The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-10-07
COL. VEGA ON PEACE.
Veteran of the Civil Wf Says War
Is Obsolete and Universal Peace
Must Prevail-Successful Peunion
Of the Blue and the Clay at

| MASI FFGvall--OACCSSSiA vi " SQIIiot
Of the Blue and the 9Iay at
Memphis. 4
| Col. A. D. Vega, one of donaldson,
ville's leading merchants | Ind best,
known citizens, attended t-e reunion
of the Blue and the Gray held at
Memphis on Wednesday Of last week
then in progress in that city, and de-
! livered the following address at a re-
ception rendered the visiting veterans
by the Business Mems Club:
Il deem it an exalted privilege to
have the honor of addressing you
upon this suspicious occasion, of
saying a few words to the comrades
of the Blue and the Gray, to the
veterans who have met in Memphis
today, not to fight over the battles
Of 1876, but for the purpose Of be-
ing initiated in this great southern
city in the degree of love and peace.
Peace, not only for the people of our
| beloved country, but peace universal
throughout the world.
LAS a. prerequisite to universal
peace we must select lawmakers
who, having the best interests Of
| the country at heart, will repeal bad
laws and make good ones, always
| with the proviso for universal peace.
! We must meet all the nations of the
earth with the olive branch of peace,
with the love of peace with which
We veterans are now imbued and will
forever feel, having as we haze had
surfeit Of war. We must have that
peace which is so beautifully illus.
trated in the well-ordered home,
where peace, contentment and hap.
plncss ever prevails. Peace, veter.
ans, where we can eat, drink and
sleep without annoyance, a. elysium
of perpetual happiness. This great
country must have peace, and we vet
Grams must take the lead and teach
the rising generation that war is oD.
solete.
Love is the result of peace and
contentment, as bright as the morn.
ing star which sheds it's radiance up.
On the living and the dead. Love
of peace is the mother Of melody,
AID who best cun teach it than we
veterans Ct the great war Of 61-'6o
TO us must be delegated the duty OF
making peace alliances with the
world. Today the people of the en-
Ire world are clamoring fo- peace
the milliona1res, the biliionaif'es, the
religious IND the irEeliglous are try
i-s to have peace, peace, peace. Let
no cruel war disturb our country, but
let that Great General who commands
US all, the God Of all, take command
| Having Travelled uuuh, some II ;
900 miles in one year, I have seen
and heard much, aud in ali nay TIA,
elc I have observed that where Dad
laws prevail there is war amongst
the people. 10 Lie ladies' i'll parJ1clI
lar this must be aggfa sdlnS. have
Travelled through states where | have
had to stop travelling On Sundays
because trans Were prevented iron
running on this DAY by the law,
where even cooking was prohibited
where many other things permitted
on week days were not allowed OF
Sundays; where even kissing one s
wife was prohibited. Such laws az
these bring on war, and ask the
ladies how do they fancy such laws
where good husband cannot kiss
his wife all he wants ON Sunday. BAG
laws made by nations cause war
and we must beg the ladies here
today to help US wipe out the bad
laws and thereby bring peace every
where. Nations, like states and cities
must enact laws which will not be
repugnant to comon sense. They mus
repeal all the bad laws and make
good laws. We veterans of the Blue
and the Gray are particularly fitted
to make the laws, and the laWmakins
power should be delegated to us
Universal peace will then prevail.
II feel happy today to meet the
boys in blue feel happy that they
are here to shake hands over the
past We are all happy on this grand
) occasion. I move, in conclusion, tha
the Blue and Gray assembled here
today appoint d committee of twelve
veterans, six Blue anG six Gray, who's
duty it shall be to meet the United
Confederate Veterans reunion u
,, Macon, Georgia, next year, and thE
Grand Army reunion, and petition
both organizations to hold join
= reunion in 1913"
= et1
ly adopted.
:, Col. Vega is veteran of Barnes
! Battery, c. S. A, and leading mem
:, Der of Major Victor Maurin CAM
: No. 3S, U. c. ", of this city. He i
an ardent advocate of peace, ant
demonstrated the strength of his con
victions in this regard by striving
earnestly a few years after the civi
, war to bring about the establishment
, Of friendly relations between thu
veterans of the Blue and the Gray
Among his valued possessions is
letter signed by John P. Forcha, Q
Donaldsonville, veteran of Co. A
47th Indiana Regiment, stating tina
"Col. A. D. Vega was the first Con
federate veteran right after the ciVi
war who was always friendly to tht
Union veterans. He decorated car
riage with blue and gray and parade
,, with the Blue veterans in one Of thu
first parades which took place il
Donaldsonville few years after the
war
After the parade above referred to
,