The Van Buren press., 1899-10-14
THE BLUE AND lRE GRAY.
President Mckinley and Cabinet Wis.,
tied the Blue and Gray Re-
union at Evansville.
A WARM GREETING FROM THE VETERANS.
The President and Members of the
Cabinet Made Brief Addresses,
the Former GIorying In the Fact
of IN Country Reunited in Bonds
OF BrotherIy Love.

Evansville, Ind, Oct. 12.-President
Mckinley and his cabinet came from
Chicago to attend the national reunion
of the Blue and the Gray. A heavy
rain was falling, but despite this, 10,-
000 veterans and visitors thronged
about the railroad station, and the
veterans in gray We'd with the yeter-
ans in blue in rendering a tremendous
ovation when the presidential party
arrived.
Cheering Throng.
They swarmed about the president
and cabinet officers, cheering and ex-
tending their hands for a grasp of wei
come. At the same time, presidential
salute of 81 guns doomed frcm Camp
Iarragut,at the Tri-State fair grounds.
This was the signal for whistles and
bells throughout the city to join in.
Owing to the short stay of the presi-
cent, the party was at once escorted
by the Cleveland Grays and reception
committee to the fair grounds, where
PRESIDENT Mckinley delivered an adj
dress.
Words of Welcome.
Mayor w. M. Akin presided, and in-
tIoduced c. A. DeBruler, of Evans
vile, who welcomed the distinguished
guests and veterans to the city. Gov
j. A. Mount followed with an address
of welcome on behalf of the state and
introduced President Mckinley, who
delivered short speech. The presi-
dent said:
The Presidents Speech.
my Fellow-ctizens: 1t gives me
very great pleasure to participate with
you, men of the north and men of the
south, in this glad reunion of hearts,
We are already unified; the peace
which Grant and Lee made at Apo.
mattox has been kept, not by law or
restraint, but by love and fraternal re,
gard. The Union to-day rests not on
force which may fail, but rests in the
hearts of the people, union that
never can be severed.
''If / have been permitted in the
slightest degree to help in the work OF
reconciliation and unification,I will es-
TEEN it the greatest honor of my life.
| When / made the call for troops to
prosecute the Spanish war, men from
the north and the south, without re-
gard to political belief or religious
creed, rallied to the standard of the
| Union. The best men of the south
came; the sons of old confederate SOL
diers. The best men of the north came;
the sons of the old members of Grand
Army of the Republic. All came to-
gether in heart and hand to follow the
flag of their country wherever it might
lead. We have been reconciled, more
than reconciled, for our reconciliation
has been baptized in the best blood cf
both sections of our beloved country.
If a northern soldier put the flag UP
al Santiago, southern soldier, the
gallant Brumby, of Georgia, put it up
over Manila. 1t rests with us to look
to the future, putting the past behind
us. And this government relies upon
the patriotism of the country, north
and south, to stand by the purposes OF
the government and follow in the
pathway of its destiny.
We come together not as we came a
third of a century ago, with arms in
our hands, but we come with love for
each other in our heart"
other short Speeches.
At the conclusion of his speech,
President Mckinley announced that
the members of his cabinet were pres
ent and several of them made short
addresses.
The presidential party was then es-
corted back to the train followed by
long line of veterans marching in
army order, the blue and gray shoul-
der to shoulder.
MEXICO,S VICF-PRESIDFNT