Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-04-24
STIRRING SCENES AT
DALLAS REUNION
Continued from First Page.

don arrived. The manner Of his entrance
/ into the vast auditorium was dramatic.
| General Van zandt had announced that
all hope of the presence Of General Cor
/ don had been abandoned, and the meeting
had been turned over to General s. d.
| Lee, commander Of the Army Of the Ten
nessee.
| General Lee was in the midst of his
speech, when a number of voices and
/ stamping of feet were heard from the
rear of the hall. The roar grew TO thun-
| derous proportions, and above 1t all could
be heard the magic word, "Gordon! AT
/ that name the veterans rose to their rect.
| 81 will speak no more" said General
| lee when the commander had assembled
| to the platform. "Our beloved command
er can say to you words that will please
you more than those Of any other man.
''It was no fault of mine," said General
Gordon. when the applause had subsidized
that 1 was twenty hours late. Maybe
you boys can remember a time when
was not late"
General Gordon's speech was as fol-
\ lows;
"Governor, Mr.. Mayor, Gentlemen of
Committees and My Fellow Countrymen
of Texas: How shall tell you what we
think Of Texas, of her great hearted peo-
! pie, her broad prairies and still broader
| hospitality? 1 but poorly express the
thought of these veterans when say that
| whether we look at her geographically,
historically or sentimentally. Texas is
about the biggest thing we ever saw. She
/ can raise cattle enough on her wild lands
to furnish all the canned beef for the
armies OF Uncle Sam, John Bull and the
German empire, and still have fertile lands
enough left, If planted in the fieecy staple,
| to make more bales of cotton than are
now produced by America and Egypt COM
| bined; or, If planted in grain crops, TO feed
every man, woman and child in the Union.
with such territory-almoste equal to
/ that Of the Original Thirteen, States which
threw of the yoke Of bondage and
wrenched freedom from, the gTeatestl Of
| empires-this great commocs realth holds
| today within its borders yoi ulation de-
voted to those same imperisha Die princi-
plies-a population which, If the occasion
| should come, would wage another seven
years war in defense of this inherited re-
public, it's flag. its laws and its regulated
| liberties.
"In the few moments in which propriety
| permits me to speak, 1 dare not trust my
| self to make more than the briefest al
/ fusion to Texas history. / cannot survey
even the confines of that vast field, made
/ so rich and so inspiring by the great deeds
/ of her martial sons. Indulge me just long
| enough to say that from her birth,
| through all her costly experiences as a
/ struggling republic, and through subse-
uuent wars, the sons of Texas, whenever
summoned to the sacrifice, have poured
/ out their blood freely on Liberty's affairs.
From Goliad and San Jacipto, from Buena
| Vista and Serro Gordo, from Chicka-
| mauga's hills and the shivered rocks of
the Round Tops Of Gettysburg, from the
charge of her cowboys and rough riders
/ up the wire girdled sleeps of Santiago,
i from every battlefield made memorable
swer of Texas to freedoms call. No won
der she has inspired her neighbors beyond
the Rio Grande with such wholesome re-
/ spect for her prowess. No wonder that
| the Lone Star is so dazzling to Mexican
/ eyes. You know that the Mexicans claim
they could stand up fairly well against the
whole of the United States II it were not
for Texas
"But not only is Texas great histori-
cally and great in her geographical ex-
panse, but she can do more in a small
space than any other country in the world.
As proof, I point you to little Spindle Top
where a few acres can pour out of the
greasy threats of boiling, laundering
4 gushers, oil enough to light every hamlet
in the land, and at the same time, If gov
! eminent experiments are successful,
enough oil 10 Kill all the mosquitoes from
the Jersey shore to the Mexican border.
again, Texas has the biggest cities of
| their size IN all the universe. 6ndlA IL
| lustrate by name one? The throbbing
| heart of every veteran in this assembly
| has already answered with the name of
| Dallas-beautiful Dallas, holding now in
| her loving embrace more people from the
| outside than she has population inside.
| And who are these men whom she so ten
| Derby and so lovingly embraces? Why this
| outpouring Of her people? Is some Prince
Henry, some potentate of kingly lineage
| passing in her streets? There are no
Prince Henrys here-no brothers, nor 9TH
| er kin of the great kaiser. But there are
men here, who to your thought are great
| er than princes, grander than potentates
j Here are men of the purest and most royal
! lineage-men in whose veins runs the blood
| OF the founders of this mighty republic
| whose mission it is to light up for strug
Cling humanity the highway to freedom.
| Here are the veterans of the proudest of
| armies-hoary with age and ennobled by
| sacrifice. why by their own individual
| heroism in the bloodiest of wars, by their
i self-control and self-reliance through the
long crucihxion which followed, have won
the admiration of all men who honor man
hood and love liberty. In a word you my
fellow countrymen of Texas, believe, and
you have a right to believe that every SOL
der who bravely fought in the Confeder-
ate army and remained loyal to its mem
4 cries, as well as loyal TO the republic is
! a prince in his own right and by his own
| achievement You believe, and you have a
| right to believe, that every gray cap that
ever sheltered the head of faithful Con-
federate private is a nobler crown than
| that worn by any 'pOtentate on earth. But
1 am trespassing and must close with the
affectionate greetings of these soldiers to
| this great state and glorious city. Our
hats are off 10 both, and so long as life
lasts we will hold you i'm loving embrace"
The applause which. met the conclusion
of General Gordon's speech was terrific.
Stirring Airs Sung.
Interspersng the speeches the songs of
the southland were mingled with those of
the whole nation. They were sung in this
I order:
/ America Bonnie Blue Flag"
Dixie" Star SpRngled Banner" 1.-The
Girl Left Behind Me-" and again the un-
| dying Dixie"
i A message was received from. w. j,
I, Bryan regretting his inability to be pres
i emf.