The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-09

Quce the governor.
 Immediately after Governor Patterson's s address the choir sang Maryland" Mrs. Edwards leading, and received another ovation. Then after General Evans had read his annual report the convention adjourned for luncheon.
 General George w. Gordons address was as follows:
 General Gordon Speaks.
 Comrades and countrymen:
 'tThe honor and pleasure of greeting you on this beautiful summer morning on be- half of the executive committee of the reunion and the Confederate veterans of Memphis, has been assigned to me. And permit me to say that I esteem this courtesy to me as an exceptional distine- tion for I am always proud and happy to meet and greet the friends and com rades of five and forty years ago. A king, much less my humble self, might well be proud to stand, uncovered, before the venerable fragments of as brave and heroic armies as ever stormed a citadel, fought a battle or wol a victory.
 Representatives from followers of Lee and Jackson, Longstreet, Hill and Cor don, of Stewart and Hampton, are here. Soldiers who followed the two Johnstons, Bragg, Beauregard, Hood, Polk, Hardee, s. D. Lee, Buckner, Cheatham, Hindman, Walthall Cleberne and Cranberry, For rest, Wheeler, Morgan and VanDorn are here Heroes that carried the flags of Kirby Smith and Price McCulloch, Cabel | and Marmaduke are here, as also per | haps seamen who were with Semmes, Maffet, Buchanan and other naval celeb- 1 rites
 | What floods of heroic memories rush l upon us as the names and the valiant exploits of the men they commended are recalled. I welcome and bow to the re- i vered and honored remnants of the armies that fought battles and won victories when barefooted, ragged and hungry. 1 And we would marvel that men of such mould could ever have been vanquished, | if we did not know that they were finally ! overpowered more by the vast preponder- anee of numbers and resources than by ] generalship. courage and prowess-more i by famine than by fighting.
 Four Trying Years.
 For four trying and sanguinary years you maintained your cause against odds that would have driven the armies of Wellington or Napoleon to despair. II required four federal soldiers, who were better armed, better fed, better clad and better provided in every important i respect four long years to overpower one l ragged, barefooted and hungry Confed. crate. When the disparity in men and means. in war facilities, appliances and | resources of all kinds are considered, fl 1 must be admitted that the south made | a gallant fight in defense of her righ 1 to independence. And l congratulate tho 1 survivors of her passing armies, not only | on the gallant fight they made, but upor the justice of their Cause.
 | Though self-interest and power denied us separate Independence, the principl, for which we contended still lives-th, | right of self-government. l also eongrat ulate you that the younger generation. of this country and the people of thu 1 world generally are beginning to under i stand the issue involved in our inter state war. Already the truth of history is coming our way, and 1t Is not i'm probable that some of us will live to set our historic vindication, triumphant ant | complete.
 q have the fullest faith that posterit, will honor and perpetuate the story o 1 your just and heroic struggle; and though our hearts are beating slower than they did in the wild, stirring days of othel l years, every throb is a conscious mem ory of right and honorable cause. Nc | right cause can ever die. And finally 1 comrades, I have Ilo language strone enough and ardent enough to greet yol here today.
 Again I salute you, and bid you thrice | welcome to the hearts and hospitalitie: 1 of your friends comrades and country | men here. Every flag that floats in this | city, every streamer that adorns a build ing, every blast from horn or bugle ant | every shout that rends the air proclaim. l welcome to the veterans"