The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1903-05-22
Gen. GOrdon's Speech at New Or
leans.

As commandment chief of the
Confederate veterans, it was the
province of Gen. John B. Gordon
to reply 10 the welcome address of
the chairman of the local executive
committee at the New Orleans re-
union. AS his soldierly form and
battle-scared visage came to the
front Of the rostrum, the delegates
rose en- massee and gave him cheer
after cheer. The General repeated
ly bowed his acknowledgment of
the loyal and affectionate greeting,
and when the tumult had subsidized
with trembling voice and emotion
he said:
"Governor, Mr.. Mayor and Gen
tleman of the Committee, my Fellow
Countrymen: Ono words that
can utter will adequately express
the pleasure which L experience in
responding today, in the name of
my comrades, TO this characteristic
welcome extended by New Orleans
and Louisiana for. the second time
within a decade. To my thought
it is most fitting that this proud
and patriotic organization should
again meet in this historic city
which gave it birth. The meeting
of such men as you welcome to-day,
whose past deeds will remain forev-
er an inspiration to American valor
and to future sacrifices for constitu-
tional freedom, is an suspicious
event in the country's history,
whenever and wherever it may &C.
cur; but how peculiarly inspiring is
this reunion in Louisiana on this
Tooth anniversary of her new Oirth
into governmental alliance with
American States 4 Roman eye
would have discovered in a meeting
of such men at such a time an
omen of good to the cause of lib
erty, and American eyes could see
in it nothing but good to the whole
republic. 1t must of necessity be
benefcient and only beneficient.
While stimulating US in a COM
mendable Southern pride, We shall
at the same time be lifted to high
Ell and broader Americanism, as We
hastily recall in this centennial year
the great events in Louisiana's past
and proud history.
"She is now one hundred years
old; but a hundred years ago she
was the most wonderful infant of
the century-a very giantess at her
birth. If l were disposed to deal
in metaphor, l would say that the
Mississippi river in its entire stretch
was the tape line which measured
and the only line long enough to
measure her length; for while her
baby brow was kept cool by the
snowfakes of the Rocky Mountains,
her feet were warmed in the tepid
waters of the Gulf stream.
"She had scarcely passed her
girlhood, when, like her prolific
elder sister, Virginia, she became
the mother of an enormous progeny
of States, and was adding new stars
to this Unions galaxy. And there
are now two more of her children
ready to take their places in the
first sisterhood of States.
elf we call the roll of her daugh
tiers, beginning with Montana,
Wyoming and the Dakotas, and
then call Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri,
Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas and
Arkansas, taking in the spirited,
aspiring damsels, Oklahoma and
Indian Territory--every one of
them can historically respond to
the name of Louisiana.
"But, again, she was only about
10 years old when she was receiving
into her bosom the fire from British
guns; and when from behind her
breastworks of cotton bales defeat
and death were being carried to the
British arms and British hopes, she
was not much older when another
war came, and again she stepped to
the front, sending her grim old SUI
gar planter, Zachary Taylor, to win
victory and fame in Mexico, and es
tablish peace with our neighbor.
''And then in the great war-the
war between the states-her Wash
ington Artillery, with its incompar-
able, world-famed batteries; her
modest and meek "Tigers, whose
very name carried terror to the nerve
of every foe; her sunburnt boys from