Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-01-20
LETTERS FROM

Lees BIRTH D0Y-GTeQt !uGSS MeettHg-An-
dress Of Coz. Kemper-The Grafton Of Cnpt.
John Hampden CamberEayne Of NORFOLK
Lees Charlottesville Proposed Monument,
etc. etc.
CORRESPONDENCE of the Alexandria Gazette
RICHMOND, Jan. l9, 1876.
To day, tie birthday of Robert h. Lee, was
celebrated throughout the city. At II o'clock
there was a great mass meeting in Assembly
Hall, aud notwithstanding the bad weather the
hall was filled with an audience composed Of
all CLASSES. Many ladies were present The
exercises were commenced with prayer By Rev.
DIR. Minnigerode, the former pastor OF Lee.
At the conclusion Of the prayer Gov. kemper,
who presided over the meeting, made a brlet
specch, 10 which he said there Was no need tor
him 10 iut5rm them cf the object OF their as
sembliur together. To-day, said be, through
out all parts Of our Southern country Will be
inaugurated an example that will be followed
throughout al! generations to come, and this
day will be annually observed in future, and 1t
will be ike the Twenty SccoDd OF February
one of our most lilustrious days. He then IN
troduced TO the Ii ,eting the orator OF the day,
CAPTAIN John Hampton Chamberlayoc, OF
Norfolk.
Captain Chamberlayne said he appeared be-
fore them on sudden order, almost as :udden as
those commands by which We used to march at
early morn. He said Lee had been placed as
if by chance at the head OF an army with which
his name would 10 future be i~ndellbly con-
Dected. He gave a necessarily brief and bur
ried sketch Of the life OF Lee from the time he
went lDto the Mexican war until when the
great soldier sheatned his sword and devoted
his Remaining days to the educltlun OF boys,
and by this example almost retrieved the un-
even balaucc of fate" Most Of his hearers,
| he said, had seeo and known Lee when time
and care had SO worn his body as to show the
lofty and pure soul within. Lee, said the ora
tor, paused long 10 decide what he should do
when the war came 90. He knew better than
auy Of them the devotion of the men OF the
| South, ard also none knew as we'll as he the
| stubborn will Of the men Of the North. Lee
WAS the ~tavorite soldier Of Scott. He had every
| ioGucement to stay 10 the u. s. army, but
when be decided be never looked back. Scarce
" twice since the world began has man been
called upon to make SUCH u choice; and just
here the speaker asked what country could
boast OF sucl a son as Robert b Lee. The
day has not come when We eau TX MS place
amoog the great men OF the world, but We
must do all We can 70 present facts which may
| make him known hereafter as We Know him.
Wher Lee aas but a subaltern be was trusted
with tasks that would have bath d meh ri less
determination. Tie orator SAID Lee had his
| military training 10 the Mexican war, which TO
Us will be r, Numbered as the school IN which
he served with Mcclellan, Pope and Burnside,
and b. was afterwards destined to prove him
| self master Of them all. The orator secuted
the assertion made by SOME that Lee was ad
verse to taking the offensive. This was DOT
20, 10 the contrary his genius was essentially
aggressive. La support Of this assertion the
orator cited his ''swoop Oh Harper's Ferry
his g,eat attack on Hooker, the lnvasluo OF
Pennsylvania, and others. The truth Is, said
be, Lee Dcyer took the real defensive except
at Petersburg. The speaker IN this coGaec-
ton took occasion to aiiude TO what he thought
WAS the decisive battle Of the wa.-1ot Gettys-
burg, but Vicksburg. Captain ChamberIayne's
leroration was eloquent ald worthy bis theme.
At he close and uuliug the delivery OF his IRA
tion he was applauded.
Mayor k.llcy followed him in a short ad-
dress, of which | will not attempt to give u
synopsis. In closing he spoke earnestly IN be-
halt of the proposed morument, which should
be erected as a free will Offering oil the people
to the memory Of this great man, and When
that monum ut is completed, said Mayor hel-
ley, his foes will com and bring their chlldren
to stand with yours that they may get lDsplra-
ton FROM the contemplation OF that majestic
presence.
Throughout the day collections were taken
up in different parts Of the city for the monu-
mcnt, aod a large sum collected.
The Senate Committee on Privileges and
Elections will to morrow decide the johnson
and Knight contested election case. The ex.
citcment as to their decision is immense. l
predict that there will b. Two reports-a ma
jority and minority ep,rt-.hat the majority
will De in favor OF sendiog the election back to
the people; that the minority will be for giving
Johnson bis seat, aud one III !mber Will o. IN
favor Of seating Knight. oTRoNGBoW.
RICHMOND, Va, jap. l9, 1S76.-l do not
think that the State has any reason to be
ashamed Of her Legislature. An hour spent
10 listening 10 the debates, will show that the
majority of members arc far above mediocrity.
and understand their luties. There are some
unusually foe men in the House and Senate.
Mr.. Smith is a iue looking man, so is Judge
Crump, and Major Daniel has a purely CLASH
Ca! face, suggestive of force and FIRE. Icousid-
or that he stands to-day the most promising
and prominent man in Virginia, and at the age
of thirty three be has the wit and wisdom of a
sage. II seems almost a certainty that either
he or John Goode, Of Norfolk, will be the next
Governor Of our State. Goode, though, has
the inside track, and as be has much the more
extended and foremost arena for the display of
his abilities, be, of course, will make the better
run.
| spert a couple Of hours very pleasantly 10
Elders studio, en- Maiu street. He has just