Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1900-12-29
IN INSPIRING EPISODE
Maj. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee at the New
England Society's Dinner
at St. Louis.
WARM TRIBUTE TO THE ARMY AND NAVY

Gen. John W. Noble eeted the For
mer Confederate Cavalry Lender,
The Gnestof HonDr, asa Represen-
tatiye of the Highest Type of
American Manhood.
st. Louis, Dec. 2}-The sixteenth
annual dinner of the New England
tociety of ST. Louis, which was given,
Friday night, in the banquet hall of
the Mercantile club, resolved itself
into yeritable love feast after the
last course of the elaborate bill OF
fare had been disposed Of and toasts
were declared in order by President
W. B. Honey.
The climax of good-fellowship was
reached when Gen. John w. Noble
arose, with tears in his eyes and his
voice choked with emotion. and, fac
hing Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, the guest OF
honor, said:
81 love America,
81 love the American spirit.
81 love the man who has the cour-
age to stand up for the right as he
sees 1.-THE man who will fight for his
principles.
81 know you believed the way you
fought, Gen Lee, and / honor you as
representative of the highest type
Of American manhood
While the impassioneu tribute from
the New Engand-bred, Ohio-raised
veteran of the union army was being
Ipaid to the Virginia descendant Of
the cavaliers, who fought for the con-
fcdcracy, the large audience sat mo-
tionless and listened with bated
breath. When the speaker had re-
sumed his seat there arose cheer
that might have been heard for blocks
in all directions. 1t was, perhaps, the
most dramtic incident ever witnessed
at social function in st. Louis.
Gen. Mobiles remarks were, in part,
in answer to the speech of Gen. Lee.
The cx-confederate the consul to Gu
ba, the commander of the department
of the Missouri, had shown himself
in new light, that of finished ora
tor. His audience was taken comp
pIetely by surprise, having expected
a mere formal and soldierly reply to
the toast, "The Army and Navy
Gen. Lees speech.
Gen. Lee spoke eXtemporaneously,
! lie said in mart.
~ '''''' ,i I"''
u am glad that it was possible for me
| to come here to meet the New EhslahG
! society, and TO renew my acquahtahce
| with the good ola city oil 81. Louis. was
never before at q banquet conducted Just
| On the plan as lhlS one. IN my slale the
| men always do their teastlng ana word
| painting unrcstralned by the presence OF
| ladies', ! now realze th4t we DO not Know
bow tq Do things properly ana "heA l go
/ back / shall insist on reform never
fully understood before What vas needed
! to make an occasion OF TINS klnd per-
feet success
II have been asked TO respond to the
toast The Army and Navy. My expert
ence has taught me that, whenever OPP.
| portunitE presents, the army ana navy ol
the nited States speak for themselves
Need remind YOU ol lne armies Oh WASH
in9ton and %athaniel Green, that gave u5
| this country NCeq mention the army Oh
Generals Scott and Taylor that fought It's
| way through the burning SANDS Of MeNl,
| co to undying fame? Need | recall any Of
the glorious achievements of the arms OF
our country When they are SO !ndellbly
| stamped on your minds and in your
hearts as chapters in the history of our
| great nation?
| 'Ihere have been some references mere
| Tonight to former differences of opinion.
With refecsnce TO these differences, it is
| but natural that | take the standpoint OF
| my people, the people of Uld Virginia, the
| state that gave TO the country NashlnS-
ton, the soldier whose sword carved out
| the union, the state that gave jefferson
90 frame the Declaration of lndepend-
cnca; the state that gave John Marshall,
the greatest jurlst and frat supreme JuuSe
of his nation; the state that gave Patrick
ienti, Wny7e RglS ei94uemIiGi 4i,,ii 'rst maze
ltg s'L VIZ - ',,Iu h , a.
1;i. ," 5,rie,'
- ifi iaf,,1,, 80 ~, lr,S ~, 80,
t ~ .1oh Ej .oTJ 'raIitt,,isL,,n', t
~ so,,erSc rigbtg "f Tho indi
Ui,G,aiA ~ Wv ''
WV. ho,jo,,od v,a v,ero riqbt in res1etip.
uti,gi Tg w. WIZ i IA ,a,,, i
III, I,I m ,t ,,s,. b biII
WV .7 W U"( '1 NV ,H @ i'2
l0.s f,, ~ 1t 80 IN, ~, ,5
out "hu ~ ~ M , nnl 't.tgn5 az 60,
IhGalS al'u uI u Inu S'oou Io' Iou'
!e%TS iun ,,"' - ~ t,inyicor SoIdicrs
'''"'' ~ ''''' '''''
"NUu gentlemen, were reared to think
the other way. You were just as honest
and lust as earnest in your conviction as
we were, You, too fought for what YOU
thought right; and, ii my memory Is cor
rect YOU won
"Our fOrafathers had neglected to set.
tie or were afraid to tackle, the question
that brought on the civil war-that o,
states rights. The question was settlct
by the war We stand by that decision ii
| the SOUTH We have no desire but to make
our fair southern commonwealths shin