General Gordon could get further. A wild
hurst Of applause Numbered forth, rebel yeiis
split the air. and hats. canes and handkerchiels
vere waved as the great audience rose 10 Its Feet
% he widest that has ever
marked a reunion.
GENERAL wHEELER'S SPEECH
The audience rose as General Wheeler stepped
forward apparently much affected. He wore
black Prince Albert suit. with badges on each
lapel Of his coat One was yellow by chance ana
the other was red. a reference TO the genera
sorrow caused by the death Of Winnie DAVIS
affected many to tears. General Wheeler SAID IN
part:
In Tho course OF his speech General Wheeler said
The battle-scarred veterans who during TOUT
years Of bloody warfare dazzled the worio VIZ
the splendOr Of their ne5oSm yafber annually to
renew the friendship which. formed among sum S
scenes b af Of the Civil War You contended
with men Of endurance. forutude ana c0 4had
with the same spirit Of liberty, men VINO were a
conscientously contendng IOI via 'H n v"n Tor
what you just firmly held to be your rg5,S;
While our Civil War was the os1 san ts1 mar,
SS ss in II there was no element Of personal
hostility and the s9q Deg ba aS entertained feelings
~ hatred for each other They fought not ron rom
bIoed not from ambition but simply because they
felt that there lay the pain OF questions that
for more than half century had been atleI9 "
the most earnest a a0te5sity Until an appeal the
cod of Battles rendered nevllao5se SO Us rao.
no sos WSan the South yielded TO numbers
batalons. artilley 20 inc THE armies of the South
aid down their arms but not one lota OF az, ~
lief in the truth and ]gsyce and tdetermnaton they
met the new problems confronting them. ,ad the
The fet d9 that al eohc5 and side beth
North and South have stood t9s see 70 cherish
and intensity the memory o. the dssvooS TO- duty
which you were actors U UoI nnmuTmuring en-
durance your heritage from your ncT5e NAV
we'll take pride that during all the great Rrogress
and Advancement OF our country hcIHuns r Ing
armed COW appears TO be happily ended section
~ our land has been more devoted to the cause OF
G tEe f6an the S people Of the Southern states
Those upon whom rest the ncaI1n1ereS no en-
barrassment OF complaints or criticism TON reg
ysrts nave asked 70 be returned from fields OF ac-
tive duty and when the request mas come . I'm
se ne southern States have promptly begged
for the honor Of filing their places in the 1roht OF
The position in which the American people find
themselves to-day was not sought by the, or Dut b
the logical result of conditions thrust upon the
country by course Of events beyond our con.ro.
If II SAID they were s4 use po& seq R our grasp
could have stayed the tide and now we stand pc
rose The supreme test OF American in
stitutions is involved. and the American system OF
government Is on trial
PRESENTATION OF A FLAG
Then General Gordon arose and advanced TO the
front OF the stage followed by General Wade
Hampton escorted by Colonel Holmes and Major
Barker the former bearing A silk flag. one side OF
which was the battlehag Of the Confederacy and
the reverse the State flag Of South Carolina. In
few words Colonel Holmes presented the flag 10
General Hampton the gift Of the Daughters Of
the Confeder.cy TO the United Confederate Vet
Grams Turning General Hampton presented the
flag 10 General Gordon, who accepted 1t with a
short address In presenting the flag. General
Hampton also resigned as commander OF the ARMY
OF Northern Virginia.
General Gordon then announced that the business
Of the convention would be suspended for the
Winnie Davis memorial exercises In opening me
exercises, General Gordon SAID ~ MY coIniaoes We
heart the sweetest tenderest recolecuons that
give ourselves the melancholy pleasure OF again
honoring a sweet woman whose memory VIII al
He then asked Bishop Capers to deliver prayer
and when the Bishop concluded General Gordon in
net H Young. Of Louisville. Hallock Wood. OF Mo-
bile, Ala arose and moved that the convention eX1
tender people OF the North who had ministered
with tender TO the last hours Of the Daugh-
ter Of the Confederacy." General Gordon put the
motion. and the Affirmative response hearty
that he old not ask for negative vote.
MARKING OUT BATTLE FIELDS
Major William NJ Robbins. the Confederate mem
Der OF the Gettysburg National Park Commission
and ex-Congressman from louisiana offered this
resolution. which referred:
Whereas. The Government OF the United States
has undertaken and Is pushing forward the work
OF permanently marking the lines and positions OF
troops OF both the contending armies on several
great battle-neds OF the Civil War among them
Gettysburg Chckamauga, Shiloh. Vicksburg and
others with the design OF making these batta-6elds
permanent memorials OF the prOwess OF American
soldiers without respect OF section.
Resolved. That we as Confederate veterans SYM
3athize with and commend this patriotic n,rnose
M the C.nvernment and Will lend irhunr,no