The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-17
"CorporaI" Tanner, Commander in Chief of the G, A, R.,
 Principal Speaker
VETERANS SAY THERE
 IS NO NORTH OR SOUTH
First Time Confederate Veterans and Members of Grand Army Have Gathered Together at Af-
 fair of This Kind.

ernoon at the Commercial club rooms at which session officers for the ensuing year were elected and speeches of welcome made. Dr. A, N. Ballard of Birmingham, was elected commander Last night at the Cable Company hall, number of ladies, members of the Grand Army and Confederate veterans assembled at the annual camp fire" Several eloquent speeches were made by those who wore the blue and those who wore the grey. Last on the programme, Corporal" Tan ner, commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, made talk which it is said, was one of those intimate ap- peals to the human heart that knows no boundary lines
 The valor of the soldiers of the south and the soldiers of the north was lauded alike His speech was full of the sentiment which heals the wounds of war and untes the country
 Clyde Miller made the first speech of the evening. In part he said:
 Speech of Welcome.
 Tn behalf of the Grand Army of the Republic, department of Alabama, l ex- tend sincere greetings. I note with the deepest pleasure the trend of the times. It is towards-in fact, 1t has accomplish ed-the effacement of old sectional lines and has brought together in feeling of brotherhood, those of us who live to rep resent the blue and the grey. As evidence of this this Is the first mingling to- gether of the veterans on both sides. The prophecy of the Bible that the lion and the lamb shall lie down in perfect harmony has been fulfilled. Is that the correct quotation?"
 q think 1t is," replied General Tanner, But l would like to know which is the lion and which is the lamb"
 Well I have never seen a Johnnie Reb," continued MT. Miller, with mus ket in his hand, who looked anything like a lamb to me-" He then spoke in glowing terms of the loyalty. ability and above all, the distinguishing spirit of comradeshlp of General Tanner.
 Mir Willer introduced Dr. A. N. Ballard, the newly elected commander who pre- sided for the rest of the evening. Dr. Bal lard said:
 T greet you, friends and fellow citizens members of the Confederate Veterans and of the Grand Army of the Republic. l hear from the representative of the Mayor of our city, Fred s. Fulghum. MT. Full ghum said:
 Fulqhum Spoke.
 "It affords me much pleasure on this occasion to represent the city of Birming- ham. I read the speech delivered by your commander-in-chief in Atlanta on the occasion of the memorial services to General Wheeler and was much impressed with the broad and noble sentiments eX- pressed therein. General Tanner was right. All dividing lines are gone--now there are no sections, the north and south are folded together by ties too strong to be broken. We have cause to rejoice in the present and wish for the fruition of all our hopes for the future.'
 Dr. Ballard said:
 My impressions are that the organiza- tons of old soldiers, Camp Hardee and Post Custer, are all often misunderstood. Some seem 10 think we get together to keep up the old btterness-to gnash our teeth and fight the war over, but they never were more mistaken. Our meetings are more like those of an alma mater. They are social gatherings. No one can tell what they mean to us but the man who has been at the front. We have in- vited the Confederate veterans and are sorry more are not present We wanted to have more of them talk"
 Brig. Gen John W. Bush, commander of the Fourth Brigade, Alabama division, U. c. V.., was then introduced. He said:
 Comrades wearing the blue and the grey, forty years have made us all com rades Ten years ago I saw for the first time the distinguished commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. l remember the enthusiasm aroused when it was an- that the commander was in our midst There was cheer after cheer until the very walls trembled-cheers for the gallant Corporal Tanner.
 Now, fellow comrades. we are one grand republic. No north. no south. but united we stand forever"
 Commander c. w. Buckner of Montgom- cry was next on the programme and, according to the opinions expressed, he made a forceful and eloquent speech
 Capt w.. C. Ward was introduced.
 He told anecdotes of the war which seemed to get close to the hearts of the veterans.
 Tanners Speech.
 Corporal" Tanner said in part:
 q should rise with q great deal more if l thought 1t in my power