The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-11-07
THE MEMORY OF LEE.
4 7R1B UTE FROM HIS OLD CoMPAN-
IONS IN ARMS.

4 rRIB UTE FROM HIS OLD CoMPAN-
IONS IN ARMS.
Remarks of E1-Presfdent Davis.
Amoet,ng OF Confederate officers and soldiers
w,s held in Richmond on Thursday night In the
First PRESBYTERIAN Church. The edince was
crowded to oyerhowing. At O'Clock General
prad,ev T. Johnson called the meeting to order,
and nnon his notion General Jubal A. Ear,y was
o,octed temporsry chairman. General Early, on
taxing the chair, paid on eloquent tribute to the
memory or him whom he described as {" the great
90, and noblest OF men," General Robert E. Lee
xr,er nrayer oy Rev. Or. Minnegerode, Gen.
ero, Rradley T, Johnson moved the appoint
ment Of the usual committees, and the motion
was carried The committee on permanent or
pauization, after brief retirement, made a re-
mort, recommending the following as the perna-
nent onicers OF the association 8:
For President Jefferson Davis.
Major General John B. Gordon. Major General Ed
ward Johnson, Major General !. r. Trimble, Brig
adierG General w. B.. TallRferro BrigadIer-G General
william N. Pendleton, Mator. General VIM. Smith,
fho5en colonei Charles Marshall Colonel
| walter r. Tayior, Colonel w. Z. Perrine, Colonel
Peyton n. wise, General n. Ransom, Captain Ro.
bert Pegram, General I. y. homSa, colonel Henry
ers MAJ Ta,or Wliilam N. Berkeley, Colonel William
Wills, Colonel william Preston Johnson, Lieuten.
ant Mann Page, Pryatess soSar. WslraM % .. Kane OF
Goasa a@aT. a. SGgOg ao1gh af Baltimore and O. Elder, OF
STarviand and Sergeant ". Wiz. Robinson.
Secretaries-CapIain, E. 8. Gregory, Sergeant
George L. Chr silan Captain Gant g; G. L lawson Ser
son prvate Abner Anderson, Captain 8. D. Hous.
tom CAPTAIN George Walker and Major VIM. B.
Myers.
great applause.
REMARKS OF PRESIDENT DAVIS.
nThe uDspatchn says: As Mr.. Davis arose to
walk to the stand every person In the house rose
"a. his feet, and there followed such storm Of
auplause as seemed TO shake the very foundation
OF tile building, while cheer upon cheer was
echoed from the thros.s OF veterans salutlng one
whom they delighted'to honor. =,
Mr.. Davis spoke at length, and with his accus.
| toned thrilling, moving eloquence We shall not
addraased Ms hearers as .Soldiers aud sailors OF
| the Confederacy comrades and friends" Mr..
nays said Assembled on this sad occasion,
with hearts oppressed with the grief that follows
oas Of him who Was our eaasr on many
spectacle is presented. Hitherto and In ell times,
men nave been honored when successful, but here
| ia the case OF one who, amid disaster went down
| TO his grave, a:d those who were his compauions
| IN misfortune have assembled to honor his memo
~: tits as much an honor to You who give as to
| him who receives for above tne vulgar test OF
| merit gou show yourselves competent To dlscriml.
nate between him who enjoys and he who de-
Robert +. Lee was my associate and friend In
| the military academy, and we were friends until
| the hour OF his death. We were associates ana
friends when he was soldier and q Congress.
man. and associates and friends when he led the
armies Of the Confederacy and presided In Its
| Cabinet. We passed through many sod scenes
| together but cannot remember that there was
ever aught but perfect harmony between US; II
there was ans s result
! repeat. zoe neper disagreed, and may add that
never In my life saw in him the slightest ten
dency to seif.seeking. It was not his to make q
shoulders; built was his with an eye fixed upon
the welfare Of hls country, never falterlng 70 ioi
low the line Of duty to the end. Ills was the
heart that brased every dI,c1Ity y.a, ms was 'ne
lie has been charged with "want OF dash" l
wis 10 ssy that never knew Lee TO lalter to at.
tempt anything that man could dare. An attemps
has also been made 70 throw % eIooa up 5pGn n
States 70 join In the strugge for the liberty OF ms
State. Without trenching at oil upon politics 1
deem It my dnty to say one WO:d IN reference W
Trgnas GGda annas given By
virginia to the service OF the United States ne
repFestnted her In the Military Academy Ct West
Point. He was not educated BY tne Federal
Government, but by Virginia, ior sae PAID her
was entitled to demand In return the services OF
her sons. Entering the army OF the United States,
he represented Virginia there also, and noDlV.
many hard fought ne az was mus aa for
tine union. He came from Mexico crowned with
ionors covered by orevets, and recognized,
young as ne was, as one OF tne ablest OF
lis country's soldiers. And 20 prove that
ne was estimated then as much, let me
tell v a that when Lee was captain OF engineers
stationed IN Baltimore the CUBAN Jonta IN New
York selected him to be their leader 10 the strug.
gle for the independence OF their native country;
ofrefed him every temptation trat ambition could
desire. He Thought the matter over. and. re-
member, came to washington to consult NE as
to what he should do, and when began to dis.
cuss The compile ltlons which might arse from
his acceptance OF the trusf, ne gently rebnEed me
saving that this was not the line upon which he
wished my advice; the simple question was,
Gated by the Unted Ststes and felt It wrong to &C.
| cept place in the army Of foreign power. Such
was Ills extreme dellcacy-such was the nice
L sense OF honor or the gallant Gentlemau whose
| death we deplore. But when Virginia withdrew
| the State TO whom he owed his nrst and last allie.
| oiance-the same nice sense OF honor led him to
draw his sword and throw 1t In the scale for
| good or for evil. Pardon me for this brief de-
| fence OF my ilustrIous friend.
| When Virginia joined the Confederacy, Robert
Lee the highest officer 10 the little army Of Vir.
| pinia, came to Richmond, and not pausing to in-
Gulre what would be his rank 10 the service OF the
| Confsderacy, went to Western Virginia under the
BELIEF that he was still an officer OF the State. He
| came back, carrying the heavy weight OF defeat
and unapprecated BY the people whom he served,
| for they could not know, as knew, that If his
plans and orders had been carried out, the result
| would have been victory rather than defeat. You
| did not know, for1 would Lot have known it had
| he not breathed it In my ear only at my earnest
| request and begging that nothing be said about
| IL, The clamor which then arose followed him
when he went to South Carolina, 80 that 1t became
necessary on his going TO South Carolina to write
letter to the Governor Of that State, telling him
| what manner Of man be was. Yet, through all
this. with q magnanimity rarely equalled, he
stood IN silence, without defending himself, or al-
loving others to defend him, for he was unwilling
| to offend any one who was wearing q sword and
| striking blows for the Conlederacy.
Mr.. Davis then spoE. oil the stratghts to which
/ the Confederacy WAS reduced, and OF the danger
| 10 which her capital was exposed Just after the
battle OF Seven Pines, and told now General Lee
had conceived and executed the desperate plan
! TO turn their flank and rear, which, after seven
days OF bloody battle, was crowned with the pro-
tectIon OF Richmond, while the enemy was driven