The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1899-06-10
GEN. WHEELER
TO UNION VETS
Boston G. A. R. Men Give Him
Royal Welcome.
VAST AUDIENCE WAS PRESENT.
Address Tened With Expressions
of Good Will--Tribute to
Massachusetts,.

A Boston, Mass, special says: FOR
the first time an ex.ofiicer OF the con-
federacy delivered the Memorial Day
address before q New England Grand
Army post. General Joseph Wheeler,
the cavalry leader who led the boys in
gray at the famous charge at Shiloh
and nearly thirty.seven years later,
beneath the stars and stripes, cheered
on the volunteers at Santiago, was the
orator and guest Of honor at the Me-
mortal Day services OF Kinsley post
113, Grand Army Of the Republic, at
the Boston theater. The immense au-
ditorium was filled to its utmost ca
pacity.
General Wheeler opened his speech
with an eloquent tribute to the part
played by Massachusetts in the his.
tory of the American commonwealth,
whose soldiers had played conspicu-
GUS parts in all wars and whose states
men had ever been famous in the halls
of congress.
He alluded to the prophecy OF Cen
eral Horace Binney Dargent, who thir.
ty years ago, on Memorial Day in the
city Of Boston, predicted the day
would come when this anniversary
would be celebrated 'after some day
OF glory when the sons of rebels and
our sons shall have fallen side by side
in some common cause OF foreign war
as our sires and their sires fell side by
under the eye Of the great rebel,
the Virginian, Washington"
"Already," said Gen eral Wheeler,
"the words Of this prophecy have been
fulfilled, for the warriors who fell side
by side ct La Guasimas, San Juan
md Ell Caney, men from the north
and south, among them some OF your
brave boys from the Second Massa-
chusetts, were buried together in the
great national cemetery at Arlington,
while O great federal officer who took
part in the great struggle Of our civil
war aud now the chief executive OF the
nation, by his presence, conferred
honor upon their funeral obsequies."
1.-THE spirit Of true nobility taught
by American mothers has made our
country the pride and fear of the
world"
Declaring that it was the duty Of
every American to uphold the presi.
dent and his cabinet when it has be-
come thoroughly committed to defin-
ed policy, General Wheeler said:
patriotic devotion can be exercised
by volunteering to serve in the field,
but it may also be most profitsbly ex-
erted in encouraging confidence smong
our people at home. Certainly no
good and only evil can come from
words and acts which tell rival nations
that even O portion Of our people,
however few, are not in full sympathy
with our government, or what is worse,
that any Americans actually do sym.
pathize with our country's enemies.
Such course cannot fail to weaken
confidence and embarrass the executive
power.
Those who insist that the power OF
the United States is so great that it
must always triumph will admit that
difficulties or obstacles created by some
of our own people will have the effect
OF retardipg at least In some degree
the prompt and happy restoration to
perfect aud lasting peace.
"I am one of those who firmly be-
lieve that whatever is, is right, and /
cannot doubt but that conditions are
thrust upon a country by q course OF
events following we'll Judged and
righteous action on the part Of the
people and the government the con.
sequence could not be other than bene.
fetal, not only TO the people OF our
own country. but to the world at large.
"There is one sentiment which
should be impressed on every mind
and instilled into every heart:
"My country, may she always be
right, but right or wrong, my coun.
try"