The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-31
GATHERING OF THE VETERANS.
LARGEST ATTENDANCE a REUNION
HAS EVER KNOWN.

Ienns-savannah Soldiers to Take
Part in Sham Battle.
louisville, May 30-Surrounded by wav-
ing banners bearing the fiery cross of the
Confederacy. listening TO the cheers from
the 5000 men who wore the gray and
confronted by the waving handkerchief
Of hundreds of ladies. Gen. John B. Cor
don, commander of the United Confeder-
ate Veterans, to-day formally opened the
tenth annual reunion of the order which,
III point of attendance, is already tho
| largest ever held.
All things conspired to make the ocs
| casion a success, with the exception Of
the weather. which was about as dis
agreeable as 1t well could be. All through
| the early hours of the morning the rain
| came down IA sheets.
For an hour previous to the time set
| for the opening Of the meeting the vet-
| Grams and their friends made their way
| in a steady stream 10 the hall, and by
| II. 80 it was we'll filed. A portion of tho
| Georgia delegation. headed by a drum
| corps, came marching in, making the
building ring with martial music ana
| calling forth cheers from those assembled
| in the hall.
An Old Flag From Georgia.
| veteran from Georgia walked the crowd
to genuine enthusiasm when he came in
carrying the old battlehag of the Third
| Georgia Infantry. Scarcely had he taken
| his seat when the band struck up Dixie"
and then came the old rebel yen. and ID
came with fire and vigor that never was
surpassed during the days of the war.
| On the platform beside Gen. Poynts.
was Gen. Buckner, Rev. j. w. Jones, Hon.
]. II. Reagan, the only surviving member
of the cabinet of Jefferson Davis Gen. w.
T. Cabell. Gen. ]. II. West, Col Thomas
| w. Bulitt Col b. II. Young, Rev Carter
| II. Jones, Dr. b. NJ Palmer and others
| The Mayor, whose speech was received
| with much applause, was followed by Col
| Thomas f. Built, who welcomed the vis-
| itors to Louisville I'm behalf of the Board Of
| Trade of this city. Rev. Carter Jones ex-
tended the welcome in behalf of the Com
| mercial Club of this city.
| While he was In the midst of his adj
dress, The A. =. Fiji Camp of Petersburg,
| Va, came into the hall, headed by a fife
and drum corps, which created such a
| noise that II was impossible for Mr.. Jones
| to continue.
Cox, Chier Justice Haze rigg~G n. Buckn r
and Col Bennett II. Young.
At the conclusion of his address Col.
Young turned to Gen. Gordon and handed
| him the keys of the building, which had
| been erected for the reunion.
Gen. Gordon's Speech
| Gen. Gordon was visibly moved by the
reception end for several minutes stood
| bowling his thanks. When quiet was re-
| stored he spoke as follows:
General, Mr. Mayor and Gentlemen of
| the Reception Committees: No man Is
ffxAA sterIa
| enough to tell Kentuckians what we feel at
| this hour and how deeply we feel It, Shall
| say for my comrades and myself that we
| are grateful, profoundly grateful?
| That would be, in the presence OF
| such q demonstration, the merest COM
| monplace, the needless statement of a
| patent fact, which you already know or
| can plainly read in these moistened eyes
and quivering lips. Shall tell you that
| we are amazed, that we were unprepared
| for such display, such exuberance OF
| hospitality, such warmth and prodigality
1 of welcome? cannot say that, for 1t
| would be untrue We knew beforehand
what to expect of this great-hearted peo-
| pie.
Your distinguished felIow-citizep. Colo
mel Bennett Young, who was the selected
| mouthpiece of your delegates, had as
| sured us at Charleston in words fervid and
| eloquent, that If we would come to Louis
| Vile, Kentucky's homes and hearts, Ken
|
| vailed pastures, her tenderest lambs and
| fattest beeves and the contents of her
| graneries, thansmuted by Kentucky fnagic
| into liquid corn and rye--that all these
| should be ours, the support and the soiace,
| the meat and the drink of these battle
| worn men.
| We have come to find not only that ID
| is trud but that the half had not been
| told What can say, then, what can any
| man say or do to represent To this people
| the responsive echoes of our deeply stirred
senslblities? If / possessed the mystic
power to catch and transmute into burn
| ing sentences the thoughts of these brains
| and the rhythm of these hearts, / might
| hope to give you some conception of our
| appreciation of this Kentucky greeting.
| Why has not some Edison or some gifted
| scientist, moved by genius divine, invent
] ed some means of photographing human
emotions? Why did not that crafty delv-
er into natures secrets who discovered the
| X-rays, give US double X-ray, powerful
enough to expose to Kentucky's view the
| emotions Of these men? IL such an instru-
| ment were at your command this morn
| ing you would see inscribed upon these
| hearts, in indelible letters, the beloved
| name Of Kentucky"
Kentucky's Unique Position.
L The truth is, gentlemen, that your state
| holds place among her sisters that Is
not only unique, but decidedly pictur-
| esGue
She is sui generis. AS a Georgian, L feel
an unspeakable pride in my native state,
| in her glorious past; and / confidently
predict for her a great and enviabie fu-
| ture. AS a Southerner / glory in the un-
| rivaled gifts of this section to the general
| government; In it's illusrlous names in
4 the untarnished honor Of its public SER
| wants and In the brilliant achievements
| Of It's sons in peace and war. AS an Amer
| ican, who loves his whole country, con-
| fdenfly claim for her the foremost place
| among all the nations. / proudly chal-
| lenge the records of all time 20 furnish la
parallel 10 her career; TO equal the prac-
| tical and developing genius of her cti-
| zens; TO match her high and holy poiti-
cal aims; to present a spectacle so inspr-
ing TO humanity; as we stand. the noblest
representative OF all that Is pure In re-
| hgion conservative in government, or