The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-06

CONCLUDED FROM PAGE 1o.l


American history. He pictured the chief
events of the earlier history of the Ma
ton with the hand of a master of express
sion and philosophy He drew original
characterization of the great figures of the
American revolution and paid tribute to
them in glowing phrases. In speaking of
the war with Mexico General Lee remarked
that IL was a training school for the young
soldiers who afterwards became the great
commanders of the civil war. There was
Mcdowell, Mcclellan. Meade, Thomas,
Sumner" he said; land | remember, too,
a young lieutenant. %taciturn in manner who
gave no indication of the master genius
that filled him. His name was Grant. There
too, were Beaureguard, Albert s.. Johnston.
Joseph Johnston, M~agruder, Bragg, Long
street. Ewell. A. p. Hill, Stonewall Jack
son and he who afterwards faced Grant at
AppomattoX-Robert E. Lee"
UNSUCCESSFUL CHARGES.
One of the most powerful periods of Cen
eral Lees address was a part devoted. to a
description of the unsuccessful charges that
have been made in war. Every old SOL
der knows" he said. that it is harder TO
make an unsuccessful charge than to make
a successful one. History tells of some
glorious failures. There was Leonidas at
Thermopylae, who, with 800 Spartans and
700 allies. charged the entire army of
Xerxes. There was the Did Guard at
Waterloo that in a desperate effort to turn
defeat into victory for. the French eagles
hurled themselves unavailingly on the
walled front of Wellington. There was
Lord Cardigan and the Light Brigade at
Balaclava, immortalized in song. but there
are none of them more splendid than the
splendidly futile charges made by heroes of
both sides during the civil war. Pickett's
force he threw himself against Meade, and
Meade's at Fredericksburg, where the ar
tillery of the Southern host swept the plain
like a fne-tooth comb and moved men like
blades of grass, will not soon be forgotten.
The v~alor'Of the American soldier has been
proved time and time again"
In his remarks on the causes of the civil
war General Lee said that he did not be-
lieve slavery had all to do with it. The
fault. he said. lay rather with the revolu-
tionary fathers, who failed TO write into
the Constitution the express provision. A
State shall not secede." Northern people
believed from tn start, he said, that the
Union was one and indissoluable. The peo-
pie of the South felt conscientiously that
the State had all the power that was not
expressly delegated to the federal govern
ment by the Constitution. The Southern
fought. he said. They were sincere. They
certainly were not fighting for money!
said General Lee, for most of the South
ern money was not worth 10 cents a yard"
INTRODUCED BY GOVERNOR.
Governor Durbin introduced the general
to his audience. Gen. r. S. Foster. who
was to have made the Introduction, was
bAAdbiC ~ bC IItSFHl III dCCOuuI OI lllDeSSs
Governor Durbin said:
Gen. Fitzhugh Lee needs no introduce
ton to an American audience. His record
as a soldier and as chief executive of his
State are too Wei known for that. My
own associations with him | remember
with keen pleasure. We were together i'm
the Seventh Army Corps. and it gives me
the most sincere happiness to welcome him
10 Indiana
in responding to the introduction General
Lee said: Il do not feel that / am a
stranger in a strange land. If | had ever
had that thought ii would have been swept
away by the most cordial greeting which
l have received on all sides. 1 knew In
dlanians many years ago, and at the time
l was not anxious 10 get better acquainted
with them. They came TO see me in Vir-
ginia; l think il was the Third Indiana L
remember with mixed feelings, and L nave
never returned the visit until now"
Seated with General Lee and Governor
Durbin on the stage were many army Off
GERS who. in the civil war, had fought
either against him or under his banners.
After his address he held a reception on
the stage and shook hands with all of
them. Those present were:
George Carnahan, Judge Allen. Judge
Carter. Alfred Birdsall. NJ. u. Buster, W.
G. Stiles, J. H. S. Loves. General Nc
Ginnis. DR.. Sullivan. r. NJ. Smock. George
w. Spahr, Judge Hadley. Judge Jordan,
Smiley Chambers. Charles E. Mansfield.
a. b. Richardson. Peter linn, Lieutenant
Commander L. V. L.; l.. N. Walker. a.
o. Marsh, Oran Perry, John b. Elan,
Charles w. Smith. Joseph Z. Hartcell,
Frank Miller (Confederate). Joseph Balls
ley. William f.. Shilling, Judge McMaster,
General Coburn. w. G.. Phipps. w. r. Pick
erell. W. B. Harris. J. II. Porter. David f.
Olive, +. Fuller, J. f. Twiname. A. p.
Hendrickson, H. G. Adams, j. T. Layman.
c. Letter, Major Former, Captain Cravens,
Scot Butler, Judge Black. Judge Com
stock. Captain John Schley, Francis II.
Pillett (Confederate)
one veteran came a long way TO see
General Lee last night. Adam Throw. of
the First Virginia Cavalry. who lives now
in WalcotI. White county. had not seen his
old commander since the war, and he
listened eagerly TO the address. After the
speech he found him and grasped his
hand.
The lecture was a financial as we'll as an
Intellectual and a social success. A hand
some sum of money will be cleared. ii was
said last night, for the Boys Club. under
the auspices of which the address was
given.