The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1899-05-11
CHARLES rON REUNION.
Eloquent Address by General
John u Gordon.

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first official acc OF the nirth annual re-
union of the United States Confederate
veterans which began its session today
was an attempt by General stephen d.
Lee OF Mississippi. TO secure an endorse
ment Of President McKney's suggestion.
made In his recent Atlanta speech. that
the care OF the graves Of confederate
dead should be undertaken by the federal
government. Action on the resolution was
frustrated by a motion 60 refer II to
me committee on resolutions. The motion
to refer originated with Dr. j. william
Jones, OF va, and met with some ippo-
siti0n.
Mr r. ". Busbee, OF N. c.. thought the
resolutions should be referred 1t would
do no harm 20 refer and no disrespect was
intended. Every loyal confederate appre-
ciated the courtesy and good intentions
OF President Mckinley. But Mr.. Busbee
said there ought 20 be distinction be-
tween the graves M the North. between
graves i'm Chicago or Columbia and those
on the fields Of Virginia and the South.
There is a difference between the graves
and their care. Here there are those who
willingly and cheerfully take care OF the
graves OF the noble heroes polntlng in
the direction Of the boxes filled with
ladies) In the North and East there may
not be these loving hands, ana that ia
WHY ! say there is a distinction
After this il was decided without further
discussion that the resolutions be referred
20 the committee on resolutions.
A conservative estimate places the num-
Der Of visitors at between 25. 900 ana a.
600.
When John y. Gordon. the commander
in chief, appeared before the conventlo,
he received tremendous ovation
The old confederate chieftain was pre-
sented by General Walker and delivered
an eloquent address as follows.
General Gordon said:
Governor. Gentlemen of she Comniits,
My Fellow COuntrymen OF Soo.b i,,ro-
llna' The food Of emotions witch siirs
the sensibillties of these veterans today
is their loving answer 10 your gracious
greetings. These emotions will sneak in
you In language far more impressive ana
eloquent than any words mat I can mt
ter. The ringing shouts from these thous-
ands Of Conferedate throats are varit,hlo
echoes OF the inspiring resolutions Of
welcome unanimously adopted by your
General Assembly While these resolu
tions have cheered and thrilled every
Southern soldiers heart, they were not
needed to tell MS OF the reception that
awaited us in South Carolina. Her whole
history and that OF her commercial CAPT
tai were the promise and guarantee OF
this magnificent reality. For more than
two hundred years, made memorable by
heroic struggles in war and brilliant
achievements in peace, the names of
South Carolina and OF Charleston heve
been the synonyms OF hospitality, of
and OF valor.
what else could be expected OF a pea-
pie I'm whose veins are commngled the
blood Of the proud English Cavaiiers7
The blood OF those devoted and resolute
men, who protested against the immoral.
tiles an grinding exactions OF the Stuarts:
the blood OF the stalwart diasenters and
Of the heroic Highlanders OF Scotland,
and OF the sturdy Democratic Presbyto~-
fans OF Ireland; the blood OF those de-
tenders Of freedom who came to your
shores from the mountain battlements
Of Switzerland and lastly but no less pure
and sacred, the blood OF the high-souled d
Huguenots Of France, whose martyrs, by
a glorious fidelity even unto death, have
made sweeter and richer the record OF
human devotion to conscience and llb.
erty.
mo resolutions. 1 repeat. by which this
great Commonwealth extends its "loy-
ing welcome" were needed to assure theS
remnants Of the South's immortal armies
that the freedom OF the state" was theirs
MI hq h.a rufN Nst
was soldiers shrine: We had but 10
remember that South Carolina was the
nursery Of heroes as well as Of states
men and Of patriots-that no one state,
except she be endowed with an almost
boundless afhuence Of greatness could.
in one century have given to the cause
of liberty and the republic such a splea-
did galaxy as South Carolina presen; 8
in her Rutledge, her Sumter, her Moul-
trie, her Middleton, ana her Marion; N
her Butler, her Plckney and her Pick
ems in her McDunie; and her Calhoun:
in her HamitOni her Hayne. and her De-
loved Hampton.
If we turn from this incomplete ar
ray Of her noble sons to the contempla-
ton OF the scars upon her bosom, recei2-
ed in her battles for American freedom
at Cowpens, at Camden, and Charles-o1t
at Eutaw Springs, Fort Moultrie anc
Kings Mountain. while her "SwamI
Fox" with his ragged brigade. roasted
their ration Of sweet potatoes In her for
ests at night and by the sudden sallies
now from the mountains and now from
the marshes, amazed ana bewilered th'
British invaders; II we add to this sur
vey Of her past. the record OF her prince
ly liberalty in her donation OF her sol
to the general government. we shall gai'
a still better conception OF the lofty char
actorctlcs and unchallenged patriotism
Of her people.
'"ro me. personally whose association
with South Carolinians through the civi
or 20 stand today as the herald o
reconstruction. and rehabilitation gave
clearer insight into their motives and ~
| ture aims, II s. a proud privilege vouca
| safed to me today to stand In your pres
ence as the representatives OF these bat
ue-bruised veterans and tell this peopl
how fully we recognize her worth an
how gratefully we acknowledge our IN
debtedness 10 them.
II should esteem II a stlll higher hon
or TO stand heer today as the herald q
both the host and guests IN proclaimin
a message OF good Will to all our cour
trymen and TO send the fraternal gree
ing OF this people, OF all Confederate
and OF their children to all parties OF q
sections; to unite with our America
brethren IN every sts'e In asoribing
the guiding hand Of God. the unparall'
victories Of American arms IN the la
war on land and sea; and lastly by Il
| ,r.nrnnrt, nf the fafhara Mhoee anlI