The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-01-22
BIRTHDAY OF LEE.
Fitting Tribute Paid in NeWberry to
the Memory Of the South's
Great Chieftain.

NeWberry on Tuesday, the IO2d an
niversary Of his birth. paid loving TIL
butte to TIM memory Of General Robert
Edward Lee, the Southland's great
chieftain, whose unsurpassed genius
for leadership, unsullied patriotism,
unfaltering courage, answering de-
votion to duty, and unwavering pur-
suit Of high and pure ideals, have
placed him among the greatest cap
tains and knightliest gentlemen of
any people or any age. AS each sue
ceeding year takes its place with the
centuries which are dead, and the bit
ter memories engendered by four
years Of the most terrible internecine
strife in the annals of warfare are
softened by time, his heroic proper
tions stand out more boldly against
the lights and shadows Of history, and
some of the warmest admirers Of his
military genius and nobility Of soul
are numbered among the people OF
that section against which he led the
armies Of the Southern Confederacy.
Newberry, along with the whole
South, is firm in her loyalty to the
flag of a reunited country, but the
memories which cluster around the
Stars and Bars. unfurled now only
on memorial occasions, are holy, and
the principles in defence Of which the
armies of the South bore it, are un-
dying. It was a battle, as they saw
it, for home and fire-side, waged by
men who believed in the justice Of
their cause, and who, under match
less leadership, filled world with
the glory Of their achievements. Near
ly a half century has passed since
arms were stacked in the deepening
gloom of Appomattox, and Lee and
those of his followers who had not
found heroes graves on the field of
carnage returned to their homes and
took up the task, harder than war, of
rebuilding their lost fortunes. In the
dark days which followed, General
Lee showed himself as great leader
in peace as he had been in war, and
when, five years later, he joined the
comrades in arms who had preceded
him to the eternal camping ground,
a whole people bowed their heads in
sorrow second only to that which had
scared their souls when they knew
their cause was dead.
Lee and the Southern Confederacy
peerless leader and fairest nation
that ever graced the pages Of history,
though its birth and brief life and
death were written in the life blood
Of her sons. The memories Of chief
tain and nation are inseparable, and
it is to honor these sacred memories
and to give succeeding generations ac-
curate knowledge Of the pure motives
which actuated their fathers IN en-
tering into the War Between the
States and the heroic deeds which
they wrought, that such exercises as
those in Newberry and elsewhere
throughout the South were held on
Tuesday, and Memorial day and 9TH
er days commemorative Of that con-
flict, are annually observed.
The exercises on Tuesday were un-
der the auspices of Drayton Ruther-
ford chapter, Daughters Of the Con-
federacy. The annual address was
delivered by DR.. H. ". Bays. pastor
of Washington Street Methodist
church, Columbia. DR.. Bays address
was eloquent and logical, beginning
with a masterful enlogy of General
Lee, and then reviewing the princi-
pies for which he fought. No synop-
sis would do justice to the deep re-
search Of which the address gave evi-
dence, or the beauty Of its language.
and The Herald and News will pub
hsh the address in full on next Tues
day.
The opera house, which had been
appropriately arranged for the oc-
casion, being draped with Confeder-
ate flags and the portraits of Gen.
eral Lee and other leaders being
prominently displayed, was filled to
its capacity when the exercises began
at II clock. The graded school and
Newberry college suspended for the
observance, and the students Of these
two institutions marched to the opera
house in body. The members Of the
Drayton Rutherford chapter, Daugh-
ters Of the Confederacy, and Of the
Jno. N. kinard camp. Sons Of Vet
Grams. assembled, and marched into
the opera house and remained stand
ING while the Veterans came in and