The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-05-17
SOLDIERS BUDGET
Confederate Veterans.

uluCu ANNUAL reunion Oh LQ6 abSOClatlOQ
OF united Confederate veterans opened
here today, twenty-five to thirty thous-
and attending. Everywhere the blare
of bands and the strains OF "The Bon
ME Blue Flag" mingled with "Dixie"
and other airs dear TO the southland,
while cheering crowds greeted every
repetition of the tunes.
Almost the first official act was an
attempt by Gen. Stephen d. Lee of
Mississippi to secure an Endorsement
of President McKinley's suggestion in
his Atlanta speech that the care of the
graves of Confederate dead should be
undertaken by the Federal govern
ment. Action on the resolution, how
ever, was frustrated by motion to re-
fer it to the committee on resolutions.
The reference to committee probably
will result in amending the resolution
30 that while thanking the President
and acknowledging his action as q
graceful one, it will declare that the
care of the dead is a duty of the South.
CHARLESTON, S. c., May 11.-When
the wild tumult that greeted Gen. Cor
him to be heard, he delivered an elo-
quent address, reviewing the struggles
of the civil war, and then said:
81 feel empowered by your conf
dence to send to every patron in every
section and State the fraternal greet
ing of this convention and of the whole
people, to pledge in the name of every
Confederate, and son and daughter of
Confederates, the South's eternal 10y
atty to every cause for the uplifting of
American manhood, the perpetuity of
American freedom, the unity Of the
American people, that by all these
agencies we may accelerate the onward
march of The Republic in its benign
mission to humanity"
After the applause had subsidized
General Gordon led Mrs. Stonewall
Jackson to the front of the stage and
she was applauded enthusiastically.
AS he presented Mrs. Jackson in the
first lull General Gordon said: 81 will
shake her hands foryou ALL" and in an
instant he added: 81 will do more than
that; am going to hug her for you,"
and with that did what he said he was
going to do, which met the hearty ap-
proval of the vast throng.
CHARLESTON, S. c., May 11.-Gen-
eral Joseph Wheeler was the central
figure to-day at the Confederate vete-
rams reunion. He was the idol of
everyone, and his address created tre-
mendOus enthusiasm.
In introducing General Wheeler to
the vast audience General Gordon
said: 81 need not tell you that here is
one of the widest Confederate wizards.
l need not tell you how on the day of
Santiago, when he saw the Spaniards
flying 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
ning.' If should tell you any OF
these things it would strike a chord in
every heart. But am not going to dc
it. am going to strike every chord al
single stroke by calling the name OF
Joe Wheeler" The audience applaud
ed wildly and almost every sentence Of
General Wheeler's speech stirred the
veterans to frenzy of enthusiasm.
General Wheeler touched upon the
question of expansion by declaring
that Southern soldiers and Southern
statesmen had even taken prominent
part in all movements looking to the
enlargement OF our territory.
Continuing he said: sit is matter
oflwhich the Southern people may wei
take pride, that during all the grea
progress and advancement of our coun
try, including the armed contest of las
year, and which / am glad to say nov
appears to be happily ended, no section
of ouraand has been more devoted tt
he cause of our country and to up
holding its honor and prestige than thu
people of the Southern States.
"The position in which the American
people find themselves today was no
sought by them but is the logical resul
of conditions thrust upon the countr,
by course of events beyond our con
troll. If it be said they were foreseel
and predicted, it must also be admitted
that no power in our grasp could hav,
stayed the tide"