Morning journal and courier., 1884-09-24
THomAs eoopR1cH LEE, m.p.

Gathering Of the Lee Fam1Iy Tn
 Hartford.
 MT. President: am glad to meet those who are kindred on this occasion, for al- though am not Lee in name I am in heart. From the beginnings of settlements in these parts the Lees and the Harts have been joined in the best of human unions, and the good custom, begun in the first families of Pennington, has obtained down to our day, so that am as much one as the other.
 It has been suggested to me that in these exercises, which are somewhat commemora- tive, I should say few words in memorial of Dr. Thomas Goodrich Lee. l do this with cheerfulness I speak in behalf of his eldest sister, now in her eighty-seyenth year, who would have enjoyed being here except for the risks attendant on advanced age; a lady who honors the name of Lee, who is in- terested now, as she always has been inter ested, in the progress of all good causes in | the world, who was a reformer before certain reformations, who was abolitionist before ] there was an anti-slayery society, who was a I temperance woman before there was 8 tenn peranee cause, who was herself 8 tract socle- ! ty before there was such an organization, | who was Bible class teacher when Sunday | schools were started, who has been an active 1 consistent and benevolent Christian for three | quarters of a century, who to-day has a | warm heart and an intelligent mind for the 1 advancing kingdom of our Lord, who keeps herself well informed as to the work at home | and abroad, and who sends her salutations to | this gathering of her kindred. I speak in behalf of his two other sisters, one of whom | is interestedly present, and one of whom is l living on the Pacific coast, too far away even | to come to such historic assemblage as | this I speak in behalf of his two surviving | brothers, one of whom is on this platform as | a vice president of the body, and the other l of rryIoo iC tO TUha we cd | the able paper on the English origin of the | family and for much of the pleasure of this I reunion of ours. speak in behalf also of another brother, whose voice has been lately 1 silenced in this city, an accomplished and learned physician, whose sympathies were strong for the oppressed and whose self-de- 1 nying benevolence was large for all the bur dened and suffering. And speak for others 1 of his family who have gone with him to 1 their reward, whose gentle manners and ra- diant lives are ever dear in our memories. | For all these, as well as for myself, am l glad to speak few words of Dr. Thomas | Goodrich Lee. To me he was an ideal man. He was born in New Britain, Conn.,, in 1908. | And he died when he was but twenty-eight years of age. He was a%tudent in the mill ] tary school at Middletown, which was then | the West Point of Connecticut where he ac- I quired a skill in the manual of arms which | served him to good purpose in his chosen | profession. l as boy used to look with ad- \ miration upon his huge gloves and foils and hard military bed. He was skillful fencer and had a passion fer military service. If | he had lived to our day he would have taken a patriots glowing interest in the great strug- l gle for the nations life, and then another General Lee in the northern armies might ! have crossed his sword with the southern general of that name, his equal in the sci ence of war, his superior in patriotic devo- | tion to his country. u4-- NTaIa x,1Iaz Hartford with Dr. Todd, and became phy- | sician for the insane. In this special prac- | tice he had no superior. His genius found | here fit and most interesting field for it's | development. If his life had been prolonged he would have attained peculiar eminence I in that department of medical service. He | had 0 wonderful power over the disordered ! minds. They were swayed by him as by a l master. By a strange sympathy and skill \ he led them out of their bondage into peace and sanity. Even the maniacs were sub I ject to him. I remember the case of vi l olent patient who was confined in cell by l himself Dr. Lee, as usual, was calling | upon him when the maniac wrenched a bed \ post from it's place and struck savagely at 1 the physician with the intention of killing l him. Dr. Lee had only the large brass key with which he had locked himself into the | cell with which to defend himself. Then it 1 was that his training as a cadet served and saved him. With that key he dexterously parried the wilds blow of his antagonist. l The maniac was powerful man, the doctor l was slight It @ contest of strength with skill. The issue seemed doubtful The phy- I sician was cool, self-possessed, watchful, with reserves of science. The patient was furi- ous, careless, exhausting himself with excess es of passion. At last he sunk to the fioo1 ! in the nervous reaction. Dr. Lee quickly unlocked the door, passed out and locked the insane man in. He went down the corridor 1 and took glass of water and returned i'm mediately to the cell and locked himself iI as before, and gave the maniac the glass o1 | water, telling him that after so severe q strug gle he thought he might like the refreshment l of 1t. From that time the maniac was a sub l dued man. Dr. Lee was completely his mas
 ter and he would dc anything that the physi
 elan prescribed. This instance shows his ex, traordinary power.
 He was proposing new theories in respect
 to insanity. His views were becoming ar
 authority. He was able, courageous and af
 fable. Those who did not agree with him re
 spected his opinions His devotion to his
 profession was a master passion When ht
 was expostulated with by his anxious friends
 who felt that he was putting in jeopardy | life which the world could not spare, ht
 would reply, ''That life is long which an
 swers ife's great end, ' and then with the ole l audacity and self -abnegation he would re
 turn to his books and his practice He could
 
 sphere nor calling in which he could not have ! achieved success.
 He was the life and center of any societ,
 in which he was found. In manner he haC 1 the politeness of a Frenchman. In opinion he had the fxedness of an Englishman
 There a charm to his conversation, 1 grace and beauty to his department, whiel
 won all hearts. He was married to lad, 1 who was worthy of him, whose 1ove1ines 1 and queenliness made her the favorite O
 society and the pride of her friends, ant
 their union was one of unceasing confidence
 and joy.
 Such gathering as this Dr. Lee would l have enjoyed. He had rare taste for his l toric research and he greatly interested
 in the genealogy of his family. He had ae
 quired many facts which were of great valu l to his own church and to his native town
 and which furnished material to other histo
 rians and will probably be of service in you, l ancestral investipations
 But the crown of his life was his Christian
 character. Before he was thirteen years O 1 age he became decided follower of Christ
 and immediately made confession of his faitl
 in the Congregational church of New Britain
 where the names of his ancestors, for three
 generations of godly men, had been recorded
 This gave color to all his history. It kindlet l in him an enthusiasm to be of use to hi
 fellow-men. It made him prize life, bu
 prize it only as it could be of service to oth l
 philosophy. He had been redeemed by an
 other; he would redeem others. He gav'
 himself to Christ; he gave himself to men
 He was a Christian; he was philanthropis
 as well. He loved the free polity of tn,
 Congregational churches He reverenced tn,
 character of the founders of New England
 among whom his own fathers had borne dis
 tinguished part He desired to initiate thei
 virtues and to sustain the institutions they
 planted His faith was supreme in & alvin, l Saviour and he walked with him in a life O
 faithful service, which was only too short
 unto the end, which was victory and peace. present this extemporaneous tribute t
 your assembly for one whose life honoret
 the name of Lee, for one whose loss througl
 all these years we have deplored, who
 were he still alive, would have graced thi
 presence by his dignity and his urbanity STATE CORRESPONDENCE.
 | Derby.
 Rev. c. B. Whitcomb left this morning
 for New York, whence he starts for a win
 ter's work in the Vest Sept. 23.