Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1901-06-19
A PATRIOTIC MEMORIAL SERVICE
Rochester Herald.)


A patriotic memorial service wa
held at the First Baptist church il
Rochester, N. Y, last week, the Eigh
Separate Company, the Naval Reserves
E. Il. Marshall Post, G. A. r. /. f
Quinby Post, G.. A. R. and the Lsdies
Relief Corps, of both the last naued
organizations being present in body.
Captain Smith, Of the Eighth Separ-
ate Company, Lieutenant Walbridge,
of the Naval Reserves. Commander
Bostwick. of Gulnby Post, and Com.
mander Garnsey, of e. G.. Marshall
Post were sea, ed on each side of the
pastor, Rev. Dr.. Stewart. The church
was abundantly draped with the
national colors.
The subject Of DR.. Stewards sermon
was General Robert E. Lee" He
spoke in part as follows;
"a year ago I spoke on General
GRAM, the great commanper of the
Federal army. To-day I take for the
theme of .his memorial selvlce Genercl
Lee, the great commander of the Con.
federate forces. / do this, here 10 the
North, and before members of the G.
A. R., without hesitation. Every
where 60 l find appreciation of the
character and deep reverence for the
memory OF Robert E. Lee. Nowhere do
intelligent men Of the North hesitate
to rank him among the genuine nobility
Of our race. The dust and smoke Of
battle have long SINCE cleared away,
aud we have come to discern General
Lee standing out in the clear atmos-
ptere as q truly splendid specimen Of
chivalrous, Christian manhood.
THE NORTH ApNIREs HIN.
"The time has long since come when
the great thing to do in our country is,
as far as human nature can do it, to
bury sectional feeling; as far as possible
to have one sentiment prevail. East
and West, North and South; to do
everything we can to weld together in |
real unity this mighty nation. I believe |
that we do something to promote this |
end when here in the North, in this
memorial service, we Join with the
South in admiration of the Confederate
commander, Robert E. Lee.
"Tbere are two points which IL is
not my providence to dwell upon. One
OF them is why Lee choose to be a
leader Of the secession cause. It was
not because he wanted to perpetuate
the slavery Of the negro.
The question with Lee was,whether
Individual States had rights which
should stand even against the authority
of the national government. The North
fought fr the union; the South fought
'or the rights Of separate States. TIE &
other point is as to Lees rank as q
commander. The North is probably l.
unanimous in ranking him next to t
Grant. We need not be surprised if Z
he South esteems him the greatest | 6
OF the war. We can all c
gree in the more general estimate that 6
70 was one of the greatest commanders f
i moders times. q
"On both sides General Lee came of d
plendid stock. Even proud old vir- b
'inia had no better blood. He was q
be third son Of Light Horse Harry a
Ice, who played such brave part as a Il
avalry leader in the Revolutionary ft
ar. Or
"He must have been a splendid
Deciwen OF humanity to look upon.
ne who saw him in 1861 says of him:
lie was itall. slender and erect. I
fought him then the most imposing
an had ever SEEM" Another says:
he was superb speciment of maoly
race and eleg nee" We can easily
aders and why the people of the
outh think that "take hin all lc oil,
lysicall', intellectually, social y. and
orally, they never sa y Ills equal"
"But il is of Lees cnaractr that I 20
ut speak. In one respect we may
mr. are him Wi h sucn CD racter as 70
eo'ge Washington, and thu great Oh
vt, John Milton, and that is tha, 7
'in his earliest years he WIS sincu- has
'Iy go d and pure. lie was one Of Arr
D o stainless lives like Sir Galahad. c
X ng Arthu.'s Rounl Table, Ike vet
Yard Of Middle Age chi,alry. No at
piety, no falsehood, no dishonor, 7
rreS his youth or early manhood. pow
ting
REMARKABLE FACT. opir
Here is remarkable fact, which :. N
WIS his standing as a soldier. It m raes
in the spring of 1861, in the died
y days OF Lincoln's administration. ~,
+. z. Blair, al the suggestion of r
coin, visited Lee at Arlin gton, and Coll,
red him the command OF the army Anne
lined tor the subjugation of the
'ederacy: IL declined to take CON-
q OF the army tha was t.. be
,ght into tn field. a'ing as
iloly and cour geously ss / Gu d
'housh opp sell I sece ssion and
{ caring VIII, ".ul mol tax nv II
an aston ~ ( s ern
ba er'de. 'hiie, Y
~, Y" meu OF tie Grand Avn y
hav ana Lee OF Our lea Ter.
one thing Lee new indu gel
terpess toward the g. iei Stu. -.
n people tue N b, ana nany vi
ne rebuked OK r ssloi 8 Of ~ r.