Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-05-11
He Favors the Annexation Of the
Pearl Of the Antilles.
MUST TAKE NO STEP BACK.
supreme Test OF American Institu-
lions fn,oised-syst stem Of Gos-
eminent an Trial.

ing scssion Of the Confedcratea' ro-
union opened with the singing of the
DoSology. followed by prayer by Chap
lain smith. The following letter from
General FitzhuRh Lee was read.
Il am obliged for your kind and com.
plimentary letter. do not know OF
anything that would give me greater
pleasure than to be- at the reunion In
Charleston, but my duties are 10 press
ing that I fear viii not be- able to
leave. II only FOR n fcw days. Then.
too ! 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 la force We cubnns nrc sup.
posed to have yellow fever smallpox
and all other diseases and We are set
down NJ not being proper per-
sons for anybody to associate with
until the gray trusts oyersprcad the
land.
Yours very truly.
"FfTZHuOH LEE"
General Gordon then introduced Gem
cral joe Wheeler.
u need not tell YOU" said General
Gordon. that herr n one of the WIS.,
est Of the Confederate wizards. ! need
not tell you 81 that day IN Santiago
when he saw the Spnnlah nyluE before
him and when In the Wild enthusiasm
Of the moment be- forgot where he was
and called upon his men Forward.
boys. the Yankees nrc running II I
hould tell you any NJ these things I
would strike chord In every heart.
hut I am no going To do II. I am Ro-
Ing 10 strike every chord at a single
stroke at once by calling the name of
loo whpolef"
The audience npplaudod wildly. Ev.
cry sentence Of General Wheeicr'a
speech brought shouts Of applause and
stirred the veterans 10 q frenzy Of en-
thusinHm. ~ times II was impossible
for the speaker tn proceed.
General Wheeler declared that tho
military history af the southern people
has been n prominent feature In history
from the flrrt settlement Of this coun-
Try.
hwhllc our clvii war was. may
truthfully assert. the most HanEulnafy
recorded In hlstory.it was also the most
rcmnrkablg M In Il there waH no Gle
inent Of personal hostility and the sol
dicra. as individualH, could not In the
nature of things have entertained feel
mrs OF hatred for each other. They
fought not from revenge. not from
malice. not Rom desire 20 shed blood,
not from ambition. but hlmply because
they Eel, tina, there lay the path OF
'''rhc armies Of the aonth laid down
their arms but not one i0tn Of their
belief In the truth and justice of their
cause did they surrender, With energy
ana determination they met the new
problems confronting them"
Gen. Whoripr declared that southern
soldiers and southern statesmen had
ever taken q prominent part In all
things looking Ia the enlargement Of
our territory '"rhnac upon whom rest
the cares. duties and burdens of gov.
Ornmcnt." he said, have encountered
no emhnrraHmen,H or complaints or
criticism from Southern States None
% their brave volunteer regiments have
asked 10 be returned from fields of ac-
tive duty, and when the request has
come from governors OF other common
wcalthn volunteers from the Southern
states have promptly begged for the
honor o. illlins their places In the front
OF battle.
"'rhe position In which the American
people IND themselves today was not
sought by them but IN the logical re-
suit OF conditions thrust upon the coun-
try by n course OF events beyond our
control. The supreme test OF Amorl-
can institutions Ia involved and the
american system OF government ON
"ln one year we have risen TO the
first place In the family Of nations; 10
make the smallest retrogrndo step
would be at the expense OF the pres
tigr We have won. To return 10 tho |
starting point OF u year ago. would be |
to lose what II would take a century 10 |
regain. In answer TO those who say |
that the policy OF our forefathora for |
bade the extension Of territory. would |
point 10 Jefferson and the Louisiana |
purchase, Monroe and Florida, Polk |
and Texas, ana the vast territory ac- |
qulrcd from Mexico and later 10 An
drew johnson and the acquisition OF
Alaska,
III there be any who contend that
we should not permit the island VI |
cuba to become part OF the United |
states and Its people, II they desire Il
10 enjoy all the rights OF American
| have only 90 point TO the
official declaration Of our great sinies-
mon, commencing with Thomas JEFF
fcrson and running through almost the
entire period OF the first half ~ this
century. During all that period our
honored statesmen and presidents,
from Jefferson 10 buchanan. laid down
IN their messages and state documents
The Imperative necessity OF making the
Pearl u the Antilles u part OF the Unit.
"a States"
In concluding his address den.
paid an eloquent tribute to the
women of the South and the part they
bore IN the war and the dark years that