The National tribune., 1899-05-25
THE CONFEDERATE REUNION AT
CHARIESTON

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Charleston last week. The number il
attendance was immense, the enthusiasm
was boundless, the rebel flag was every
where in alteration, and the speaker:
fed their hearers to the full with the
timeworn fctions which pass among
them for history, principles and ideas
For example, Gen. Norman, of Louis
lana, the orator of the day, said:
Just for moment again contrast the num-
bers, 600. 600 men of the South against
., 500, OPS men of the North Now, could
these armies have been assembled upon one
great plain, rs was frequently done III olden
times, to give battle and decide superiority
i'll one contest the Northern army had men
! enough to completely envelop all four sides
of the Southern army, and then have a re-
serve left nearly rs large as either of the
sides.
Probably no man in the country
knows better than Gen. Moorman that
this is absolutely untrue. If he knows
anything about the war he cannot help
knowing that the rebels had at least
100000 men in the field, while it is
doubted if the Union had more than
100000. This fact has been so often
proved that it is strange that any
man should deny it. Yet it suited
his purpose to make such a baseless
assertion, and elaborate on it through
many succeeding paragraphs He and
his hearers forget that such statement
is really severe reflection on their So
called patriotism. The seeding States
had over 100000 men capable of
doing military duty, and if they only
got 100000 men into the field. two
thirds Of their men lodged service, and
were rot nearly so gallant and patriotic
as the people of the North, who sent on
average 12a percent. of their popula-
ton to the field, or about 50 per cent.
of their fighting strength.
One of the events of the occasion was
a realistic representation of the battle of
Bull Run, with the triumph of the Stars
and Bars over the Stars and Stripes.
In his address of welcome the Mayor
of Charleston said, alluding to the firing
on For. Sumter:
As the hurtling sound of that shot was
cchUel and rc-eclCed over tine length and
breadth of the South, it proved the tOcSin
that summoned her sons to defend their
homes and firesides. 1t called them to die.
if leeds bc, for the principles that could
ne,er die; principles which we hold as
precious and as dear to-day rs when We first
donned the gray.
Like the old Roman let us erect "mOnu-
mcnts more lasting than brass" engraving
these memories and these teachings upon the
fieshy tablets of the hearts of those who are
to come after us, building into the very bed
rcck of our children's lives and characters Il
loving reverence for the Confederate cause
and the Confederate soldier.
Gen. S. ID. Lee offered resolutions
thanking President Mckinley for his
utterances in regard to rebel graves.
This provoked an animated discussion,
resulting, in spite of Gen. Lees efforts,
in their being referred to the Committee
on Resolutions. There was a stormy
discussion there, as we'll as in many
other meeting places. The Daughters
of Confederate Veterans were particu-
larly in evidence against the adoption
of the resolutions The following SUBJ
stitute was finally adopted after a sharp
debate:
The United Confederate Veterans, in this
annual reunion assembled, desire to place
utterances of the President of the United
States in Atlanta in December last. concern
ing the assumption of the care Of the graves
of our Confederate dead by the National
Government.
We appreciate every kindly sentiment ex-
pressed, and we shall welcome any Iegisla-
tion which shall result in the care of the
graves OF our comrades i'll the Northern
States by our Government.
In regard to our dead whose remains are
resting in the States which were represented
i'll the COnfederacy and Maryland. the care
of their final resting-places is Il sacred trust,
dear to the hearts of Southern women, and
we believe that we can safely let it there
remain.
The report of the Committee on
School Histories, which was supposed to
be the most important matter before the
Convention, discussed variety of sub
jects, from white supremacy to section
alism, and concluded with the denuncia-
tion of histories containing falsehoods as
to facts and sentiment, and recommended
the appointment Of a committee of
three to inspect all books in use in the
schools.