The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-20
COMPLETE TEXT OF
ADAMS'S ADDRESS
Remarkable Tribute to Southern
Chieftain From Lips of Man
Who Fought Against Him.

VINO FouRnS against him.
The address OF Mr.. Charles Francis
Adams. delivered at Lexington Yesterday
az noon, and unauestionably the most
remarkable message yet brought by a
Northern man to q Southern audience
ie here given IN full:
Having occasion once 70 refer IN dis
cussion 70 certain OF the founders OF our
MsssachusottH Commonwealth. / made
the assertion that their force LAY IN
character: and I Edded that in saying
this paid. and meant TO pay. the
highest tribute which. IN my judgment.
could be paid 10 a community or 70 its
typical men. Quite a number Of years
have passed since 20 expressed myself,
aud In those years have grown older
materially olders-but I now repeat. even
more confidently than then uttered
them. these other words: Tho older
have grown. and the more I have stu
died and seen, the greater IN my
esteem. as an element Of strength I'm a
people. has character become and the
less. in the conduct OF human affairs.
have thought OF mere capacity or even
genius With character a race will be-
come great even though as stupid and
unassimilatins a. the Romans. without
character. any race Will IN the long run.
prove failure, though Il may number
In X Individuals having all the brilliancy
Of the Jews, crowned with the genius OF
Napoleon We S-e here to-day to com
memorate the birth Of Robert Edward
Lee-essentially "a man Of Character
That America has been rich IN men
Of character f. matter Of history. u has
also been our making a. a Community.
Such In New England WAS John Win
throp. whose lofty example stu inhu-
ences the community whose infancy he
fathered- Such In New York was John
jay. Such. further South. was John
Caldwell Calhoun. essentially man Of
exalted character and representative %
his community. quite irrespective OF his
teachings and their outcome. Such un-
qussttonably in Virginia were George
Washington snd John Marshall. and
more recently, Robert Edward Lee.
stock. OF which those three were the
oonsumma'e flower. by its fruits Is
known.
Here 20 commemorate the centennial
Of the birth OF Lee. I do not propose 70
enter into any eulogiuu OF the men. to
recount the well-known events OF his
career. or 20 estimate the final place
TO be assigned him among great MILL
tary characters. All this has been SUN
cienuy done by others Tar better qualified
for the task. EschewinE superlatves
also. shall institute no comparisons
One OF a community which then looked
upon Lee as a renegade from the Tag
he had sworn 20 serve and a traitor
70 the nation which had nurtured him.
in my subordinate place I directly con
fToRted Lea throughout the larger por-
ton of The War OF Secession. During
al those years there was not a day
IN which nv heart would not have been
gladdened had heard that his also had
been the fate which at Charlottesville
befell his great Lieutenant. and yet more
glad had u been the fortune Of the com
mand In which served 20 visit that fato
upon him. Forty more years have since
gone. Their close nnds me here to-day
certainly much older. and. In my own
belief at least, wiser man. Nay, morei
A distinguished representative OF Massa-
chusetts. speaking IN the Senate OF the
United States, shortly after Lees death
upon the question OF a return 70 Lees
family Of the ancestral estate OF Airing
ton. used these words
ELOQUENT Senators have already char
acterized the proposition and the traitor
II seeks 70 commemorate. am not
disposed TO speak OF General Lee II -
enough 20 say no stands high in the
catalogue OF those who have imbrued
their hands In their oountry's blood. I
hand him over 70 the avenEing pen OF
History" II 30 chances that not only
am also from the state OF Massa-
chusetts. but for more than a dozen
Jeaiss nave DSen the CHOSEN mead OF
It's typical historical socisty-the society
chartered under the name and seal OF
the Commonwealth considerably more
than a century ago-the parent OF al
similar societies. By no means would I
on that account seem 70 ascribs TO my
self any representative character as re-
spocts the employment OF HistoTy's pen
whether avenging or otherwise. nor q
I appear here rs representative OF the
Massachusetts Historical Society bu+,
whole generation having passed awav
since Charles Sumner uttered the words
I have quoted, do. on your invitation
chance 20 stand here to-day. as 7 has
said. both Massachusetts man and the
head OF the Massachusetts Historical So
ciety. to pass Judgment upon Gene-oi
Lee. The situation Is thus to a deg1ea
dramatic.