Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-27
LEE, LINCOLN ANDDAVIS
SUBJECTS OF ToAsTs AT CON-
EEDERATE REUNION.
Thirteenth Annual Banquet Of Veteran
Camp Held at New York
Last Night.

Camp Held at New York
Last Night.
dispatch from New York last night
says: The thirteenth annual banquet Of the
Confederate Veteran Camp Of New York,
held tonight at the Waldorf-Astoria, was
made memorable by eloquent eulogies of
the great figures Of the south and the north
during the civil war, declared by men who
themselves had fought in the armies op-
posing them.
Charles Francis Adams Of Massachusetts,
soldier Of the Union, responded to the
toast Of Robert e. Lee," and Col Henry
Watterson, a soldier Of the confederacy,
paid tribute to the character Of Abraham
Lincoln. The toast to Jefferson Davis was
responded to by William Hepburn RUSSELL
formerly of Missouri, and commissioner Of
accounts Of New York city.
Upward Of 800 comrades Of the camp and
their guests were present, and the pres
ence Of many women lent brilliancy to the
banquet.
Commander Henry Owen presided, with
Mayor Low at his right and Col. Watterson
at his left.
The opening toast to ."rhe President and
the army and navy Of the United States-a
prince among the rulers Of the world and
but the servant of free people," was
drunk standing among great applause, the
This was followed by the toast to Gen.
Lee: Mature made him and then broke the
| mold
Gen. Lee Extolled.
In responding, Mr.. Adams said, in part:
OF him what shall 1 say? Essentially a
soldier. as a soldier Robert e. Lee was a
| many-sided man. 1 might speak of him as
a strategist; but Of this aspect Of the man
enough has perhaps been said. I might re-
fer to the respect the confidence and love
with which he inspired those under his
command. I might dilate on his restraint
In victory; his resource and patient endur-
ance In the face Of adverse fortune; the
serene dignity with which he, in the end
tr1umphed over defeat. But, passing over
| myself to that one attribute Of his which,
recognized in a soldier by an opponent
cannot but regard as his surest and Hottest
title to enduring fame. I refer to his hu-
manity In arms and his scrupulous regard
for the most advanced rules of civilized
warfare.
AS an Amer!can-as an ex-soldier Of the
Union, as one who did his best in honest
even fight. to destroy that fragment Of the
army of the confederacy to which he found
himself opposed rejoice that no hatred
attaches to the name Of Lee. Reckless Of
life to attain the legitimate ends of war.
to him at Gettysburg, 1 here, forty years
later, do him justice. No more creditable
order ever issued from commanding gen.
eral than that formulated and signed by
Robert E. Lee as, at the close of June,
1868. when he advanced on a war Of inva-
sion. mo greater disgrace" he then de-
clared, can 'befall the army and through
1t our whole people than the preparation
Of barbarous outrages upon the innocent
and defenseless. Such proceedings not only
disgrace the perpetrators and all connected
with them, but the subversive Of the disci-
pine and efficiency of the army and de-
structive of the ends Of our movement It
must be remembered that we make war
only on armed men," Lee did not, like
lilly and Melac. exhort his followers to kill
and burn, and burn and kill, and again kill
and burn, to make war hell. He did not
proclaim that he wanted no prisoners He
did not enjoin 1t upon his soldiers as duty
to cause the people Of Pennsylvania to re-
member they had been there. 1 thank
heaven he did not He at least, though a
confederate in arms, was still an American
and not lilly nor Melac
And here, as a soldier of the Army Of the
Potomac, let me bear my testimony to such
OF the army Of northern Virginia as may
now be present. While war at best Is bad
yet Its necessary and unavoidable badness
was not In that campaign enhanced. In
scope and spirit Lees order was observed
and / doubt If a hostile force ever advanced
IN an enemys country or fell back from it
in retreat leaving behind it less cause of
Northern Virginia in that memorable cam
paign which eliminated at Gettysburg
Because he was soldier, Lee did not feel
1t incumbent upon him to proclaim himself
brute or to exhort his followers to bru-
tally
This was succeeded by the rendering Of
THE Bonnie Blue Flag" and songs of ante
bellum days by Mrs Hollinesworth wat
kins, formerly Of Louisiana.
In response to the toast ITO the Memory
of Abraham Lincoln" Mr.. Henry Watterson
spoke. In substance. as follows:
1.-The years are gliding swiftly by ONLY
a little while and there shall not be one
man living who saw service on either side
of that great struggle Of systems and ideas
Its passions long ago vanished from manly
bosoms. That has come to pass within a
single generation in America which in
Europe required ages to accomplish There
IS no disputing the verdict of events Let
fairly. If we would have the north do jus
tfce to our heroes, we must do justice to its
heroes 1 here render unto Caesar the
things that are Caesars. even as 1 would
render unto God the things that are Gods
AS living men, standing erect in the pres
ence Of heaven and the world, we have
grown gray without being ashamed; and we
need not fear that history will fail to vindi-
cate our integrity. When those are gone
that fought the battle, and posterity comes
to strike the final balance sheet it will
be shown that the makers of the Constitu-
ton left the relation of the states to the
eminent to the states open to a double con-
struction. 1t will be told how the mistaken
notion that slave labor was requisite to the
profitable cultivation of sugar, rice and
cotton raised paramount property inter-
est in the southern section Of the Union
while in the northern section. responding to
the trend Of modern thought and the outer
movements of mankind, there arose a great
moral sentiment against slavery. The con-
fict thus established gradually but surely
sectionalzing party lines, was as Inevitable
as 1t was irrepressible. 1t was fought out
to it's bitter and logical conclusion at Apo
mattox. 1t found us huddle Of petty SOW
ereignties. held together by a rope Of sand
1t made and it left us a nation. Esto per-
petua!'
In response to the toast "To the Memory
of Jefferson Davis" Mr. William Hepburn
Russell spoke substantially as follows:
Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis
were both sons of Kentucky. The courage
the sincerity. the honesty of purpose that
seem the heritage of all true Kentuckians.
were theirs in fullest measure. In their an
cestry. their education, their surroundings,
they typify opposing forces and irreconcila-
BILE political ideas.
ITO the one the Declaration of Tndenend-