The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-13
LION OF THE HOUR IS LEE.
WASHINGToN WILD OVER TIE
GALLANT CONSUL GENERAL.


Greet Him with Cheers on His Ar
rival Earlier in the Day.
Washington, April 12.-The ova-
ton that has followed Consul
General Lee since he set foot on American
soil, on his return from Havana culmi-
mated tonight in Washington in what was
in many ways one of the most remarkable
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 fol-
lowed him to the state department, ana
the spectacle of army and navy officers
and government employees cheering out,
side the very door of the office of the Sec
retary of State was wholly unprecedented
in the history of that staid department
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 as
quick and unprecedented as that which
had greeted Gen. Lee at the depot and
state department.
The United States Marine Band had been
secured from the barracks and the Seven.
ty-First Regiment Band, under the lead
ership of Prof. Fanciulu, formerly con-
Guctor of the marine band, came over from
New York on an afternoon train.
The crowd assembled without calling and
by o'clock was 5000 strong in the streets
about the Shoreham Hotel, where Gen. Lee
is quartered. Before the close it was twice
that size
Ii was after o'clock before he appeared
on one of the small corner balconies. ac-
companied by a committee of the Union
Veterans Legion and the Confederate
Veterans Association, which was jointly
in charge of the affair. The bands struck
up the Star Spangled Banner" and there
was burst of fireworks from the neigh.
boring houses, While mounds of red, white
and blue lights famed at intervals alons
the street, throwing the crowd on the
balcony into a sharp relief against back.
ground of flags.
The crowd yelled itself hoarse, calling
for Gen. Lee 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
have been forced to make in the past
two days, can hardly hope to make my
self heard over this great gathering. L
can assure you that such a great demon
stration seems to me out of all proportion
to the simple fact of my humble presence
Hn~a I fro, IL 10, l.
that 1 deserve it, having only tried to do
my duty as an American where circum-
stances placed me-
The crowd broke out afresh and there
were yells: That's IT," That's what you
did"
Gen. Lee contnued "I have to thank
you heartily for this splendid endorse
ment of my course. It is a thing that can
hardly come to man more than once in
a lifetime and 1t moves me more than 1
can put in words
"You can act pretty quick" cried a
man in the crowd and then some one
yelled "War! Fightr and the cheering
drowned everything else.
81 have not come to talk of war" con-
tinued Gen. Lee, "but if war comes in
a few days or few years the present
crisis has proved that it will find lis a
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 has 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
The speaking and music was followed
by a brief reception, to which a few
score gained admittance in the rooms of
Representative Connell of Pennsylvania,
from whose balcony Gen. Lee had made
his address"
Consul General Flthugh Lee arrived
here from Havana at 2:30 O'Clock this ar
Iernoon.
A large crowd of enthusiastic admirers
had gathered at the Pennsylvania station
and when the general stepped from the
train. he was greeted with a tremendous
outburst Of applause. Women waved their
handkerchiefs and men their hats, and al
together the demonstration was a notable
one. Washington crowds as rule are
not demonstrative, but this occasion was
a conspicuous exception.
Long before the hour set for the ar
rival of the train the crowd began to gath
er. 1t completely filled The station, Sixth
street adjacent on the east, and extended
far out into Pennsylvania avenue. Tine
general occupied the last car in his train
and when it was known that it had reach
ed the station there was a tremendous
rush to get look at him. by the time
ne was ready to alight the crowd was so
dense about the train that even with the
assistance of platoon of police il was
with difficulty he reached the platform.
Several personal friends of the general,
among them a number of ladies, pressed
forward, and finally succeeded in grasping
him by the hand. One of the ladies' pre-
scented him a bouquet Of roses, tied to-
gether by ribbons OF the national colors.
and bearing tiny Confederate battirf9g.
Immediately the crowd began to cheer,
and round after round Of applause greeted
him as he walked slowly and uncovered
down the long platform of the station
~ reaching the b street entrance. Gen
Ice entered a state department carriage,
ard was driven rapidly up the avenue 70
The sta to department.
The general had not perceptiby changed
in appearance since he was last la Wash
ington. His eye was as bright and his stop
as elastic as ever, and nothing in his man
ner indicated that there had been any
thing unusual in his experience during tho
last several months. How long he win re-