The Washington herald., 1911-07-22
Ffm Q etafi Oosrespcndent)

' JJ AA sAAss
haflowed spot where first tn,
wounds of civil strife were opened
to-day they were healed, and healec
for all time. Johnny Reb ant
Brother Yank clasped hands anc
wept on each others shoulder lik,
the stout and loyal hearts they are
On the banks of that lazy, slug
gish stream called Bull Run /:
glorious scene was enacted. Tht
Stars and Bars dipped to the Stars
and Stripes in the utmost amity
and 600 wearers of the Blue anc
the Gray-veterans of two bloody
battles fought across this same Bull
Run-fled past one ano.,Ier in two
long lines, all smiling, laughing
renliniscencing about the days wher
they indulged in the grim bushes:
of killing one another.
PUTS BAN ON WAR.
President Taft came down from the
White House to see the healing Of the
ancient breach and to preach peace, not
only nationally, but internationally-tc
ask the aid of these battle-scarred vet.
Grams in the propaganda of worldwide
arbitration. He proudly announced that
Great Britain and France were to sign
treaties within the next ten days making
war impossible with the United States.
Placid Manassas was all a-ffutts to-
day. Well she might be. Wherc in
all Dixieland has ever hospital, been
extended to a co-1mander-in-ch IF of the
Grand Army of the Republic ]. E. Gil
man. Of Boston? How ofte, I have the
United Confederate Ve,Nrans and the
Federals met en- masse Ike. true COM
rades? Where else has the old stars and
bars-the Confederate f1ag-waved side
by side with the Stars and Stripes
without a word of protest raised? 1t
was, indeed, big challenge that this viii
lage flung to the wavers of the "bIcody
shirt to-day.
Manassas was simply swamped by the
5000 or more visitors tina. poured in upon
her. Hundreds tried to reach Henry
House, on the site of the battlefield. ak
miles away from the village, and failed.
because all the autos, hacks, 'busses,
and farmers carts that could be pressed
into service were woefully inadequate.
The picturesque scene on the battle
field, perhaps the most remarkable DEM
onstration of the healing of civil war
wounds in a decade, reached almost to
the significance of religious rite. There
were possibly $50 Union veterans there
at the old farmhouse. along with $50
old Confederates, gathered from all Sec
tions of tho Union. although mainly from
Virginia and the adjoining seaboard
States. What they did and said on
those slopes and meadows, almost every
acre Of which has been bloodied with
battle, was an inspiring sight.
Headed by Governor.
Gov. William Hodges Mann, Of vir-
ginia, In a gray Confederate uniform
and looking every inch a soldier despite
his years, headed the line Of gray, and
Commander-in-chief Gilman. Of the G. A.
R.. was in nominal headship of the thin
ner line of blue. They chatted OF the
exploits Of Stonewall jackson, Long
street, Pope, Jubal Early, and Mcclellan.
they pointed out the spots where COM
rades fell; and the Northerners took q
deal Of good-natured chatting about the
fast time they made between Bull
Run and Washington after that first In
glorious rout and disaster.
THE retreat from Bull Run to Manas-
sas" came at o'clock in the afternoon.
when the thousands poured villageward
in anticipation Of the coming of PresI-
dent Taft at 4 o'clock. The President
came. after many adventures fording
Virginia streams, an hour late, and de-
livered a stirring address in the court
house grounds on international peace.
II am glad to be here on this great
day." he said. I'VE are celebrating a re-
united country, when sectionalism is
eliminated, when all old wounds have
been healed.
II want all you veterans TO support
the administration In its efforts to Sc
cure peace the world over. have a
right to ask this. for who is IN a bet
ter position to appreciate the value Of
peace than those who have been through
the inferno Of war? No nation so values
peace as that which has stood the test
Of war
Nation Stands q Unit.
This American nation stands to-day
before the world unit We have pass.
ed through the greatest civil war the
world has ever known. and yet, In the
short space Of half century, we have
risen to our present eminence. Where
else II tie nation that has shown such
recuperative powers?
have saved great announcement
FOR you veterans. To-day the nation =, |
France has signifed its fntention -
signing an arbitration treaty slrnilar -
tha. which we have secured with e.r..,
Britain. Better than that, the tre.tv
WIN be signed by the representative OF |
he two nations within ten days.
II deem this an auspiciohs tirne N
preach peace when you old soIdiers are
'slshretinF the fact that the battle Of