Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-11-03

that great space was flled when uenelai
Lee arrived. There was no opening in the
audience left for him to approach the
stand, and il was with great difficulty
that he got there at all. At first the
people began to fall back to clear away
for him but the mass behind, bent on
getting a close view Of the General.
pressed forward with such ardcr and
strength that had il not been that he
and the gentlemen with him we're pretty
robust he might have been crushed in
this ebullition Of affection. He, how
ever, pulled through safely. When he
got on the stand there went up mighty
cheer from the mighty crowd.
The platform had been brilliantly de-
corated by Messrs. Catlett, Moseley,
and Blake, the committee in charge, and
there was a dazzling array Of gas,jets
Just where the speaker was to stand.
COLONEL CARY on GENERAL LEE.
The meeting was called to order by
Colonel John b. Cary, the chairman OF
the CITY Democratic Committee, to
whom the party in Richmond is as
much indebted as to any one man, for
he has given to its work for years past
an intelligence and zeal that could not
be easily surpassed. II was pleasant
duty he had TO perform in announcing
he :" would not say introducing -
General Lee. Long years ago, in plain
tive accents, the voice Of Virginia called
General Lee 70 help resist the invader,
and how well he had responded Colonel
Cary eloquently told.
The presentation of General Lee to
his audience could not have been bet
ter. 1t was truly descriptive, it was
admirable in expression, and it was
brief.
GENERAL LEE.
AS General Lee stood there, his head
uncovered, his honest face beaming
with qualification, he looked little like
a man who had been continually son
the go" for months speaking and
hand-shaking in the day and travelling
by night. lie was hearty and fresh
and in good voice. His hair and beard
are just beginning to show the streaks
of gray he is stout, but active; his
carriage is that Of soldier, but his
manners are freer than are supposed to
be Characteristic of army officers. lie
has a genial smile, pleasant hand
shake. and a captivating way that have
made their impression in this campaign
and given him wonderful personal
popularity. Several times last night he
moved forward and essayed to speak;
several times the cheers of the people
stopped him before he had begun. At
last he "got the floor"
General Lees speech.
General Lee said
Mr.. Chairman and FellOw-Citlzens OF
Virginia w hen look upon this great
sea of upturned. faces | am tempted to
exclaim, in language so loud that it will
reach the gentlemen upon the other
side 1--WE are coming, Father Abra-
ham. three hundred thousand strong"
TCheers.l | recall an incident which
happened at period during those four
fierv wears of trial. 1t is said that
upon one occasion, when the two con-
fronting armies opposed each other
upon the Rappahannock, that one clear,
lovely afternoon a band upon the Fede-
ralside struck up the melody Of" Yankee
Doodle" 1t was taken up from band
to band, carried from regiment to regi-
ment, from division to division, and
then band upon the Confederate side
began to play that good old melody of
Dixie" A Confederate band took
that tune up, carried it from regiment
to regiment, from division to division,
and then one of the bands upon the
other side Of the river began to play
that splendid melody put to those ele-
CANT words,
"Amid pleasures and palaces,
Wherever may roam,
BE 10 ever so humble,
There ls no place like home
and then the bands upon both sides of
the river began to play in unison,
Home, Sweet Home"
| say when come here to Richmond
tonight, after long and arduous po-
litical campaign, coming from carrying
the party's banner from the sea to the
mountains, | feel as if were coming
home to live for the next four years. 1t
would be home, sweet home, for me.
Loud cheers.l
"A voice in the crowd: 4" 1t is to be
your home."l Renewed cheers.l
As MY friend Colonel Cary said, |
did serve prior to the war in the army
of the United States upon the distant
prairies Of the West, but when | heard
the voice Of my mother Commonwealth
TO come to her defence, as the red hooi
of war was to be planted in her fair
bosom, said to my mother Common
wealth am one of your humble sons
hear your wall Of distress;
hear your request for your sons
to come to stand by your side.
ii know that the great crisis
has approached in your history
once more see your blue mountains
once more see your valley plains and
hear the rushing of your rivers, and
once more see faces Of my family and
friends, and come to you-to my
mother Virginia-to take my place
alongside of your sons to fight, and i
it is necessary, to fall at your feet ii
your defence. [Cheers.l For four Ions
fiery years of trial, while the crimson
tide Of battle ebbed and flowed oveI
Virginia's Commonwealth, | did my
humble duty as Confederate soldier
but, my countrymen, after the questions
) which had been submitted to the sharI
| edge of the sword had been settled
after the sun went down behind th'
} hills and behind the clouds at Apo
: mattox Courthouse, | was one of tn
first citizens Of Virginia to recogniz
} that the war was indeed over. re
. cognized that these questions had beef
settled, and that we were once NOR,
back into good government and march
ing along under the national banner.
SHERMAN.
General Lee then went on to say tina
after AppomattOx he was one of tn
first to accept the results of the war
He accepted them in good faith. w
| 4 49, -. . xanntaio GOv