The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1870-11-11
eEsERAL ROBERT EDMoND LEE.
lUoNeLUDEDJ


1 command Of all the military forces in
/! Virginia. There had been great aIKi-
/ ETY. and speculation as to what would
/ be his choice in the war; the neWspa-
( pers had yariCusay reported his position;
/ a value and interest had been given to
his, above all other early military
/ names of the war; il was known that
I General Scott had endorsed him rs his
abiest lieutenant; and when at last il
was made certain that he had aban-
/ dOned the Federal service, and thrown
/ his great name and abilities into the
+ scale of Virginia, the JOY in Richmond
] was extreme. There had been hope
that General Scott himself would have
espoused the cause OF his natia state,
Virginia; but when he declared ctiner-
entity, the people of Virginia were more
than consOIed in the loss of a valitudi-
marian general, by the gain of Lee, who
was popularity reported to have inspir
ed the whole campaign in Mexico, to
be superior in mind to his aged chief,
to have been designated as his early
successor in command Ofthe armies Of
the United States, and to have the adj
vantage Of ripe years and vigorous bO-
dy. When, on the 22d April, the name
of Robert E. Lee was thus communi-
Gated by Governor Letcher to the Con-
ventiOn as nominee for Commander
in-Chief of the Virginia forces, there
was an eager and affirmative response.
The confirmation was unanimous, and
without a moments hesitation. 1t
was made with heartiness that attest
ed the cordial and unbOunded conf
dence of Virginia in the man to whom,
more than all others, she now intrusted
her deStinieS.
The next day a grand ceremony was
appointed in the main hall of the Cap
itol. 1t was announced that Major
General Lee, with distinguished COM
pany, would be personally introduced
to the Convention, and might be eX.
pected TO make a remarkable speech on
the occasion. The hall was crowded
with an eager audience; all the mem-
bers of the Convention stood, as mark
of respect. On the right of the presid-
ing officer were Governor Letchcr and
Mr.. Stephens, the President of the
COnfederacy, and on the left the mem
bers of the "AdVisOry Council " of NIr-
ginia, Willie General Lee, in the imme-
/ date company of the committee ap-
| pointed to receive him, advanced to the
| center of the main aisle. Every spec
| tator admired the PERSONAL appearance
| of the man; his dignified figure, his air
| of seIt-pOised strength, and features in
/ which shonc the steady animation of
! consciousness of power, purpose and
position. He was in the full and har-
| dy flush of ripe years and vigorous
| health. His figure was tall, its con-
stituents we'll knit together; his head,
| we'll shaped and squarely built, gave
| indications of a powerful intellect; Il
| face not vet interlined by age, still re-
markable for its personal beauty, was
lighted up by eyes black in the shade,
but brown in the full light, clear, be
nignant, but with deep recess OfIight,
a curtained fire IN them that blazed ia
moments Of excitement; Il cOunten-
ance, the natural expression Of which
was gentle and benevolent, yet struck
the behOlder as masking an iron Will.
His manners were at once grave and
kindly; without gayety or ABANDON
he was also without the atfectaiOn of
dignity. Such was the man whose
stately figure, in the Capitol at Rich
mond, brought to min the old race of
Nirginians, and who was thereafter to
win the reputation, not only as the first
commander, but also as the first gentle
man of the South, the most perfect and
beautiful model of manhood in the
war.
Ofthe scene Nice-P President Stephens
has preserved q picture, which we
| transfer entire: 1.-The incidents attend
ing the firt acquaintance with this dis
| tinguished parsonage are not without
historic interest in themselves, but il Is
not so much with that view, as for the
purpose of illustrating the character Of
| the man, give them. They very full
| Iy exhibited to me, at the time, the dis
| tinguishing qualities of the heart as
| well as of the head of the man who had
| already won very honorable distinc-
| ton in the country, and whose justly
| merited fame now extends to the limits
| of the civilized world. AS an officer in
| the United States army, he had gained
| high reputation in the Mexican war.
| At the time of the secession of Virgin
| III, his native State, and of which he
| was citizen, he was in command of
| the Second United States Cavalry reg
( iment, stationed in Texas. He was,
| however, then temporarily in Wash
! ingtOn City, and considering his ulti-
| mate allegiance due to his State, after
she had resumed the full exercise of her
| sovereign SDoWers, he had promptly,
| though not without deep regret at the
causes which impelled him to it, re-
! signed his commission and cast his
| fortunes with those of the people of his
| own State. He accompanied his resig-
| nation with a letter to General Scott,
which is a model of its kind and fully
/ characteristic of the man. He was
/ specially devoted to the Commander
| in-Chief OF the Army of the United
/ States, and I believe it is generally con-
ceded that the feelings of personal at
tachment were reciprocal between the
chief and his subaltern.
My becoming acquainted with him
occurred i'll this way The Legislature
/ of Girginia, in Wow of the great dan
gers threatening from the position Ol
| Mr.. Mr., Lincoln, had provided by law
AoTR ~pt tET-au0fNv fhnFIC1nh
to defend the State, with tire rank o.
maior-generaI. The Governor had ap-
pointed him to this position, and the
Convention had, with great unanimity
ratified the appointment the day OIL
which had reached Richmond. The
ceremony of GelC-al Lees installation
to this high and responsible Office was
20 take place in the Convention the day
after. This came off according to thu
programme, in a very imposing form
General Lee was escorted into tht
hall of the House of Representatives il
which the members of the Convention
r were assembled, where l was also b,
invatiOn, and, upon being presented +
that body, Mr.. John Janney, the Pre-
sident, rose and addressed him in
speech of some length, which produces
: q profound sensation. Twill read sucl
: parts of it as are pertinent to presen
purposes. These are as follows:
? "NIaiOr-G General Lee, in the name t
the people of your native State here se
presented, bid you a cordial and heart
felt welcome to this hall, in which w
/ may almost yet hear the echo of tn
voices of the statesmen, the soldier
l ! and sailors of by-gone days, who hav
borne your name, and whose blood nov
. | flows in your veins.
- We met in the month of kebruar
: | last, charged with the solemn duty {
protecting the rights, the honor an
the interests of the people of this Com
monweaIth. We differed for a time a
= to the best means for accomplishin