Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-02-09
Eulcgy on Gen. W. H F. Lee.

representatives. on Saturday last was AE.
| Binckiavidge, D: Kentucky, who eaid:
hIr Speaker, meyer had the pleasCrs cf
Gen Lees i; ;q1aiutauce, so far ne could
tec=il nLt he entered this Hou as rep
fesents i've ci re district which iies luat
ro54 q he rIvet; bu. there were many things
| in common hetween ps which soon caused
kindtiress Of feeling mnch more warm than
| 1e iftqGsloy oi our association would inHi-
| cats IL happened thst we wers almost of
| the sane age, born within feW weeks OF
each Q 1cT, aud tbst on ell great questions
Of toe day We were sinauisrly ellie in our
opinions, and if I may use elcd en- e1pres.
siop, even in our pre- atlces.
Amid ali the isis Of 'ifs We swo fcuad
sc bad adhered to ths simple be!itfi OF
.,.aseSouthern homes In which We were rear
| ed; tlaa 40 advance 10 civilization, no p. G.
anaa OF proareeP, had ever obscrred ouT
views ns 30 The old beliefs eEd the simpler
q which had been inwrought i1io Our
/ baing by tho venerable fathers snd beloved
| mo hers with whom We had teen blessed.
| The tubstfetom of our bsiiefs WAS precisely
tee ssme. And We found that We were not
eshamed of that snbsirStun, that we wers
no. givsn to ap?lcg zlOg for adhefiug t. 10.
| called ''ohscete" traditions or TO cfeeds
| tESl NSES phsslGB " l W icouiOh
We eIso found that on the politica qusi.
tiots Of the day wo were similarly In accord.
va believed in the same political principles.
AND SO t wss very rare occurrence that
When the Eoil wss called III this House we
ware rot found voting, even Oh WhI Il seem
I'd 10 be trivial msttefs, upon the same eide.
Il WEE MT strange cbat with these ccinci-
Gencee Of belief. ard with ou. having both
serVsd ia tha Copiedeitt ts army, ard the To-
cal nccidant Of the negrness Of cur eeals
which rev us together, there grew up 8
regard srsst3r than was Indicated by our IS.
| sociation cutede of this hall.
| II | wego to seloit in ny Acquaintance
him 1hc, es much &C any other, deserved
| tle TIE, ] would ssy OF Gen. Lse t;at he
was q gent 'ecuar. Ail ,hat had concugred
IN producing bill was OF the best. TIE
alcod which gays him life. the soil out Of
which he grew. tbs Kindly Influences which
slways earroGuGeG him, the moldiug pow.
ers &c which be bad beer satj:o.cd-ell
vese Of the noh!est 4 aon OF such hauseF,
reared as such knees Influenced by euch
po,5sIs, 30 passsd under the Influences OF
HatVsfd. Lst,r he took hie ycung eXpe.
reGce as soldier updsr Sidney Johnston.
Ee uegen his civil lfo In delicious hcme,
With the love OF en exquisite yc1n2 wife.
Ead In tie Confederate service hs wac
ssacc!ated with the best and the brave VOL
uctsaT Of tbs Old Dominion berseif.
II was not strange ths the prodcct Of such
.naQeacss should b, gentleman. Ali t1at
wes courageous, all tnst was loyal TO trrt1,
ell. that wss courteous t /, those with whom
DC cstno in contact, all that was eeDtle and
kindly, vas rot only tie herit.co which he
received With bis rsme a2d his blood, but IL
Fas developed by ell the enNiicnmelte
whlch hB was 60 ior.unst, Sc ID have sur
roG3d rim. II I were to select chsrGtt
OF which Is might be said t1et 1t vas round,
wi5hont enge5, even without salient pointe
| It YOU'D ba his-not teeaUss hs wss weak,
but because tbs caImnees. t1e se.enitg, and
She 1naguifcsnce iii may uge O word thet
seems 10 be ayparbolic) of tie equip0iae Of
| bis qualities made each of them ssem less
| important than 1t would have seemed il
ether qualities had been less
It would not be extravngant to apply to
| him t1s pasaphFase ctthe apostolic oescrip-
| tion of g Chriet!an gentlemsn-loviDg with
out dissimp!s!ion; ebhorring tie evil oieaV-
| lug 10 tae honorable; preferring to confer
| hor o. rathat tlan 10 receive 1t; earnest In
| .hs wo:k of life, and careful of time and cp.
uoriunity TO labor; hopeful of al cool pF-
| tept In t,itu ation; forbenriog to resent
| ~ tDOuBuV SLo WSAei
as u deed given 10 hospitality; at teace
With Ills own conscience acd With Gcd.
We live, Mr. Speaker. In an heroic age.
I constantly hear OF this being aa sgs OF ma.
terisllsm, OF the worship of the almighty
dollar" I challenge all the past, In all the
endesvors OF man, to reach higher level,
to suual the beroism oi the sge 10 which we
have teen called TO perform our part-the
devotion to duty, the readiness to make sac-
rifces, tho Willingness TO give ell for the
truto, which have marked our generation
the era in which We have to act ouT part.
This simple. kindly, unaffected, modest
gentleman +; this man, with his eweet, calm
scsile, who met Us every day. passing in end
out with certain ret!oence Of modesty, wss
hinsef bat the type Of the age In which he
lived end OF the people from whom be
spraug. All mc6set as hs vas, be bad given
nd everything at ,he call of duty. All sm-
p;e and kindly as be seemed TO be, he had
ct the head Of charging sqaadrons capiursd
csnnoa, and with more heroic endurance
had lain without complaint In the cell OF
solitary confinement. he carried about
with him In the simple modesty OF his every.
Gsv life the heart that ct moments notice
vss ready to still Its beating at the call oi
duty: and with the same simplicity. with
,he same fresdom from cssentatiop, With the
esne delicious emile, he would have walked
into ths javs Of death if IL had become him
SIS gentleman 10 DO go.
To live Ia such au age, to be associated
viii, snch man-and, thank God, they are
not unooDrnon amongst us-the bar I
which 7 practice, the tables at which l ell
in the kiodlineEs oisocial Intercourse, the
men with whom have been blessed enoush
to be called irt, COZ taet. the very strangers
wha coil en- business at my houaa, rack
amsng tsem men inst like unto hin. Isay
70 live ic srch 90 see. to he n,To"'s-sd ii
5uch Een. to play past. boa ;. a>. L :
in such drama. make life worth t1s iiSiag
make the hereafter rob!er foE him Tho has