Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-11-17
GoyERNoR-ELEcr LEE INTERVIEWED.

elect of the State, is published in..the Balti
more San of to- day as follows:
Evergreen" the home of Gen. Fitzhugh
Lee, Goyernor-eect of Virginia, is three
miles from Alexandria On cal!iog found
Gen. Lee in his library hard at work on his
correspondence. General Lee hogan his
campaign on the 31st of August, and from
that time until the day of the election he
only rested on Sundays He traversed the
greater part of the State, and made no less
than II speeches, frequently addressing
gatherings at wide distance apart on the
same day. But despite the strain upon both
mind and body, his vigorous constitution
shows no evidence of the arduous labor to
which he has been subjected, and his eye is
as bright and his step rs light as when lhrst
met him at the national democratic conVen-
ton at st. Louis in 1876. During his alb
scerce from home his correspondence accu-
INFLATED very fast, and since his election he
has been perfectly overwhelmed with con-
gratuatory letters and. kilograms, many OF
them of such a character as TO call for prompt
reply. With the military method and pre-
cision to which he is accustomed he Is
Catching up" very fast. Among his letters
are many from gentlemen in the North Of
both parties, some from republicans who,
although not noted as partisan leaders,
stand high in the respect and confidence of
the country at large, and who are pronounce
ed in expressions of pleasure and satisfac
ton that the blight and mildew Of Malone
ism has been lifted from Virginia.
Referring to the calumnies spread far and
wide BY partisan correspondents aud partl-
san stump speakers like Senators Sherman
and Logan aud Judge Foraker, asked Gen.
Lee what were the facts as 10 the treason
stained saddle" the SO called cavalry pa
rades, the alleged display Of Confederate
flags and bis appearance IN Confederate
uniform during his canvass. He said that
he was almost dumb with amazement that
partisan malice and partisan ingenuity
could go to the length OF Misrepresentation
| and falsehood which had characterized the
descriptions Of his campaign. He said the
beginning of the horseback feature Of his
meetings and professions was at the Natural
Bridge, in Rockbridge county, on the 10th OF
September. When he arrived there two Of
his.fIiends came to him and said, The cav
airy will turn out to greet you" This was
the first intimation he had of anything of
the kind, and he asked what was meant,
as he did not know of any cavalry in that
region. He was informed then that
the citizens of the vicinity had organized an
impromptu cavalry, under the leadership of
Capt. DAWN, formerly OF the French army,
| but now q naturaliZed citizen of Virginia.
| The mounted detachment which turned out
on the occasion was composed Of between
three and four hundred men, most Of them
Young farmers, -and he was quite sure there
were not dozen in the whole lot who had
served in the confederate army. A horse,
saddled and bridled, was rendered him, and
he rode at the head into Lexington. His
cousin, GUSTS Lee, who is the president Of
the college at Lexington, said ne was sorry
that he could not come out to meet him, but
he had sent him a saddle. Gen. Lee said it
was possible that this saddle had belonged
to GUSTS Lees father, Gen. Robert e. Lee,
but he did not know whether it did or not.
When Gen. Robert E. Lee died Custis Lee
had sent to him, as he had sent 70 other rel
atives of the family, certain articles as me-
mentoes. Those sent to him were teles.
cope, q saddle and q pair of riding gloves.
| The saddle, which had been presented to
his uncle by some Texan admirers, was Of
costly material and workmanship, and it
had been at home all the time he was away.
The idea of mounted demonstrations, Gen.
Lee said, originating with Capt. DAWN, was
adopted elsewhere, and from that time for
ward ne was met at different points by
friends on horseback and horse fully ac-
coutred was alwayssprovided for him. or
course he rode different saddle on each
occasion. This was all there was in the
'cayalry parades,n and in his riding on his
uncle's saddle. Gen. Lee said if upon any
of these occasions there was q display Of
confederate flags it had escaped his obser-
walton, but the dag of the Union was always
conspicuous 1t had also been said that he
rode around in his confederate uniform, and
Judge Foraker had proclaimed that when
he was nominated for Governor he had his
picture taken in confederate uniform and
scattered over the State. These statements
were as destitute of truth as the others. In
1851, at the Yorktown celebration, as brig
adler. general commanding the Virginia State
troops, he wore the uniform prescribed by
! law. After that celebration he wished to
resign his commission in the State militia,
| but in Difference to the advice Of friends he
yielded his own wishes. At the Inaugural
ton of President Cleveland last March he
appeared in the procession in The same uni
form which he wore at Yorktown, and af-
| forwards, at the request Of some of his
friends, he sat in Washington for a photo
graph in his uniform. This Was q picture
circulated after his nomination for Govern
or, and which Judge Foraker said was his
Confederate uniform. After he came back
from Washington he took of his uniform,
and said to his wife that he never intended
to wear one again, and then sat down and
wrote his resignation to Gov. Cameron. He
thought he had had enough of soldering.
He had not worn the uniform since, and
during his entire canvass he never appeared
in anything but citizens clothes. Indeed
he had no right to wear uniform, rs he
was private citizen. Gen. Lee said these
libels upon him were the more unjustiliable
because he had been one of the foremost to
recognize the results Of the war, to plant his
back to the past and his face to the future.
He had done everything in his power to
prove his sincerity in this; whatever intlu
ence he had in Virginia he had given to d.
rect public attention and consideration to
living issues he had gone to Bunker Hill,
now nearly dozen years SINCE and taken
part in the celebration there; he had gone
to Brooklyn to participate in rhe militia eel
ebration there, and he had attended with
i ~.