The Van Buren press., 1870-05-24
General Lee in his Glory.


A grand reception on Wednesday
niobt. at the residence Of w. j. Bennett.
bore testimony, ample and grateful, Of
tho veneration and atiectionate esteem in
which Rober. T. Lee, the great chief g.
the $50 called {" Lost Cause is held by
the elite of our people. From eight p.
m. to twelve there was no cessation OF
the overflow of comers Old and young,
the graybeards and sages ofthe country,
the noble, pure, honorable, poor and
wealthy, with hardly an exception, were
present, and glad to do him honor State
iy danes of the old school. .grandmothers
all flocked around the noble old chief,
GLAD of a smile, Of shake of the hand I;
and happy was the girl oftwelve or four
teen who carried away OH her lips the
parting kiss OF the grand oil soldier.
Such has been his welcome in Charles
ton; but oh how much more feryent i
would have been had his health been sui
fcient to have permitted him to yield
himself freely to .he popular anxiety to
see him, feel the pressure Of his hand.
and hear his words, ho wever few. in those
subdued and mellow tones which declare
the gentleman.
General Lee is evidently feeble, and
his good nature was severely taxed, even
by tne loving exactions of those who
only sought to do him honor. His line
figure seem relaxed and weary, but his
noble and benign features, heroic and
handsome, lost none. Of that amiable
sweetness of expression which, even in
hs case, trained to the field, spoke for
the courtier far more than for the soldier,
We noted that his skin was fair, horid
and healthy, announcing sufficient stami
ma, could he escape from toll and society,
for perfect recuperation. The grace,
ease and simplicity of his manner were a
charm in every eye, and even the few
sentences which it was permitted him TO
speak were also so many tones Of fasci
nation to the eager ear that bent forward
to listen. M
Among the visitors present were no
ted two of the Secretaries of President
Davis Cabinet, the Hons, Messrs. Mem
mnger and Trenholm; and Judge Bryan,
District Judge Of the United States, did
not conceive it inconsistent with his 10y
atty to do reverence to Me great man in
seclusion. His classical studies alone
would keep him from such slavish disre
gard to genuine heroism. Hewell knows,
as well as any man, that
More true pride Marcelius, exiled, feels,
Than Caesar. with Senate ut his heels.
n,,t tI.o rt Af In lalt xra
even more profuse than those Of the. gen
tlemen. Very beautiful was the collec-
ton, and it spelled the eyo and charmed
the senses Of the veteran. lie remarked ;
alt is so grateful to see somuch elias.
ticity among your people; and ] am as
! tonished to see Charleston so wotdrous-
ly recuperated after all her disasters. y
Very wonderful More wonderful. il
he had known al but our people have a
fine elastic capacity for spr;nging up
erect, even under the tread Of tyranny
AS was said by the brave Carolina lady
In the Revolution, when the British of.
llcer asked her why the chamomile was
called tue t" rebel flower" sne promptly
replied:
Because it grows the more vigorous.
~ the more II is trodden upon"
So let us rise We have the hearts
and the souls! I'VE are people yet !"
General Lee felt all this when he made
the remark. lie 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 pro.
tect him where he goes; restore him to
his home, and to that repose and health
which are all that he requires. Enough
for him that his record here on earth Is
that Of the hero unstained by selhshness
no mercenary--one devoted to hi:
country and his country's good-on'
whose honored memory will never bt
forgotten among brave and true people
while patriotism and virtue still surviv,
the bayonct.
We must not omit TO record the de
licous music OF the bands of the fir,
companies, which succeeded to the re
ception, or rather blended with it.
was the spontaneous tribute Of thre'
thousand souls, speaking without con
cert, the common language Of reverenc
and affection. Marleston Courier. 1pri
OOH