The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-05
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MAJOR HUNTERS
ADDRESS ON LEE
Delivered on Fitzl,ugl1 Lee Day
at the Jamestown
Exposition.
A MAsTERLY NARRATIVE
People North, South and abroad
Ask Tines-Dispatcl to Print
Address in Full.
A MAsTERLY NARRATIVE

from people in the North. South and
abroad, The Times Dispatch prints in
full the speech delivered by Major X.
W. Hunter ut the jamestown EXPOSE
ton on General Fitzhugh Lee upon
the occasion of the day set apart to
honor the first president of the OK
position. The speech was received
with the greatest enthusiasm by those
who had tbs privilege of listening to
Major Hunter. and competent critics
have declared that nothing that has
SO far been written about General Lee
approaches the mastery and learned
paper presented by Major Hunter.
The speech follows:
Gentlemen of the jamestown Tercen-
tennial Exposition. Mr.. President,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
In an address at memorial meet
Ing when General Fitz Lee died. 1
said: "He fell with his harness on,
overtaxed by the strenuous work he
had done to make the coming James
town celebration a grand success.
Ulysses has gone TO the Hesperides
and there is none left in Ithaca to bend
. his matchless bow"
There is reason to suppose II Cen
been mortally wounded he was
riding forward VIGOROUSLY at Shiloh.
that with the setting sun Grant would
have been crushed before Buell's re-
Inducements could have saved him.
With magnanimity unknown to
smaller souls. General Robert +. Lee
assumed the entire responsibility for.
the failure at Gettysburg, although he
knew. and the records remain to prove
it, that the fault was not his. Nothing
that can fairly be construed rs criti-
cism of his subordinates ever escaped
his noble lips. except what may be inn
piled from his remark, made after the
war: IF General Jackson had been
with me / would have won vic
tory"
There was n time during the Revo-
lutionary War when its fate seemed to
depend upon a single man--Gcorge
Washington. Fortunately, he survived
to see the Independence of his country.
The fall of the commanding general
after the opening of the battle--as-
suming that he has all the requisites
of leadership-has a paralyzing effect,
from which it is hard, and generally
impossible. entirely to recover. This
Is true, not only of contests of hostile
armies, but also of the great enter
pFlSeS Oh peace III tHe ColnlHcFclai ana
social world.
When, therefore, | express the opin-
lon, very generally entertained, that
If Fitz Lee had lived this exposition
would have been more largely attended
and its financial results more salts
factory, it must not be understood as
in any wise reflection upon the able
dTyoted and public-spirited men who
haze administered its affairs since his
untimely death. Nay, more When ali
the delays, difficulties and discourage
ments-for which they We're not re-
sponsble, but with which they had tc
rontend-are considered, their achieve
nient is marvellous
An entertainment has been given
to tile country and the world of great
er educational and historic value ant
upon n more elevated plane. than has
been afforded by any of the great ex.
hibuons OF the past.
The strangers who have como With,
your gates have been most cordial,
welcomed by the exposition officials
and the courtesies which were extended
to them at the Virginia and Other
! buildings Will ever be a delightful re
collection. What they saw and Learned
here enlightened their minds, broad
ened their Views and expanded thcil
patriotism, and impressed them no
only with the sense of present pleas
ure. hut with the pleasing thought tina
IN their visit there was life and foo,
for future years"
For those who did not come we hay,
profoundest pity, because they hay
lost the opportunity of their lives s
graciously offered by the mother Com
monwealth, OF visiting, under the mos
favorable and attractive conditions, tn
sacred places within her borders, whic
ought to be dear to all our country
men, whore the fires of liberty wer
first lighted and the foundations Q
free representative government frs
laid upon this continent.
But why all this prologue? VIII
talk Of what might lave been? T
some, perhaps, the contemplation ma
y not be one of unalloyed satisfactio,
But this is "Ftz Lee Day and HI
name and connection with this memol
IL able exhibition can never be dissc
ciated.
Then, again. it affords the oppo,
tlnity of grouping the constituent ele
3 Gmenls OF his splendid equipment-'ele
ments so mixed in him" as to procail
him the man Of all others for I'll
great work 10 which he was called.
His selection as president Of IL
Exposition Company was an inspir,
ton. 1T could not have been success
fully launched without him. The,
was no man then living in all the bros
land With such magnetic qualities
none who blended SO harmoniously ii
s essentials of success in a somewh
hazardous enterprise whereof patri
tic sentiment was 80 large a factor.
N k'itz Lees prestige WAS unique.
his veins ran The blood of heroes al
statesmen who were among the for
most and most famous In the Cploni
& Revolutionary and constructive perio
Of our history. lie bore a name--dea
est and most inspiring of all names
the heart of our Southland, which h
Men become recognized the world os
rs the synonym of the highest a
aobIest attributes of humanity--as g
smplified in his near kinsman--t