Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-06-08
TO oONFEDERATE REUNION IN
WASHINGTON CITY.
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reached this city yesterday, June 2.
at p. m, instead of 10 a. M, as ex-
pected. The train, composed of sleep
ers, was a long and heavy one We
limped along through South Carolina,
running into a heavy thunderstorm at
Clinton, S. G..
1t was very warm, close and sultry
until the storm cloud spent it's force,
but the air afterwards was cool and
pleasant.
My room was reserved for me and L
was soon domiciled in pleasant quar-
ters-the hotel an old one, but one 2
have been familiar with since 1875
torty-two years ago.
At that early period 1t was very pop
ular, two United States supreme court
Judges. president of the United States
senate and many senators and congress-
men living there
In the capacious writing room, where
| am writing this brief note to The
Semi-Weekly Journal, there used to be
handsomely furnished corridor,
through which Judge Clifford, Judge
David Davis and Hon. A. H. Stephens
walked to the carriage entrance every
day in the week except Sunday. These
worthless generally had a pleasant word
with each other as they met, and my
memory is surcharged with recollec-
tons of that early and delightful time
of my life, for they and many other
distinguished people were my friends
and were so cordial and attentive to
me that | now feel like one who stands
alone in a banquet hall deserted" and
L also alone have survived to pay this
tribute to their excellence and exuIt in
such glorious friendship-myself an oc-
togenarian.
l can recall their faces as if photo
graphed on my memory, and 1 am of
the opinion that it was the very hap
piest period of Mr.. Alex stephens life
because he was at the very height of
his fame and secure in the affection of
his people at home.
1 can almost glimpse him, as he used
to come along within three feet of
where i am at this moment sitting, sup
ported by his crutches and followed by
his manservant, Alex Kent, his colored
namesake as well as his trusted en-
ployee, during the later days of his
life.
"Oh! where are the friends of my
YOUTH" etc.
l shall reach my eighty-second BIRTH
day on the 10th of this month-(God
being willing that 1 should)-and I
have returned thanks to the Giver of
all good, that 1 am privileged
to return TO these scenes, as
here mentioned and live over
again in memory-what am briefly
relating-and to give my greatful
thanks for preserving mercies-as 1
write for The Semi Weekly Journal.
There is pungent war atmosphere
all over Washington City. There were
camps along the way, as l noted from
the car window, but there is at least one
uniformed soldier here to every two
men, that you meet on the streets.
There is a serious feeling abroad in
the land, and great anxiety as to the
future. l dined with friend of mine
last evening-older than even myself
and she told me of many things oc-
curing here in the city of which I had
heard nothing about before coming 1t
Is the general opinion here that this
Confederate reunion may be the great
est and may be the last that we shall
see, If the war time grows more ag-
gressive People remark to me the
big things of the present will absorb
and swallow up the lesser things Of
the past" You will remember that
President Wilson, in a public speech
declared, that the sufferngs of the
Civil war would be infinitely small as
compared to the occurrences of this
great war"
understand there is a strong guard
around the great public buildings of
Washington City, just as there are
military guards, all over the United
States, for bridges, munition plants
etc.
The decorations are beautiful so far
as l have seen them. The Southern
Railray building has flags from the
bottom stills to the turrets-and Stars
and Bars interspersed with Stars and
Stripes of the federal union.
When L first came to Washington
in November, 1875, l saw much sec
tional animosity-and heard a great deal
OF sectional argument. I never sup
posed l would see these two flags
placed together on the same building
in my time.