The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-04-13
HIS VISIT TO
THE WHITE HOUSE
HOLDS \ CONFERENCE WITH
THE PRESIDENT, SHERMAN
AND DAY FOR AN HOUR.
AN ENTHUSIASTIC OVATION
ALL ALONG THE ROUTE

His First Glimpse of Virginia--Said II Feel
Like Different Man. If Only Had Good
Crowd Behind me | Could Turn Back for
Havana. ".-He is Enthusiastically Received
at Richmond. The Miitry Turn out and
Salute Him.
Washington, ID. G., April 12.-Thc
ovation that has followed Consul Gen
eral Lee, since he set foot OH American
soil. OH his return from Havana, ctlili-
mated tonight in Washington in what
was in many ways one of the most re
markable demonstrations the city has
ever seen. From the moment he alight-
ed in the railroad station in the after
noon he was surrounded by cheering
crowd that followed him to the State
Department, and the spectacle of Army
and Navy officers and government em
ployees cheering outside the very dOol
of the office of the Secretary of State
was wholly unprecedented in the history
of that state department. At night tne
city turned out in thousands when ser
enade was given General Lee at his hotel
and stood for hours in the street waiting
glimpse of him.
The night demonstration was almost
as quick and unprecedented as that
which had greeted General Lee at the
depot aud State Department. The Uni
ted States Marine Band had been Sc
cured from the barracks and the Seven
ty-First Regiment Band. under the lead
ership of Prof Fanciulli, formerly con.
ductOr of the Marine Band, came oven
from New York on an afternoon train
The crowd assembled without calling
and 10y s O'Clock was 5000 strong in tht
streets about the Shoreham Hotel where
General Lee is quartered. Before the
close it was twice that size. 1t was after
3 o'clock before he appeared on one 0t
the small corner balconies accompanied
by Il committee of the Union Veterans
Legion and the Confederate Veterans
Association which were Jointly in charge
Of the affair. The bands struck up the
Star Spangled Banner and there was !
burst of fire. works from the neighbOrino
houses while mounds of red. white and
blue lights famed mt intervals along the
street throwing the crowd on the bal
cony into sharp relief against Il back
ground of flags. The crowd yelled itsel:
hoarse, calling for Lee and demanding
n speech. The speech was brief and sc
much broken by applause that the crOwd
caught probably little more than its
general drift. General Lee said:
GENERAL LEE SPEAKS.
after all the speeches / have been
forced to make in the past two DAYS
| can hardly hope to make myself heard
over this great gathering. / can only
assure you that such great demonstra-
ton seems to me out of all proportion
to the simple fact of my humble pres
ence here, and / am frank to say / do
not see that / deserve it. having only
tried to do my duty as am American,
where circumstances placed me-"
The crowd broke. out afresh ana
there were yels: "nhat's it. That's
what you did"
General Lee continued:
II have to thank you heartily for this
splendid endorsement of my course. 1t
lis "a. thing that can hardly come to Il
man more than once in a life time,
and it moves me 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.
Il have not come to talk of war"
continued General Lee. "but if war
comes. i'll Il few days or II few -Zaa2rs, the
present crisis has proved that it will
find us a united people; the only con-
test will be as to who can carry the
flag farthpSt 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 has been i'll the past to stand by Vir-