The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-13
LEE IS THE HOURS IDOL
REMARKABLE OVATION AT THE
NATIONAL CAPITAL
Thousands Out to Give Greeting to
the Consul General, the Occasion
Being nm ImprOmptu Serenade-
A Short and Stirring Speech,
Characteristic of the Man, His
Answer to the Popular Greeting.


WASHINGTON, April 12-The ova-
ton that has followed Consul General
Lee since he set foot on American soil
on his return from Havana eliminated
tonight in Washington in what was
in many ways one Of the most remark
able demonstrations the city has ever
seen.
From the moment he alighted in the
railroad station in the afternoon he
was surrounded by a cheering crowd
that followed him to the state depart
ment, and the spectacle Of war and
navy officers and government employees
cheering outside the very door of the
secretary Of state was wholly unprece-
dented in the history Of that staid de-
partment.
At night the city turned out in thou
sands, when a serenade was given Gen.
Lee at his hotel, and stood for hours
in the street waiting a glimpse of him.
The night demonstration was almost
which had greeted Gen. Lee at the
depot and state department. The
United States Marine band had been
secured from the barracks, and the
Seventy-frst Regiment band, under
leadership of Prof. Fanciulli, formerly
conductor 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 no
tel, where Gen. Lee was quartered. Be
fore the close it was twice that size.
1t was after o'clock before he ap-
peared on one of the small corner bal
! comics, accompanied by committee of
Confederate Veterans association,
which was Jointly in charge of the af-
fair The bands struck up the star
Spangled Banner" and there was q
burst of fireworks from the neighbor-
ing houses, while mounds Of red, white
and blue lights famed at Intervals
along the streets, throwing the crowds
on the balcony into sharp relief against
background Of flags.
Speech by Lee.
The crowd yelled itself hoarse, calling
for Gen. Lee by name and demanding
a speech. The speech was brief and
so much broken by applause that the
crowd caught probably little more than
it's general drift. Gen. Lee said:
After all the speeches I have been
forced to make in the past two days,
l can hardly hope to make myself heard
over this great gathering. l can only
assure you that such great demon
stration seems to me out Of all proper
ton. to the simple fact Of my humble
presence here and I am frank. to say
1 don't see that I deserve it., having
only tried to do my duty as an Ameri-
can where circumstances placed me-
The crowd broke out afresh and there
were yells: That's 1t" That's what
you did, "a
Gen. Lee continued II have to thank
you most heartily for this splendid In
dorsement Of my course. 1t Is a thing
that can hardly come to man more
than once in a lifetime. 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. ~.
IT have not come to talk Of war, 4"
continued Gen. Lee, "but If war comes,
in a. few days or in a few years, the
present crisis has proved that 1t 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. It is only another
evidence that New York is ready as she
has been in the past, to stand by Vir-
ginia, and if the trial comes, I can
assure you all that Virginia will be
found standing shoulder to shoulder
with New York.