The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-09-17
A Distinguished Irish Clergyman
Pays N R01dB0me Trtbaae 30
General Lee aRd SsOnSwalI

From the Lexington Gazette.
The following letter from DIR. Kinnea
to the rector of the Board of Trustees o
Washington and Lee University, viii b
read with interest. We have seen a lat
Londonderry (IrelandD paper which give
an account of a mass meeting of Irisf
citizens TO express their high appreciation
of the services of DIR. kinnear In his efforts
to secure the passage OF Measure which
was calculated to advance the material
interests of their section of country. The
meeting was enthusiastic, and a purse oil
2O0 guineas was presented to- DR.. Kin,
near:
THE MANsE.
LErTERKENNY Co, DoNEGALD IRELAND
July 90 1874
To the Rector of Washington and Lee Uni
uersity. Lexington, "a:
My DEAR SIR: Your letter conveying
to me the welcome tidings of the kindness
of the Senate of Washington and Lee
University, in comforting on me the degree
OF ID. D., has just been received. It has
occAsloned me quite surprise, though
indeed of very agreeable nature; and
please kindly convey my very warm
est gratitude and profound esteem to your
/ Senate tor this honorary title and for their
very gracious and cordial manner of
| comforting it. l accept it with gratifca-
ton, and shall continue in the future as /
have done in the past, my literary and
theological studies, in which | have ever
taken pleasurable interest; and it shall
be chief aim of mine, in mental culture
and social and public department, to
nd tn
ting as it does from Uni sersity of such
American and European celebrity as is
the Washington and Lee. / spent the
summer of 1868 in your great country.
l travelled very extensively through it,
and witnessed your marvellous natural
progress and your great institutions
educational and social. l preached in
your large and beau tiful churches every.
where l went and visited with very
melancholy interest your celebrated
backgrounds of which | have read So
much i'll the days of your national mourn
ing and sorrow; and in those cemeteries
in their tasteful order, their monumental
memorials and their whole surroundings
Il was pleased to see the national respect
paid to the memories of the valiant
warriors sleeping below; and when /
reached your city of Lexington and stood
by the grave of StOnewall Jackson
man whose memory / still honor for his
Christian bearing and valiant military
heroism; and when l thought of some of
my kindred fighting under his banner
and falling by his side, and, like him, |
resting in warriors grave. my soul felt |
unutterably moved with mournful sympa- |
n nd r1ravarc for Irltlr
My visit to the South was greatly |
enhanced by witnessing your University |
commencement, which attended in 1868 |
with very much interest indeed; and |
still cherish pleasant "reminiscences of the
of your alumni, their public
Literary displays, the comforting literary |
honors and prizes, your exciting bands of
music, and the large and interesting con-
of your citizens; and l remem-
Der well the delight L experienced when
tie Hon. General Wade Hampton APP
peared and addressed the immense assem- j
blage | had learned 10 revere his name
as cavalry oiiiaer of very distinguished
stra ~ and heroism; and hear
ing him and zing upon him, could
II It but think tiIaf, In many respects, it
was not inappropriate 10 compare him
with the renowned Murat 10 the days of
his and Napoleon's glory. shall never
forget his diguifed marshal bearing as l
looked upon him addressing the assem- blnge
on that occasion Wade Hampton APP
peared to me ''every inch solder"
The interest of my visit to your Uni
versigy eliminated in my introduction to
and brief social intercourse with the great
and good General Lee. His name has
been with us in Europe, and especially
here in ireland, household word, and
is endeared to every lover of justice and
liberty in our land. ] remember when
walking in the procession just behind the
General on the way to a large church
wherein you assembled and though the
scene was wonderous gay all the surroun
iings TO me unusually interesting and
attractive, yet | could not cease admiring
the noble military bear and gait of the
General. and with difficulty did emerge
from the absorption Of the thought that |
was in the presence of one whom truthful
history, in even remote ages, vii perpetu.
ate as amongst the greatest and most
heroic generals the world has ever seen.
1t has been. indeed, the feature of all
others thai has enhanced TO me my
American tour, that ! have seen aud for
a short time enjoyed the society of the
great and good General Lee, of worldwide
fame; and during the course of my life 1t
shall enhance to me the dignity of the
degree now bestowed, that it has so
emanated from UNIVERSE
ty presided over by him at the time of his
iecesse, and now so worthily and eff
GENTLY by his son. Please kindly convey
my very grateful esteem to all the men,
bers of your faculty, and should l ever
again visit your great country. as hope
to do, l shall be glad of an opportunity of
the alumni of your renowned
I have the honor to remain, very sim
cerely and gratefully yours,
JOHN KINNEAR.
Pastor First Presbyterian Church,
Letterkenny, ireland.