The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-04-13

eral Lee. Secretary Sherman remained for
about half an hour and then returned to
the state department After being with
| the president fully an hour, Judge Day
and General Lee took their departure, the
latter going to his hotel. An immense
crowd augmented by number of ladies
who attended Mrs. McKinleys reception,
was on the portico when the two came
down stairs, and General Lee was given
a tremendous ovation. AS the carriage was
being driven away some one fastened a
Cuban flag to the front of the vehicle and
this was the cause for additional enthus-
iasm.
The ovation that has followed Consul
General FitZhugh Lee since he set foot on
American soil on his return from Havana,
eliminated In Washington tonight in what
was in many ways one of the most remark
able demonstration the city has ever SEEM
From the moment he alighted in the rail-
road station in the afternoon he was sur
rounded by a cheering crowd that fol-
lowed him to the state department and the
spectacle of army and navy officers and
government employees cheering outside the
very door of the secretary of state was
wholly unprecedented in the history OF
that staid department. At night the citl-
zens turned out in thousands at serenade
given General Lee at his hotel and stood
for hours in the street waiting for a
glimpse of him. The crowd yelled itself
hoarse calling for General Lee by name
and demanding speech. The speech was
brief and so much broken by applause that
the crowd caught probably little more than
its general drift. General Lee said:
after all the speeches have been forced
to make in the past two days L can hardly
hope to make myself heard over this gerat
gathering. can only assure you that sucn
a great demonstration seems to me out or
all proportion to the simple fact of my
humble presence here and I am frank to
say 1 don't see that l deserve 1t. having
only tried to do my duty as an American
where circumstances placed me-"
The crowd broke out afresh and there
were yells, That's it," That's what you
did, General Lee continued: II thank
| you most heartily for this splendid in
| dorsement of my course. 1t is thing that
| can hardly come to a man more than once
| in life time and 1t moves me more tnan
| l can put in words
| The Crowd Enthusiastic
"You can act pretty quick" cried man
in the crowd. and then some one yelled,
| WAR. fight and the cheering drowned
| everything else.
"I have not come to talk of war;" con-
| timed General Lee, but if war comes in a
| few days ouRr few years, the present crisis
| has proved that it will find us united
people, and the only contest Will be as to
who can carry the flag the farthest and the
| fastest.
"There is one thing in conclusion. I want
to thank my good New York friends who
have come so promptly to the front tonight
| 1t Is only another evidence that New York
is ready as she has been in the past to
| stand by Virginia, and if the trial comes
can assure you all that Virginia will be
standing shoulder to Shoulder with New
| York"
The speaking and music was followed by
a very brief reception, to which few score
gained admittance in the rooms OF Repre-
sentative Conhell of Pennsylvania, from the
| balcony of which General Lee had made his
| address. -