Evening star., 1902-01-21
TRIBUTE TO GENERAL LEE
DEPARTED CHIEFTAIN LIVES IN
MEMORY OF HIS FOLLOWERS.
Birthday Anniversary Celebrated. I'm
der Auspices of Confederate Vet
erans' 'Assocfation-The Addresses.

The hall of the Confederate Veterans AS
sociation, 11th and E streets northwest,
was crowded last night with men and wo-
men who formerly lived in the south ana
who gathered to do honor to the memory
Of General Robert E. Lee. The occasion
was the ninety-fifth anniversary OF the
birth of the famous warrior. Several hun
dred persons interested In the event were
unable to get within the hall.
Mr.. Hillary A Herbert, former Secretary
of the Navy. made the principal address OF
the evening. The program included several
other addresses by men well known in the
District Of Columbia, which were inter-
spersed with vocal and instrumental music,
under the charge of Miss Virginia Powell
Goodwin. The hall was decorated tastlly,
the colors Of the confederacy and the stars
and stripes being interwined and given
equal prominence The names OF Lincoln
and Grant were applauded with almost the
same enthusiasm as was the name OF the
man in whose honor the exercises were
held.
Mr.. Herbert's Address.
The Rev. A. r. Stuart offered prayer,
after which Mr.. Herbert spoke.
'It is good for US to have come together
to commemorate the birthday Of the man
whom all men have come at last to speak
said the former Secretary. Surely we who
were his followers have reason to bt
thankful that our lives have been length
ened out to this day; that from this view
point. the beginning Of a new century, it
has been given to us to witness with our
own eyes the glory Of our great leader"
Mr.. Herbert sketched briefly the career
of General Lee, referring to the many VIC
tories he Won for the cause he believed to
be right. and touching upon the tender
scenes when the great warrior took last
leave of the men who had fought SO val
iantly under his guidance.
"At Appomattox the star Of Lee was
scarcely above the horizon. Since that
date it has been rapidly mounting, until
now it is almost in it's notwithstanding with
a purity and luster that has attracted the
attention and kindled the admiration of all
civilized peoples. The great men Of other
nations long since began to praise him;
later 1t has come about that the great men
even of the northern section of our own
country praise him-vie with each other IN
lauding a great soldier, Christian gen
tleman, and patriot without stain him
who was once denounced from the Atlantic
to the Pacific as a rebel, worthy only Of the
halter
How marvellous, how infinitely beyond
the widest dreams Of the most enthusias-
tic Of his followers. President Roosevelt,
in life Of Thomas H. Benton, published
as long ago as 1887 said:
Bravery of Lees Soldiers.
The world has never seen better SOL
diers than those who followed Lee; and
their leader will undoubtedly rank as with
out any exception the very greatest of all
the great captains that the English-speak-
ing people have brought forth-and this al
though the last and chief Of his antagon-
lists may himself claim to stand as the full
equal Of Marlborough and Wellington
Il stood last summer in a gallery at
Amsterdam" Mr.. Herbert said in conclu-
masterpiece of great Dutch painter, Ban
queters celebrating the peace Of West
phalia.' 1t comprised a number of figures,
each and all standing forth vivid with
light. Studying and admiring 1 turned to
the guide book and found that the only
criticism made upon the picture was that
the light was too universally distributed,
1t was without sufficient shadows-wantea
perSpective.''
General Lees life, spread out before us
as picture, might be subject to the same
criticism. In the husband, father gentle
man, soldier. Christian and patriot, there
are no defects, no shadows For the per-
spective, the background, we must look to
the dark shadows that gathered around
the cOnfederacy as it was going down in
the gloom Of defeat. There we have light
most perfect picture on the canvas OF
history
Farewell Address,
General Lees farewell address was read
by Mr.. Findlay Harris, who acted as mas
ter of ceremonies for the evening, after
which Mr.. Justice Shepard Of the court Of
appeals paid a tribute to the memory Of
the great southern soldier. His remarks
dealt chiefly with the home side of General
Lees life. Addresses were also made by
the Rev. A. Rhett Stuart, Mr.. Justice How
ry and Rev. w. T. Thompson.
collation. was served by the ladies in an
adjoining room at the conclusion of the
exercises.