Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1900-06-09

1t was this writer's very great pleas
ure to participate in the tenth annual
reunion of the United Confederate Vet
Grams at Louisville. 1t was perhaps the
biggest and the best reunion that has
set taken place Conservative estimates
by the railroads and city press place
the total number of veterans and visit
ors in the city last week at 60,OOO Mis- /
sissippi was very much in evidence
The State headquarters were thronged. |
Upward of 900 Mississippi Confederates
were registered, in alphabetical order (
Major General w. d. Cameron, com
Inanding the Mississippi DIVISION b'is'
adier-General Sam Pryor, commanding
the first brigade, and Brigadier-General
B. V. White, commanding the second
brigade. with their stats, sponsors ana
maids of honor, and the more than 0oo
old vets, formed a conspicuous feature
of the reunion. This writer, and sew
eral other Mississippians, were honored
by General Stephen ID. Lee, command
ing the Army of Tennessee department,
with positions on his staff,
The exercises were held in reunion
hall, an immense building, specially
constructed for the occasion. The con-
yention was called to order at noon
Wednesday. Chaplain-in-chief Rev, ),
William Jones, offered prayer, after
all had united in singing the long
doxology. Addresses of welcome fol-
lowed by Mayor Chas P. Weaver; Col
Thos w. Bulitt for board of trade;
Rev. Carter Helm Jones for the com
mercial club; Hon. Attilla Cox for
finance committee; Chief Justice James
H. Hazelrigg for the Kentucky Divisions
presentation of the building TO the
commanding general by Col, Bennett
H. Young, chairman of the reunion
committees; response to all these ad-
dresses by Gen. John B. Gordon. The
Confederate glee club sang my Old
Kentucky Home" and "Auld Lang
Svne." All this occupied until 2o'clock,
when Rev. DR.. b. NJ. Palmer was intro
duced as the orator of the day. II this
writer had the arranging OF the pro-
gram, DR.. Palmer would have been the
first to speak. Just before he arose
hundreds left the hall, and thousands
would have retired had it been any
other man than DR.. Palmer When he
was introduced he received an enthu
siastic and affectionate ovation, for the
entire audience rose to salute. He
spoke for more than an hour, and ms
voice was as strong and clear at the
e conclusion as when he begun Here
4 are Just few sentences from tina
, matchless defense of those who wOrt
the gray;
at is thirty-fye years since the Con
!, federate war closed, and about thirty
= nine years since it was begun, and it /
!, sometimes asked why we should sti
), the ashes of that ancient fcud-why W
|, should not bury the past in its owl
II future. To this question, comrades
}, we return the answer with a voice lou
Il as seven thunders-because it is his
a tory; because it is our history, and tn
S history of our dead heroes, who shal
g not go without their fame. AS long a
e there are men who wear the gray the
" will gather the charred embers of thei
> old camp-fres and in the blaze of thes
:, reunions tell the story of the martyr
sl who fell in defense of country and c
truth,
re "Fellow-citizens the application {
Of this discourse is left to silence and
s. YOU. That which hath been is now; an
NJ that which is to be hath alread
~ BEEN Inyective and reproach will col
~ tinue. in the sacred name of histOr.
~ ", to poured upon those who deserved onI
~ her applause. The faithful witnesSe
r. of the truth will 60 in cloud and sorrow
IN But they will do it in the certain fait
,r of a resurrection. As for their ow
Of fame, they can afford to wait EterI
'e. ity is long and it is their lifetime. Upc
lis the lip of that boundless sea their pr
ly phetic gaze is fixed upon the burnlsht
OF throne which human justice makes
oi last tribunal, and before which the n
,'' tions and the centuries are arraignt
~ for trial. Defamation and SANDER re
=, as lightly upon their calm spirits as Il
h, salt-sprays that crystalize upon Il
q, silent rock. If, too, the warnings
ek the past like the prophecies of Ca
h. sandra, are heard only to be dish
Id, lieved, still let the despots of ear
Oh know they are but sowing the dragon
or teeth of an armed and fierce retrib
we ton. Constitutional freedom has n
ur come forth from the conflict of ages
in be stuffed now when her broad shield
uls thrown over two continents. She W
rs re-appear again and again amid t
es. birth throes of regenerated States;
.9' regulated liberty is to the commo
ms wealth what piety is to the church, al
lb the very law of its life. Both ha
,Sa &C, struggled through corruption and dec
,se to a more complete realization. But
aid the day should come when despoti'
led shall so far consolidate its power as
,ts crush all human freedom beneath
he iron heel, then will be consummat
me the second apostacy of man after
'"' flood In the usurpation of Nimrod,'
Tallahatchie county is not to be
70 yided as proposed by the act of the Ii
he legislature. The vote on the question
10. For adoption OF the act....,........,,..,,.,..
Against ''''.''''''
OF Not voting
do Majority against adoption n....,,..'.''.'''''''
3h- The following amounts are due N
he sissippi regiments in Spanish'Americ
IN war;
,uS First Regiment. A6 II
;ta Second Regiment ..'..'..'.''''' '''''''' lSlo
''0 Third Regiment, ,.....",.,.,..,,".'.'. s,ee'
an Col. j. S. Hamilton recently visit
ost Washington to collect this money,
de 1t will be paid only where each IN
signs the muster roll.
The contract for the new additiC
~ to the State Insane Hospital, at Ja'
- son, for colored patients, was award
o.. to II. NJ, Taylor for S2o,s70, plumb
=. not included, which will be about S.,
~ more. The two new buildings will
90 four stories each and will accommodi
,e,, $40 patients.
RS Rev. DR., C. E. Cunningham, of Ya'
th- City, was elected by the Presbyteri