The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-05-12
EVIDENCE OF UNITED COUNTRY
Army of the Potomac Veterans frater-
nize With War Time Foes.
seTH REUNION OF THE SOCIETY

36TH REUNION OF THE SOCIETY
Interesting Exercises Characterized
the Days Proccedinss-A Camp
Fire at Nicon Hall Ended the First
Days Observation-Disclosures by DIR.
Newell Dwight Hills and General
Horatio 0. King.
Manassas, Va, May 10.-A camp fire
at Nicoll Hall tonight, in which the
veterans Of the Society Of the Army of
the Potomac fraternized with their war
time foes, terminated the first DAVIS
session of the tnirty-sixth annual re-
union Of the society. The citizens of
Manassas co-operated with the visit
ors 70 make the gathering a distinct
success. The various organizations in
the society were we'll represented in the
interesting exercises that characterized
the days proceedings. General DAME.
E. Sickles, General John C. Black and
Corporal Tanner made informal al
dresses, expressing gratitude for unit
ed country. The principal exercises of
the day were conducted in the court
house, relic of war time. Represen-
tative Avery of Virginia delivered an
address of welcome on behalf of the
state of Virginia, in the absence Of
Governor Montague who was prevented
by illness from attending General
Horatio O. King responded. He wa
followed by Dr. Henry NJ Clarkson,
former surgeon in the Confederate
army who read an original poem. The
orator of the day was Rev. Newell
Dwight Hills of Brooklyn
Rev. Newell Dwight Hills. D. D.,
said i'll part:
More than forty years have passed
since your regiments assembled on
this battlefield of the republic. It is
said that time DESTROYS all things. but
neither time nor events have been
able to destroy YOUR recollection of
the two battles Of Bull Run. and that
ceremony that occurred Just two
icated this monument to the heroes
of these fields. The memory Of that
far off conflict. with the stroke Of bat
tie, that was like the stroke of an
earthquake. now hangs on the walls
of your memory like the shield Of a
vanuuished enemy. Long ago Gods
grass healed over the scars cut by can
non balls. vet the hills are still billowy
with your country's dead. And now.
in this month of Nav dedicated to thu
memorials of heroes. YOU are assem-
bled on this battlefield. veterans all.
and members Of the Grand Army Of
the EepuDlic. We do we'll to recall
that battle. tc celebrate the victory.
and the triumph of the principles for
which you fought. and to keep green
the memory of our heroic dead. The
measure Of great mans worth is the
number Of achievements and memoir
able DAYS that his history holds. And
the measure of a nations civilization
is the number of great events it can
recall-the battles the fathers have
fought the number of great men it has
whose birthdays it can celebrate. The
Eternal City had it's Pantheon. in
which it buried it's heroes. ana London
has her Westminster Abbey. History
is an Abbey in which none but the
great do sleep. When the traveller
crosses the threshold Of some Vatican
or Louvre. he beholds the treasures Of
twenty centuries. assembled for the
inspiration and delight Of the pilgrim.
Standing in this storehoUse Of genius.
Won exclaim. What marblest What
masterpieces of painting: What ar
chitecture: What bronco How did
the sons of genius walk in regiments'
And not otherwise was it with the
generation that toiled during the Civil
war. The history of that epoch is
s1I, fo1 I@
roes. patriots. orators. soldiers and the
saviors of their country. What lead
ers were yours--two of whom have
place among the eight greatest SOL
diers of history. Among the states
men there are a few mountaln-peak
minds. and Lincoln was one of these
suniit peaks. bathed in lieht and glory
that is immortalf What orators were
these who lent luster to the era Of elo-
cuence and reform! Verify. it was an
ace when great men marched i'll regi-
ments. Great Crises for the nation Du-
men on their mettle. emergencies de-
veloDed latent resources. and lead
genius forth to its best estate. Great
are our merchants--they feed the
state: great arc our teachers-they
instruct the state. Great are the iu-
physicians who keep the state in
health. and the moral teachers. who
keep the state ir ethics. But who
shall estimate the nations debt to the
soldiers and patriots who have kept
the, state in liberty. and protected the
institutions that have made the repub-
lie the educator of the world in free
institutions. Forty years ago today
orators rehearsed the story Of your
valor and your heroism. On that oc-
oasion a great soldier and statesman
dedicated this monument to these he
rocs who mere fell crimsoning with
blood the banner of the republic. His
tory also has searched ont the signifi-
canoe OF that memorable conflict.
while philosophers have given to US
the sequence IF events and traced the
influence of that battle upon the for
tunes OF war. For YOU and me it re-
mains to survey the results of their
battle and their victory. to consider
the institutions they loved and for
which they lived and died. to examine
the grounds of patriotism. to nourisn
within ourselves more generous