The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1900-08-24
GEN. GORDON'S REPLY
TO PROTEST OF VETS.
AGAINST HIS ATTENDING GRAND
ARMY REUNlOH IN CBIGAGO.
Hia Conscience His Only Guid.-And He
PropOses to Continue His Work for
Sectional Unity and Justice
to the South.

Atlanta, Ga, Aug 20.-Gen. John
B. Gordon, commander in chief of
tho United Confederate veterans, has
prepared a reply to Il resolution re.
comfy adopted by camp Of Confed
oratc veterans at NV Orleans, con-
demning the Blue and Gray reunion
IN Atlanta, recommending that no
moro similar reunions bo held and
protesting against Gen. Gordon &C.
cepting an invitation to tho &. A. II.
reunion in Chicago. Tho reply is as
follows:
Kirkwood, Ga, Aug. 20.
To the Confederate Association of the
Army Of tho Tennessee:
Comrades: "a resolutions recently
adopted by your association at the
instance OF Gen. Chnleron, criticising
several acts or supposed acts Of mine,
entirely escaped my attention at the
time OF its appearauce in the public
press and | have just seon it for the
first time. | understand this action
Of your association to mean formal
and public notice tE,t you disupprove
of my participation in tho Blue and
Gray meeting which recently occurred
in Atlanta; and also that it means n
formal and public protest by your
association against lay acceptance Of
au invitation e1tcnIsd TO me by tho
Grand Army Of th< Republic and by
the executive comnitteo Of tho citi-
IONS of Chicago.
"The object of this reply to your
resolution, which yDu failed to send
me, is not to call in question the
right of your association to criticise
any official act of mino which does
not meet your approval. l do wish,
however, to state kindly but frankly
and plainly that my own conscience
and my own conception of duty must
bo my guide in the future as in the
past.
cas- to the courteous and cordial
invitation Of both the Ct. A. r.. and
Of the executive committee Of Chicago
citizens, [ have to state that l greatly
appreciated the compliment paid mo
by chat invitation, and the spirit
which prompted it. Circumstances,
however, rendered it impossible for
mo to accept and [ 80 notified the
officers and committees nearly two
mouths ago. But, in this connection
also, wish to say that I must be the
judge now and hereafter of the pro-
priety of accepting invitations from
any section IF the country or any
lass of my fellow countrymon.
in order that there may be no
possible misunderstanding of my po.
, sition OH th@se and al kindred mat :
tors, l repeat my sole guide must be
my own convictions of duty to this
whole country, and to the Southern
people whose glorious record in all
the past, whose traditions, dignity
and honor | have endeavored to do
fend and uphold at all ti:ues and in
all sections and under all conditions.
"In conclusion, let it bo definitely
understood that so long as Provi-
dence permits mo TO speak or labor,
[ shall continue tho elfolts which ]
have made for 30 years in the intor-
est of sectional harmony and unity.
Whatever can do will assuredly be
done for the truth Of history, for jus
tlce to the South and to all sections,
for fostering our cherished memories,
for the obliteration of all sectional
bitterness and for the settlement Of
all sectional controversies on basis
consistent with tns honor and the
manhood and tho self respect Of all.
j. b. Gordon.
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