The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-05-30
AFTERNOON SESSION.

When General Gordon called the af- ternoon session of the Confederate Veterans at 3 o'clock the sirens of the steamboats and whistles of locomotives were joining in noisy welcoming to the flower parade, and for ten minutes a voice was not audible in Confederate hall. Finally the pandemonium of whistling ceased and the convention proceeded. The report of the Histori- cal Committee was submitted, and af- ter reading, was unanimously adopted. The report stated that the chief and probably only impeachment to the re- ception of a history impartially dealing with both sides of the war Is pretu- dice.
 Probably the generation now pass ing away will never completely out live the prejudices engendered by the war, and the contentious and misap- prehensions which led to 1t.
 The estrangement between the North and South had it's origin In phy- sical and climatic conditions, and na- tural difference in life and social struc- ture. The time was when both sec- tions engaged chiefly in the pursuit of farming and both employed slave la] bor. This homogeneity as to interests and labor was interrupted by the cli- matic conditions. which in course of time. made commerce and manufac- ture with free labor. profitable in the North. and agriculture, with slave la- bor. profitable in the South. Therefore, economic. and not moral forces, abol- ished slavery in the North and estab- lished it in the. South. Thus natural conditions fixed upon the North and South distinct and diverging systems of interest and labor, and these played an important role in all the troubles that ensued.
 by the war threatened to implant sec tional animosities which time could never heal. With the Angio-Saxon race the embeg3 of disinterestedness may smolder for a season, but sooner or la- ter they will blaze forth and consume 1 the dross by which they are stified. Lincoln and Davis. "We Southern people onces regarded Abraham Lincoln as one of the most despicable creatures that ever lived Now. while we do not endorse the pol 1 icy which he pursued, we honor him fol his unquestioned sincerity, patriotism and ability. On the other hand, the people of the North once regarded Jef- ferson Davis as the incarnation of sell l fishness and disloyalty. Now, wher' ever SaDuSed or preJudlce they re- gard him, using the language of one oi their ablest scholars, as one of the purest, ablest, most patriotic and most consistent 6s 6s Amer iicam statesmen. After the adoption of the report came the election of officers. The name of | General John B. Gordon was placed be- fore the convention and instantly some- body shouted. Lets make his re-elec-
 tion unanimous" With a mighty burst
 of voices. Aye" thundered through
 the hall.
 | Lets rise and do it again." came
 a voice and with one accord the con- vention rose and with hats swinging
 in the air, Aye" again thundered | forth.
 | With the same thunderous unanimity
 the re-elections followed of Lieutenant
 General W l.. Cabel of the Trans-Mis-
 sissippi Department; Liuetenant Gen.
 eral S. D. Lee of the Army of Tennes-
 see and Lieutenant General Wade
 Hampton of the Army of Northern | Virginia.
 | Immediately there was calls for
 speeches and General Gordon responded
 by saying: My comrades. you must
 allow this trembling heart of mine tC
 express it's sentiments. I love you | my comrades, I love you more and
 more as the years go by, and the
 brightest hope that I have on earth