The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1870-10-21
TRIBUTE OF RESPECT.

citizehs of Kershaw was held at the
Town Hall in Camden, to offer a tribute
to the memory of Gen. ROBERT e. LEE.
Gen. Kershaw was called to the Chair,
and James Nj. Davis requested to act as
Secretary.
%On taking the Chair, Gen, Kcrshaw
addressed the meeting as follows:
Gentlemen Did I consult my own
feelings on this occasion, would for.
bear speech, commune with mine own
heart and be still. In the silent cham.
bers of the soul, whence spring deep
emotions, whose heaving'tides lave the
shores Of the'spirit land-irthe regions
'of the unutterablelthe ihe5inprehensi-
Fble-the shblihs+-thr hmemoty'bf Ro-
E.bert E.Lee may most 6tly be enshrinsd
until some child of genius, whoserapt
spirirdgells ucarthc borders ofthe-lufn.
lite may catch the echoes cf a higher
world and d'fid espansion for transcend.
ing themes. . - .a :.-:;. o.,
In him'there was grandeur, full.
ness, a completeness of development
that left nothing to desire, and furnish
ed nothing to cepsurc, His was a
nature so'perfece, that like the circle,
it deied analysis or 'comparlson. j; The
experience Of the. living and the faint
portraitures Of history furnish neither
|fits:perfect prototype nor parallel, though
the "farhcr of his country" Washfnge
ton, Doubt, IS presents, in some of his
characl eristics, and more in the analo.
gies Of his career, resemblance as that
between star and star-but they differ
as Some star differcth from another star
in glory" In him, nature gave the
world assurance Of man." lie would
have been distinguished by all observers
from all other men, at a glance, 'tlie
most casual. His form, his face. his
voice, his bearing were God-like in
beauty, power and grace. lie, 'certain.
Iy, was made bur "a little lower than
The Angels" and man though he was,
sf9e was n man, tlike him for all in MI,
1--WE mny not look upon his like again."
Cast 10 such mould as this, with an
intellect rs commanding, and spirit as
noble as human tenement can contain,
taught in the best schools Of letters and
science, trained up in the customs and
ideas of the purcst and most refined
society; and resting his great soul on
the everlasting "Iiock of Ages" he be.
came the great central figure of the
great rebcllion-that grand-,hat glo>
rious-:hat holy lest cause Of American
Constitutional Liberty. A devoted
patriut, lie added new lustre to the then
unta-nishcl glory ofrhe starry banner
Of his country, at CerTo G6rdo, Con
treras, Cherutusco, Chapultcpcc and
at the city Of the Aztec Kings. An
accomplished and chivalrous soldier.
proud Of his noble calling, lie Impressed
his own high spirit and brilliantacIu're
ments upon the youthful cadets Of the
country at West Point ACADEMY. a
lover Of rhe Union, he sheatlcd his
bright sword when baGc to stain it with
brothers. blood, and mournfuHy turned
to lay it upon the altar Of his own m.
tive Virginia. Again he flashed it at
her bidding, with glory unsurpassed
in the annals Of human endurance and
heroic achievement. lie shcathed il
once more and forever, where "in the
volume of the Book" the doosa Of his
country was written, lost! lost! lost !
Doubtless. beneath the calm and almost
plucid, if not cheerful countcnance
which he wore after that momen'ous day,
there was a wailing Gethsemane pf woe
that broke at last that greet ncar;, and
crushed ott life He could not survive
his country s rnin. Can We lament him !?
He has fought the good fight" he has
finished his course" His duty done,
henccforth he wears ''thc CROWN" an
illustrinus inhabitsnt of one Of the
8. many mansions" of his Fathers
House, Thither let us follow him.
Though we snay not mourn life SO
robly worn, SO %ortilily crowned in
death. it is meet that %e assemble
and lay upon his honorcd bier, oar
garlands Of love and praise-unfadihg
Ruwers, fresh from the hearts of a CRATE
full people, and point the generations
to come to the undying slories Of that
illustrious citizen, Le.o and patriot,
Robert Edmund Lee.
Gen. James Chestnut, in presenting
the preamble and resolution, spoke as
follows:
Mr.. Chairman: The good OF all the
civilized earth admired General Lee,
while those in whose noble cause he
fought, supcsadded our love.
If the wishes of the Southern people
could have ruled the event, our hero
might have lived foreverj but his course
is run, his work is done, and well doue
it is. ala&
In all the trials of his character in
the nice adjustruen, aud cguipiose Of
the several parts and the solid structure
of the whole, what striking resem-
blance docs he bear to his great protu-
type and coun,ryn,an George Washing
ton. Each in tho midst of great men