The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-05-16

| ern states. None of their brave volun-
teer regiments a asked to be re-
turned from the field Of active duty,
| and when the request has come from
| governors of other commonwealths,
volunteers from the southern states
AVE promptly begged for the honor
Of filling their places in the front Of
| battle.
| The position in which the American
| people find themselves today was not
| sought by them, but Is the logical re-
suit of conditions thrust upon the
country by a course of vents beyond
our control. If it be said they were
foreseen and predicted, it must also be
admitted that nc power in our a
could have stayed the tide, and now We
stand before the axe Of civilization
confronted by grave responsibilities.
The supreme test of American insti-
buttons is involved, and the American
| system of government is on trial.
| II is said by some that while Eng
land, Holland, France and ma
| tons may extend a protecting hand to
| peoples and lands separated from the
home country, beneftting both the pro-
tector and the protected, that We shall
be utterly unable to accomplish such
a To admit this proposition,
is to admit that u sy3tem OF govern
| ment is lacking in the essential quail
| fcations which every sovereign power
should possess. In One year we la
risen to the first place in the family
| of nations; to make the smallest retro
grade step would be at the expense of
the prestige we AVE won. To return
to the starting point of a year ago,
would be to lose what it would take a
| century to regain. In answer to those
who say that the policy of our fore
fathers forbade the extension of terri
tory, I would point to Jefferson and the
Louisiana purchase, Monroe and Flor
| ida, Polk and Texas, and the a. ter
ritory acquired from Mexico, and later
to Andrew johnson and the acQuisi-
ton of Alaska
eff there be any who contend that
we should not permit the island Of
Cuba to become a part of the United
States, and it's people if they desire it,
to enjoy all the rights of American cit
i%zenship, 1 " only to point to the
official declarations of u great states
men commencing with Thomas Jeffer-
son n running through almost the
entire period of the first half of this
century. During all that period our
honOred statesmen and presidents from
Jefferson to Buchanan laid down in
their messages and state documents,
the imperative necessity of making the
Pearl of the Antilles a part of the
United States"
In concluding his address General
Wheeler paid an eloquent tribute to the
women of the south and the part they
bore in the wal and the dark years
hat followed, saying:
although some of those blessed wo-
men are still with us, many more have
long since gone to their rewards, but
they have ock in cradles, the prin-
ciples, minds and characters which
are to control the future of their below
ed land. The thought which 1 wish to
impress upon the minds of the gener-
alton to whom we must Don intrust a
sacred charge, for the confederate SOL
dier's ace is nearly run, and the in
junction which I would leave with
your sons and daughters-for the
daughters have the nobler part, n I
know they will faithfully perform it
is this:
"See to it that the women of the con-
federacy have, in their posterity, a
monument o lasting than any that
could be built of stone"
He closed amid much applause and
the orchestra played America"
A PICTURESQUE INCIDENT.
Then ccurred one of the most pic
turesque incidents of the session. Cen
! eral Gordon arose and advanced to the
front of the state followed by General
Wade Hampton, escorted by Colonel
| Holmes and Major Barker, the former
bearing a beautiful silk flag, one sid
of which was the battle flag of the
confederacy and on the reverse the
state flag of South Carolina. In a few
we'll chosen words, Colonel Holmes pre-
as the gift of the Daughters of the
Confederacy, of Charleston, to the
United Confederate Veterans.
Turning, General Hampton present
ed the flag to General Gordon, who &C
cepted it with a graceful little address.
Here. as on all occasions when he APP
] pears, General Hampton was greeted
with tremendous applause, the old vet
r of the famous legion that bore
his name being the idol, not only of
his state, but of the whole south. In
presenting the flag General Hampton
also resigned as commander of h Ar
my of Northern Virginia, saying he
would serve in the ranks as a private.
He gave as a reason that his declining
years n physical rendered
him una|ble ito give to the Office the
attention and energy it demands.
Many Of the veterans were visibly
affected at the generals words, and for
an instant absolute silence prevailed.
Then, as If by common impulse, they
rose n cheered Justify. Bowling his
thanks, General Hampton stepped back
and soon afterward left the rostrum.
WINNIE DAVIS MEMORIAL EXER-
CISES.
Genera Gordon then announced that
the business of the convention would
be suspended for the Winnie Davis me-
mortal exercises. By this time nearly
all of the sponsors had arrived, and
with the presence of hundreds OF la
dies in the boxes and on the floor, tbs
great auditorium presented a gay
scene. For the time being the enthusi.
asm that had marked the session gave
way to an impressive silence as the ole
veterans listened to eloquent tributes
to the memory of the Daughter OF the
Confederacy.
In opening the exercises General Cor.
+, don aid
MY comrades, we approach a solem.
nifty which will awaken III every hear
the sweetest, tenderest recollection!
!, that have stirred us for many days
/ We are about to give ourselves the my
: ancholy pleasure of again honoring {
: sweet woman, whose memory will al
way live in every confederate house
/, hold" He then asked Bishop Caper.
to deliver a prayer, and when the bish
op concluded General Gordon introduc
= n1 n o~a%@- 80 IL