Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1878-01-18
VOL. XXIII.--NO. 26.

of the United States Army, and in COM
pliance with the wish and request of Gov.
Lctcher, Of Virginia, aud a resolution of
the Convention, then in session, he re-
paired to Richmond His reception by the
Convention, has been represented as being
eloquently impressing. The late john
Janey. of Loudoun county, was then
President Of the Conventions patriot
and orator of the old school--and in the
conclusion of his address upon that
memorable occasion he said, ''Virginia
had placed her sword in his hands on
condition that it should be drawn only III
her defence, and with the expectation
that he would rather fall with it than SEQ
the object fail for which II was UNI
sheathed." To which Gen. Lee replied
as follows. Trusting in Almighty God,
an approving conscience and the aid
Of my felow-citizens, devote myself to
the service of my native State" q
| OF the great and conspicuous part Gen.
Robert h, Lee bore in that long and
eventful drama, it is not for us to write.
Throughout the long lapse of centuries,i
age succeeding age has produced to an
admiring and applauding posterity
those mighty giants of peace and war;
whose fame and example have emhlazened
the pages of history and become the
guiders and teachers of civilized man /;
of such was Gen. Ice. In him lived
again the spirit Of the Father Of our
Country. He so perpe'uated his heroism,
so illustrated his virtues, patriotism and
usefulness, that we scarcely knew that,
Washington had passed away while Lee
survived, and like Washington he filled
the measure of his.eventful life and re-,
poses in the soil he cousecrated. Every
signing breeze, that plays amid the
forest shade, will whisper softly of tho
gentler attributes of his lofty natures the
winter winds that Shrek DER the bleak
and desolate plains and snow capped
hills and mountains, will recall the glory
of his mastery campaigns, and the
bursting thunder from the mountain
gorge, pouring its torrents upon the val
leys beneath will speak in awful tones
of the battles he fought and the victories
he gained.
'Tbe lncanest ril the mil lliest river,
Roll mir Cling with his fame forever"
If there be any event in the history Of
Lee more grand, or which challenges our
admiration to a greater extent than 9TH
ers, it was the closing scene Of his life.
When the last gun Numbered upon
the field of Appomattox, telling Of lost
cause, the old hero bidding adieu to his
war-worn soldiers sheathed his untarn-
ished sword and laid it upon the altar Of
one of the proadest institutions Of learn
ing in the land and there, disregarding
party orscctional feeling called around
him the growing manhood Of the coun-
try and was engaged in preparing
them !for the great emergencies Of
life. The grandest scene the world
ever witnessed, and had some Mi
chael Angelo have lived to have caught
its beauty and simplicity, he would have
chained it to the canvas and sent it roll
ing through the world.
Happy and proud must be his life.
who, to Heavens solemn calling Of tho
spirit home, can answer, have lived long
enough for nature aud for glory, whilst
the people every where with outstretched
arms continue Tully's breathing clo-
quence sufficiently long for nature, l
will add if it please you for glory; but
what is most important Of all, not long
enough for your country"
ALEXANDRIA, Va, DEC. 30, 1877.
TO be continued next aoeek.