The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-10-19
DEATH OF GEN. LEE.

ssection of the country the mournful in-t
stelligence of the death, on the morning.
sof the 18th of October, of General Rob
Cert Edmund Lee, the illustrious hero
sand spotless citizen. We can conceive
aof no occurrence which, at this time,
scould have cast deeper gloom over
! 1.-THE minds Of so many of our country
1 men, of all ages, sexes and conditions.
ave had been led to hope, from more
Favorable accounts of his condition,
that he would soon regain his health
land apply himself to his accustomed
duties. But these hopes have all been
sscattered, and the noble chieftain, so
Arecently the idol of his countrymen,
sslies dead, and whole nation is in
atears.
q When General Lee WAS called before
sthe Virginia Convention to receive his
commission as Major General of the
syirginia army, the President, Mr.. John
SJanney, quoting the language of his
distinguished father in his funeral Gu
slogy of Washington, said:
s "Sir, we have by this unanimous
vote, expressed our convictions that
&you are at this day among the living
#citizens of Virginia, first i'll war; We
Epray to God most fervently that you
@esmay so conduct the operations commit
sted to your charge, that it will soon be
Said of you, that you are first in peace
gand when that time comes, you will
Shave earned the still prouder distinc-
Elton of being first in the hearts ofyour
scountrymen."
3 Nothing could have exceeded the
Greatness of the address or the appro-
3priateness of the quotation. No other
oman that the nation ever produced
:scouId be mentioned in the same breath
with the s.Father of his country" The
ssportion of the quotation from General
HAIRY Lee, which Mr.. Janney assumed
Gas true, has subsequently been proved
ssto be thousand-fOld more true, and
Esthe fervent prayer offered by him has
been most abundantly answered. He
swas as palpably ''frst in peace" as
sWashington himself, and the tears shed
Eby a whole nation over his bier to-day
isleave no room for doubt that Washing
Eton was not more prominently ''first
Sin the hearts of his countrymen."
81 Robert Edmund Lee was born in
:sWestmoreIand County, Virginia, and
sswas at the time of his death in the six
aaty third year of his age. He was son
gof General Henry Lee, well known as
saa1 Light Horse Harry Lee," of the Revo-
Tuition, subsequently Governor and
sMember of Congress from Virginia.
|ssAr. Irving, in his inimitable life of
& Washington, relates story to the eff
Eject that Washington was in love, in his
ssyouth, with a young lady who figured
lin his love letters as '!the lowland beau
ETY." that she subsequently married an
sother gentleman and became the moth
Ter of Henry Lee; and that Washing
aton'a fondness for his dashing cavalry
sofficer was owing, in great degree, to
Shis youthful passion for his mother
sThe Lees, like the Washingtons, We're
samong the earliest settlers of Virginia,
sand in their veins ran the best blood of
sthe mother country as. well as of the
sinfant colony. Many of them became
in the new as in the old
aworld. Richard Henry Lee was per-
Chaps the most polished orator of the
aRevolution. Arthur Lee was one of
sthe profoundest scholars of his day,
sand Francis Lightfoot Lee, signer of
sthe Declaration of Independence, yield
Jed in patriotism to none of the men of
sthe ''times that tried mems souls."-
Henry Lee early showed a fondness for
military life and as Colonel of caval-
Cry acquired great reputation in the
Revolutionary war. He was a gradu-
Gate of Princeton College and was a
Sscholar of no ordinary attainments.-
8His book, recently edited by his illus
Ntrious son, which gave an account of
9many incidents of the Southern cam
spaigns of the war, produced a sensa-
ation at the time Gifts publication. Mr.
Jefferson denominated it a romance
aof the Revolution" and some of his
&stlictnres on it, left in his "Ana," af:
8forded pretext to Henry Lee, Jr., fol
ga very bitter attack upon Mr.. Jeffer-
ason, a volume which may be still occa.
Msionaiiy met with in old libraries
Colonel Lee became Governor Of Vir
Eginia and served one term in Congress
i from 1899 to 1901. General Washing
;;sston having died in 1899 Genera
sLee, on the invitation of Congress, de.
i livered the funeral eulogy, which is a
.sperfect model of its kind. In this ora
S,tion occurred the sentence quoted
aabove, which also figured in the reso.
Buttons offered by Mr.. afterwards
aChief Justice) Marshall, but known tt
sshave been written by General Lee
nc eneral Lee died as late as 1917, we
3bclieve, his latter days having beer
&embittered by great poverty and othe1
Smisfortunes.
~ pnha,+