The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-01-01
JOtable Reunion of Blue And
: Gray In St. Petersburg

The Blues of the north, the Grays
the South, and the composite of
e blue and the gray as represent
by the veterans of the war of
-. came together yesterday after
'oa at q reception given by the Kit
nHon Post G. A. r., No. 2S, in the
"a. r.. hall on Fifth street north.
The guests were the members of
llicoffer Camp, Confederate Veter-
q. No. 1861; the Peter Tomlinson
nap. Sons of Veterans, No. IL, and
3 General Leonard A. Wood Camp,
Anish War Veterans. More than
. were present including about a
Gen women.
speoches recalling the old days of
~ IS which rave versions of the
ny conflicts from both the north
. and southern prospective. were
. interestinf features of the oc-
sion. but above it all was the unit
uqeeling of brotherhood which was
whole-heartedly expressed. 1t
asethe keynote of the gathering.
hi4e-haired confederate veterans
ID how they had been compelled
take to their heels because of
orWhelming odds, and federal sur
vQrs Related tales of flying bullets
ID bloody fields, but they were all
counted as happenings of a healed
st.
Commander White Presides
Commander William o. White of
3 Kit Carson Post, presided and
slcomed the soldiers and their
~, and called on many of the ven
able Survivors for talks.
The speaker of the occasion was
3 Hon. Washington Gardner, past
.tional grand commander of the G.
r., and former congressman from
,hinan, who will bea Republican
a dnee for governor of Michigan
.lSe next election.
The Real Cause.
I'm Hon. Mr.. Gardner went direct
thu bottom of the situation which
;odI4y on the great Civil War.
RIM &c Institutional right of state
oeeedc from the Union, and not
4yor5, vas the real heart of the
At15t," he explained Slavery was
e4XAing that brought it to a head,
a( (1ng before that there were
times when the north and
N were strained almost to the
e ing point. 1t had always been
&stiOn whether an individual
~ had a right to secede or not.
question which had been de-
jt4 Thy the most learned and illus
tQ statesmen. Congress tried to
q the matter, the supreme court
le AtC settle it, but both failed.
~ uccess of a self-governed ma
III hung in the balance, and the
Dt governmental bodies were
y<{ ual to the task of finding a So
There was nc last resort but
I% lie people to decide it them
lyG and they did decide it upon
lei Ids Of carnage"
Lincoln Defines Issue
RI bring to Abraham Lincoln, the
eGEer contrasted al the great ora
EN- the day who devoted hours to
hod ling the people, to Lincoln and
S31 mple three minute address at
~ burg in which he summed up
cal issuh so wildly and so
mer Congressman Gardner said
beginning of his talk that he
1a lad that he had served as just
% ier who carried musket and
10 kst of the equipment of pri
lteSsRs they were the ones who set
ed The greatest issue that ever
nf bnted this nation.
IN remarks all the way through
ere of an analytical nature and
loved the thought and study of
seW thinker and statesman. He
az orator of more than ordinary
bil8, and a man of wide expert
lcey3n national affairs.
Vocal Musical Numbers
In&rsperced through the program
{ aneech were a number of vocal
unpers which provided an enter
4ln e feature of theoccasion. A
10 was sung by Mrs. Robinson,
FRS Heistand and Mr.. McGregor,
nd Solos were sung by Mrs Robin
on Ind Mr.. McGregor.
~Aodresses were made by Lyman
eigAt ton, past department COM
han4er of the local post; Frank
elmar, commander of the Spanish
urNF eteran camp; Mr.. Coppoge, a
yonG derate veteran from Indiana;
~ Wright, another Confederate
etesen; S. D. Harris, who is the
on&f a Confederate veteran; j. c..
lc11nis, commander of the Confed-
rof4 veteran camp; the Rev. John
an son of a G. A. R. veteran and
he bster grandson of a Confederate
et4tan, and the Rev. James O.