The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1907-10-03

crate demonstration, and if the
invitation did not include all veteran
IL would amount in my estimation to
social ostraciSm SO far as / was concern
ed, as I surely did not intend to crowd
myself in upon them before the matter
was distinctly understood. So / adj
dressed q note to the president of the
lChautauqua informing him as this was
a public affair and q general public in
stitution,I wished TO distinctly under
stand whether the Invitation was gen.
eral and included the old Union vete-
rams. Upon which he informed me it
surely did. And more than this, the
| Daughters of the C~onfedsracy went
still further and appointed n prominent
gentleman to specially extend their in
Vitation to any old Union soldier whom
he might meet, and he very cordially
| took me by the hand and gave me a
hearty invitation. What, then. could l
do If l had q spark of the gentleman
about me, or the gallantry or the spirit
| of chivalry of the true Southern gentle
man, but to accept the invitation as the
'tburial Of the hatchet'' and the Offering
| of the solve branch" and enter heart
lily and cordially into the enjoyment of
the occasion, and [ felt that | was most
richly rewarded.
When l entered the dining-room fl
led with old Confederate veterans, as /
have on SO many occasions with Union
veterans, a most beautiful and highly
accomplished young lady of the city, a
Daughter of the Confederacy, greeted
me with q smile at the door, extended
her hand and gave me a most cordial
and hearty welcome. She then seated
me and proceeded with other beauties
to wait ON me and others to the excel
lent refreshments Of the occasion. The
old veterans while truly cordially and
sincerely friendly, at the same time
maintained their ~self-respect and true
dignity as men who, having believed
they were right, had fought bravely
through four long years of terrible strife
! and hardship; some had been wounded
several times, and one old veteran told
me that he was q prisoner of val two
years and more on Johnson's Island in
Lake Erie. He is a neighbOr to me now,
. successful truck farmer and gardener,
doing well.
A visit of an hour or two after dinner
and then the veterans fell in line for the
march to the hall-and how did they
look and how did they appear? Why,
just like our men; men of the same
names, nationality and character, and
I believe most of them men could be
trusted anywhere, and some of them
now men of abundant mean Did they
have a brass band, and did they march
to the tune of Dixie, and did they 1aunt
the old stars and bars, or the later APP
proved flag of the Confederacy? No,
indeed; they marched without any mus
icVand without any flag, but they march
ed with dignity and in grim silence
But how do you suppose it seemed to
me, the only old Yankee in the line. l
thought Of the days of yore and saw the
old fellows vainly trying to keep the
step TO shay foot straw f.ot," as we
used to in the old drilling days some
times Of yore?
At the hall we were all seated in a
body, and the Grafton was delivered by
George M. Edgar, LID, formerly on
the staff of Stonewall Jackson. It was
a most eloquent and able portrayal of
the life, character and military achieve
ments of that noted chieftain In both
peace and war; and { q crown all, after
narrating his wonderful success TO the
time of his tragical death, and showing
his reasons for believing that had he
been spared Gettysburg would not have
been necessary, he frankly admitted
that he could not account for his re-
moval except 1t was to prevent the
success of the Southern Confederacy-
or at least it was an act of an inscru-
table God. This was O manly, noble and
Christian-like admission, and one which
goes far to satisfy and reconcile men of
both parties TO the result, firmly believ-
ing that under Providencei it is all for
the best.
In conclusion / call your attention to
the fact that thousands of the old Con-
foderate veterans were bitterly opposed
to secession, and but for the call for
troops to aid in quelling the rebellion
whole States like Tennessee and North
Carolina would meyer have seceeded,
but they would not fight their fellow
Southerners.s
But then you viii ask what is the
cause Of the stsolid South or Of the