The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1903-02-03
ON ROBERT E. LEE.
"A UNION MAN PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE
NOTED CONFEDERATE.
Charles F. Adams Response at a Ranquet
Given by the Officers and Members Of
the Confederate Veteran Camp Of
New York.

Fracis Adams, in his address at the
Confederate banquet tonight on
Robert T.. Lee, said:
"Mr. Commander, Officers and
Members of the Confederate Vet
erans Camp Of New York:
A NewEnglander, by birth, descent,
tradition, name and environm ont
closely associated with Massachu-
setts, was Union soldier from
1861 to 1865, and the one boast I
make in life was, and is, and will
ever be that | also bore arms and
confronted the Confederacy, and
helped to destroy it.
Formerly OF the army of the Po-
tomao, through long years I was in
tent on the overthrow Of the Army
of Northern Virginia.
$50 far, moreover, as that great
past is concerned, have nothing to
regret, to excuse or to extenuate, l
am yet here on this day to respond
to sentiment in honor Of tho mill
tary leader once opposed to us-a
Virginian and a Confederate
Nor, all this being thus and SO, if
asked why am here, would the an
swer be far to seek. Primarily, as a
Massachusetts man, confess to a
feeling of special kindness towards
two other States of the Union-two
of the original thirteen, above all the
other present forty and fve-Sonth
Carolina and Virginia. Those, with
Massachusetts, I hold to have been,
essentially, pivoted States. Com
munities peculiarly prolific of men
the exponents of ideas-from them
have gone forth those migrating col
umns which met in fierce grapple for
the maintenance and the ascendency
Of that in which they believed.
$50, if I may be permitted, first to
say a word personal to myself; when,
the other day-scarcely month ago
Il WAS called on to speak in Char
lesion to an ardience of South Caro-
linans, responded at once; and l
did 80 because my heart went out to
them as those of my countrymen to
whom L had once been most bitterly
pposed--countrymen still, though I
had come to know that, as foemen,
they were men Of whom it behooved
us most to take heed AS exponents
of their ideas-right and wrong
Massachusetts and South Carolina
were peers They had not followed; :;
they had led.
"And so-as L told them--fullv
conscious that l was walking on
ashes still hot, in the very crater Of
what had within all our memories
been the most terrific volcano of a
century--walking there amid sui
phurous memories, chose for my
theme the constitutional ethics of se-
cession. In wholly dispassionate
spirit, [ addressed myself to it as Il
purely academic question:; but |
wanted to know whether the time
had indeed come when the old friend.
ly feeling was restored, and the foes
of former generation could again
talk together calmly and AZ brethren
over issues once burning. The re-
oeption Of what / said justified my
faith in those to whom L said it =.
Never have / met with more cordial
welcome-never did [ receive more
fraternal response.
"Next came the Confederate vet
Grams Of New York; they called, and
l am here. AT this banquet given in
honor Of the memory of Robert e..
Lee 1 am asked to respond to son
timent in his honor, and, without
reservation, [ do 30; for, as a Massa
chusetts man, 1 see in him exempli-
flied those lofty elements of personal
character, which, typifying Virginia,
made Washington possible. The
possession of such qualities by an op
ponent cannot but cause thrill OF
satisfaction from the sense that We
also, as foe no less than as country
men, we're worthy OF him, and OF
those whom he typified. 1t was {
great company, that old, origina
thirteen; and in the front rank O.
that company Virginia, Massachu
aetts and South Carolina stood con