Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1898-04-16
Fitz Lee in Washington.

Washington, D. c., April 70. The
ovation that has followed Consul
General Lee since he set foot on
American soil, on his return from
Habana, eliminated tonight in Wash
ington, in what was in many ways
one of the most remarkable demon
stration the city has ever seen. From
the moment he alighted in the rail
road station in the afternoon, he was
surrounded by cheering crowd.
that followed him to the State De-
partment and the spectacle of army
and navy officers and government
employees cheering outside the very
door of the Office of the Secretary Of
State was wholly unprecedented in
the history of that staid department.
At night the city turned out in
thousands, when serenade was CIV
en- General Lee at his hotel, and
stood for hours in the street, await
ing glimpse of him.
The night demonstration was al
most as quick and unprecedented
as that which had greeted General
Lee at the depot and the State De-
partment. The United States Ma
rine Band had been secured from
the barracks, and the Seventy first
Regiment Band, under the leadership
of Professor Fanciulli, formerly con
ductor of the Marine Band, came
over from New York, on an afternoon
train.
The crowd assembled without call
ing, and by o'clock was 5000 strong
in the streets about the Shoreham
Hotel, where general Lee is quarter
ed. Before the close it was twice
that size. 1t was after 8 o'clock be-
fore he appeared on one of the small
corner balconies, ACCOMPANIED by a
committee from the Union Veteran
Legion and the Confederate Veterans
Association, which was jointly in
charge of the affair. The bands
ssruck up the Star Spangled Ban
ner.n and there was burst of fire
works from the neighboring houses
while mounds of red, white and blue
lights famed at intervals along the
street, throwing the crowd on the
balcony into sharp relief against a
background of flags. The crowd
yelled itself hoarse, calling for Lee,
and demanding a 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:
'sAfter all the speeches have been
forced to make in the past two days,
I can hardly hope to make myself
heard over this great gathering.
can only assure you that such great
demonstration seems to me out of all
proportions to the simple fact of my
humble presence here, and am frank
to say don't see that | deserve it,
having only tried to do my duty as
an American, where circumstances
placed me-"
The crowd broke out afresh, and
there were yells: "Tbat's it!'' "That's
what you did!''
General Lee continued: II have to
thank you heartily for this splendid
endorsement of my course. 1t is a
thing that can hardly come to a man
more than once in lifetime, and it
moves more than can put in words. !"
You can act pretty quick" cried
a man in the crowd, and then some
one Yelled "War, fight" and the
cheering drowned everything else.
II have not come to talk of war"
continued General Lee, but if war
comes in few days, or a few years,
the present crisis has proved that il
will find us united people, and the
only contest will be as to who can
carry the flag farthest and fastest.
.There is one thing in conclusion.
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 hes been in the past, to
stand by Virginia; and if the trial
comes, can assure you all that Vir-
ginia will be found standing shoulder
to shoulder with New York"