The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-08
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE,
From Tuesdays Daily.l
GEN. FITZHUGH LEE.
The Reception, Lecture and Banqu,


The Reception, Lecture and Banque
By 10 o'clock yesterday mornln,
groups of people began to move To
ward the International depot, in orde
to welcome Gen. FitZhugh Lee to tn
Capital City of the Lone Star state
Many in the great thrOng that crowd
ed the space in and around the depo
grounds remembered when Gen. Lee
visited this city once before, twenty
TOUR years ago, but under differen
circumstances. When the train backed
IN at 1880 there were at least two thou
sand people at the depot. The AustiI
Grays, headed by the Manning Rifle.
band, were ready to receive the dis
tinguished guests. As the traiI
stopped, the reception committee. con
sisting of Governor f. r. Lubbock a.
chairman, and Messrs. j. NJ. Goggin
Il. II. Cunningham, T. j. Goree
}. w. Robertson, w. G. Walsh, w. NJ
Brown, w. H. Burgess, Joe II. Stew
art, n. Weeks, V. G. Giles, j. w
Jones, j. H. Traylor, Z. Il. Roach ant
VIM. Ii. Huddle, the later being the
youngest member of the Ole
army of Northern Virginia, and one
of the youngest who served under
Gen. Lee, met the general and his
companions, DR.. j. VIM. Jones and
Capt. Charles Mernegerode. Carriages
were in waiting, to which the visitors
and the committee were escorted by
the Austin Grays, after which the
party, led by the band and the Crews
started for the Brunswick hotel, fol
lowed by large concourse of citizens
in which, white and black mingled
indiscriminately in the effort to honor
the name of Lee. For, be it known,
that in the south colored people, as
well as white, revere and cherish the
name of the Lees.
Arriving at the Brunswick Gen.
Lee was taken to a room prepared
for him in which he received and was
introduced to a large number of citi-
zens, both ladies and gentlemen. 1t
was a mistake on the part
of the committee to choose
the Brunswick hotel for the reception
ton, as it is so crowded that no par
lor is open, and the the reception was
held In small room into which not
above score OF persons could get.
The Raymond house parlor, with its
elegant furniture and ample room for
several hundred persons, would have
been more satisfactory. After shak-
ing hands with number of
citizens, Hon. w. II. Burgess was
introduced to make the welcome adj
dress, he spoke in substance as fol-
lows:
Il but say to you, general, what all
feel in this city, when l bid you a
royal welcome. You are still remem-
bered for your first years in Texas;
years that were spent by you in those
early days in defending our frontier.
We Texans will never forget the
name of Fitzhugh Lee. Applause.
1t is great thing to inherit
a great name. 1t becomes much
greater when that name has been
added to by deeds that will live for
ever. And, to the immortal name of
Lei speak the thought Of every
heart here-you, Gen. Fitzhugh Lee,
have added new lustre. [Great ap-
plause. do not speak in a spirit of
tiattery, sir" He then spoke of the
objects of Gen. Lees visit, and that it
was necessary for the south to tell for
what shestruggled if she wished to be
known Alright in future ages. The elo-
quent speaker, in well selected but
pathetic words, then dwelt on the
relationship of the distinguish
ed guest of his illustrious
uncle, Gen. Robert E. Lee. Senator
Burgess remarks on this theme were
so touching as to move the general to
tears.
Gen. Lee could not reply for
several minutes owing to the visible
emotion that swelled his breast. His
utterance was choked several times
during his speech. He said that he
felt the great honor paid him was due
wholly to the work in which he was
engaged, and not to himself. He also
spoke of his first visit to the Texas
capitol, on the occasion of the inaug-
uration of Gen. Sam Houston, in 1859,
and said he was glad he could say to
his people, when he returned home,
that he had again visited this great
empire state. The general re-
ferred to the fact that his
uncle when he wanted any par
ticularly important work done, he
was sure to call on Texas troops. He
remembered in his personal expe-
rience that whenever he found Texas
troops with his division on an i'm
portant mission he felt satisfied; he
knew there would be fighting, and
brave fighting, and great deal of it
He also referred to the incident at the
wilderness where the Texas troops
ordered his uncle, Gen. Robt. Lee, to
the rear, and where a man took his
horse to lead him back to the rear.
After the response the visitors were
left to themselves till the time fo-
THE LECTURE.
In the evening Millett's opera
house was crowded with an enthusi-
aStic audience that filled every avail
able seat. At promptly quarter past
3 o'clock Gen. Lee came into the hall
together with the reception commit.
tee, and his advent was the signal OF
loud and prolonged applause. Gov
Ireland was announced as the presi.
dent of the evening. The Rev. DR.
Jones, the secretary of the Southern
historical society, was then intro
duced. He, in few words, proceeded
to explain the objects of the society
which he said was organized in the
year 1879 in the city of New Orleans
by few gentlemen who had served
in the Confederate army. These
gentlemen saw that if some measures
were not taken to reach the
truth, that the history of the
war of the rebellion would
be so mulcted as to stigmatiZe and
throw odium on the Southern cause
Accordingly they had organized the
southern historical Society, that
through it the truth might be reached
and justice done the noble deeds and
heroic endeavors of the Southern sol.
diers. Through the kindness of the
legislature of Virginia, the society
has now an Office in the capital build
ing at the city of Richmond, to which
city the headquarters of the associa.
ton had been removed as matter OF
experience. Already a mass of mate
rial had been collected so extensive
and so full that no future writer can
afford to write a history of the wal
without these archives. AT present
much good has been accomplished and
in the future the society is destined
to accomplish its objects and vindI-
cate many of the motives and deeds
of the southern people. No longer
even now can the histories of this
war be written by facts CLEANED in the
interest of the winning side for the
facts in the possession of this society
demand and would receive attention
After quoting a few instances il
proofs of these facts, the speaker gave
way to the orator of the evening
Gen. Lee. on being introduced, was
greeted with a perfect storm of ap-
nlause Tho orator after a few Dre-