Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-05-08
GEN. LEE IN HIS GLORY.
Southern Homage to the Ex-Rebel
Chief.
From the Charleston Courier, April %.


A grand reception on Wednesday night,
at the residence of w. ]. Bennett, bore
testimony, ample and grateful, of the
veneration and affectionate esteem in
which Robert E. Lee, the great chief of
the (sO-called) 'Iost Cause" is held by
the elite of our people. From P. NJ. 10
II there was no cessation of the overflow
of corners. Old and young, the grey
boards and sages of the country, the
noble, pure, honorable, poor and wealthy,
with hardly an exception, were present,
and glad to do him honor. Stately danes
of the old school, grandmothers of
seventy, and long train of granddaught-
ers, all fiocked around the noble old chief,
glad of a smile, of a shake of the hand;
and happy was the girl of twelve or four
teen who carried away on her lips the
parting kiss of the grand old soldier.
Such has been his welcome in Charles
ton; but oh! how much more fervent it
would have been had his health been
sufficient to have permitted him to yield
himself freely to the popular anxiety to
see him, feel the pressure of his hand,
and hear his words, however few, in those
subdued and mellow tones which declare
the gentleman.
Gen. Lee is evidently feeble, and his
good nature was severely taxed, even by
the loving exactiOns of those who only
sought to do him honor. His fine figure
seemed relaxed and weary, but his noble
and benign features, heroic and handsome,
lost none of that amiable sweetness of
expression which, eyenin his case, trained
to the field, spoke for the courtier far
more than for the soldier. We noted that
his skin was fair, florid and healthy, an
nOuncing sufficient stamina, could he es-
cape from toll and society, for perfect
recuperation. The grace, ease and SIM
pEcity of his manner were charm in
every eye, and even the few sentences
which it was permitted him to speak were
all so many tones of fascination to the
eager ear that bent forward to listen.
Among the visitors present were noted
two of the Secretaries of President Da-
Wis cabinet, the Hons. Messrs. Memming
er and Trenholm; and Judge Bryan, Dis
trict Judge of the United States, did not
conceive it Inconsistent with his loyalty
TO do reverence to the great man in Sc
clusiOn. His classical studies alone would
keep him from such slavish disregard to
genuine heroism. He well knows, as
well as any man, that
More true pride Marcellus, exiIed, feels,
Than Cesar, with a Senate at his heels
But the tributes of the ladies were even
more prOfuse than those of the gentle
men. Very beautiful was the collection,
and it spelled the eye and charmed the
senses of the veteran. He remarked:
at is so grateful to see so much elias
ITCHY among your people; and am aston
ished to see Charleston so wOndrOusly re-
cuperated after all her disasters"
Very wonderful2 More wonderful, if
he had known all but our people have
a fire elastic capacity for springing up
erect, even under the tread of tyranny
As was said by the brave Carolina lady
in the Revolution, which the British off
Ger asked her why the chamomile was
called the ''rebel flower" she promptly
replied: because it grows the more
vigorously, the more it is trodden upon"
So let US rise We have the hearts and
Iuc SOulS w ~ arc q people yet
Gen. Lee felt all this when he made
the remark He left us yesterday for
home. We rejoice that we have seen
him; that we heard the benign tones of
his voice; that we have felt the pressure
of his hands. May the good God protect
him where he goes; restore him to his
home, and to that repOse and health
which are all that he requires. Enough
for him Il q his record here on earth is
that of the hero; unstained by selfishness
no mercenary-one devoted to his coun-
try and his country's gocd-one whose
honOred memory will never be forgotten
among brave and true people, while pa
triotism and virtue still survive the bay
Onet.
We must not omit 90 record the de-
licious music of the bands of the fire
companies, which succeeded to the recep-
ton, or rather blended with it. 1t was the
spontaneous tribute of three thousand
souls, speaking without concert the COM
mon language of reverence and affection.