Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-10-15

fades among the blue hills Of Virginia, let us
in humble submission acknowledge the hand Of
Almighty God in this, our painful visitation.
But so long as the South wind shall blow soft
Iy about his lone pillow, so long as the sun
shall cover him with mantle of living green,
or the winter storms shall weave their snowy
drapery about him, so long shall he live in the
hearts Of his devoted countrymen.
With talents of the highest order, improved
ty an elegant and finished education. modest,
noble, brave and good, be has written ibis
glorious name,
A light, land mark, on the cliffs of fame
Perhaps no illustrious man in any age has
ever had more fitting monument than has
General Lee, in the concurrent testimony to his
worth. by all men of all parties. Virginia stands
before the world to-day, like Niobe, all tears,
and the voice of her weeping and lamentation
might almost reach the dull cold ear OF
death" But, though honor voice cannot PRO
woke the silent dust" millions Of living hearts
do speak, aud from North. and from South
cono words of human sympathy potent to heal
the breaches Of the past and seal US in COM
mon brotherhood OF grief May l be pardon
ed for claiming your attention to the following
sentiment from The Northern press:
"Oc quiet autumn morning, in the land
which be loved 80 well, and. as he held, served
80 faithfully, the spirit of Robert L. Lee lett
| the clay which it had so much cnnobled and
| travelled out OF this world into the great and
mysterious land Yesterday the expresso ns
of regret which sprang from the few who SUI
rounded the bedside of the dying soldier and
Christian will be swcIled to day into one mighty
voice OF sorrow, resouuding throughout our
country and extending over oil parts OF the
world where his great genius aud his many
virtues are known. For not to the Southern
people alone shall be limited the tribute OF
tear over the dead Virginian. Here 10 the
North, forgetting that the time was when the
sword of Robert E. Lee was drawn against US
forgetting and forglving all the years OF
ceased t. look upon him as the Confederate
| leader, but have claimed him as one of oursel-
ives have cherished and felt proud OF his mill.
tary genius as belonging TO US have recount
| ed and recorded his triumphs as our own
have eXtolled his virtues as rejecting honor
upon us-for Robert f. Lee was an American
and the great nation which gave him birth
would be to day unworthy OF such son if she
regarded him lightly.
Never had mother nobler SOD. la him the
military genius OF America was developed to
greater extent than ever before. Ia him all
that was pure and lofty in mind and purpose
i5und Judgment. Dignitied without presump.
ton, atfable without familiarity, he united all
those charms OF manners which made him the
idol OF his friends and of his soldiers, and Won
| for him the respect and admiration of the
world. Even as, in the days Of his triumph,
clouds swept over him adversely did not de.
press. From the hour that he surrendered bis
sword at Appomattox to the fatal autumn
morning he passed among men noble in his
quiet. simple dignity displaying neither bit
| tcTness nor regret over the irrevocable past.
lie conquered US n misfortune by the grand
manner 10 which he sus tanned himself even as
| be dazzled US by his genius when the tramp Of
his soldiers resounded through the valleys OF
Virginia.
= And for such man we arc all tears and sor.
| row to. day. Standing beside his grave men of
| tho South and men of the North can morn with
all the bitterness Of four years of warfare erased
by this common bereavement. May this unity
of grief-this unselfsh manifestation over the
loss of the Bayard of America-in the season
of dead leaves aud withered branches which
this death ushers in, bloom and blossom like
the distant coming spring into tie flowers OF
heartier accord
And who, Mr.. Chairman, 10 his inmost heart
does not approve and sympsthze 10 these
beautiful aud appropriate sentiments
But, friends and fellow. citizens, in this per.
ishing world, where the Issues OF lite and OF
death are SO strangely blended, we sorrow not
as those without hope. AS soldier OF the
cross, he has fought good fight, he has
finished his course, he has kept the faith
of righteousness. The laurel wreath Of Time,
with which We 50 fondly decked his brow, is
laid aside for an eternal diadem, which shall
shine as the stars forever and ever
The report was unanimously adopted,
the expression of assent being manifested by
all present. lifting their hats.
Rev. DR.. Bullock then offered grace, and the
assemblagc dispersed.
Business throughout the city was almost en-.
tireIy suspended, the church and fire bells tol
led at intervals, portraits of the deceased hung
with Grape were exposed in many. places, and
all the public and many of the private houses
in the city were draped 10 mourning
The Richmond correspondent Of the Balti-
more Sun saws At the Office oil the United
States marshal for this district have learned
that complete census returns are now in from
all the counties Of the State but eleven, and
that, estimating these eleven counties upon
fair basis of loss and gain according to local.
! ties) as developed 10 those already returned
the total population Of Virginia will not exceed
l ,2O9,G07. In 1860 the population of this
State was $4,000, and the decrease of popu-
lation in Virginia silce then, if the estimates
in the marshal's Office be correct, is about
$1,000
DIT j. Pretlow, having been recommended
by a convention of the Conservatives of the cod
congressional district as candidate for the
State at large for Congress. has accepted the
nomination. His letter on the subject will be
published on Monday. 1t is said that if it is
thought hest, alter the decision of the House