Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-06-11

For the State Sentinel
The Lee FsmfIy-uisrcpres
OF the indianapolis Journal ana
the new YORK Times Correctcd.

Ma EDIToR:-A friend in Indiana has sent me
an article lately published in the Indianapolis
Journal" headed a uice set of men,
The article Is reprinted from the New York
Times. and Is a tissue Of piiiabe Ignorance aud
malignant faIsehood. IL is malignant attack
on the revolutionary family OF the Lees Of Viz
GINA. IL says that the editor OF the New York
Times alleges that X. II Lee, the grandfather
Of the present r. T. Lee. had the faint Of ,rea-
son on him"
r. II. Lee was not the grand father of The pre-
sent Gen. X. +. Lee. OF the rebel army. Gen
X. +. Lees father was Gen Henry Lee often
called Light horse Harry" The writers in the
Journal and Times make him Gen. r. T. Lees
uncle. General Charles Lee. Of the revolution,
i said by the Journal aud Times TO have been
relative of the Virginia family. This : a mis-
take; he was an Englishman by birth, and was
not az all related to the family Arthur Lee i
mentioned "a great uncle OF the present Gen.
Lee. Arthur Lee was brother of II. Lee:
these were abou. third cousins to General Henry
Lee. the father of the present Gen. Lee.
The writer for the Journal and Times speaks
OF Henry Lee. who. he states, was a friend of
General Jackson and whom General Jackson re
commended 70 the Senate as Consul to Algiers,
was an elder half. brother. not an uncle TO Gen
r. +. Lee So much for the ignorance of bio
graphical history exhibited by the writers of the
Journal and n. Y Times.
We will now baiefy notice the falsehoods of
these writer's respecting the persons named AS
above vn
Whoever asserts, "a the Journal says the editor
of the New York Times does, "that X II Lee
bad the faint of treason on him." Is wretched
slanderer of devoted patriot Of the revolution
For several years before the war broke out, be
represented his native county of Westrnoreland
in the Colonial Legislature. He was elected one
of the first delegates 20 the first Continental
Congress in 1774-was made Chairman of the
three leading Committees TO draft addresses
to the King. 70 the people of Great Britain and
To the people of the Colonies, which latter ad-
dress he prepared. In the second session of that
glorious body he was Chairman OF the Commit
tee to draft farewell address TO the people
OF Great Britain" This address X. II. Lee
wrote, which has always been considered a mas
ter piece amongst political papers IL was the
extraordinary ability of all these public papers,
which called forth the admiration OF Cha. ham
and Macintosh X. II Lee was either chairman
or member of the two standing and most impor-
tant Committees Of that body during the whole
war, viz: The Committee of Foreign CORES
pondence and that of War and Navy, besides al
most of every Committee raised from time TO
time be was for the usual term President of
Congress, which was equivalents to the President
OF the United States Senate now. 1t is true he
vas opposed to the present Constitution. rs il
came from the Convention. as were Jefferson.
Henry aud other leading meH in Virginia. and in
every other State, until the amendments were
adopted, when he and bis bosom friend Henry
became recOncied 10 il. while jefferson continued
hostile In the first Virginia Legislature. after
the adoption of the present Constitution, r II.
Lee was elected to the first term of the Senate
= ~ ~
Madison, by large majority He moved several
OF the amendments now part of the Constitu
ton. The failure of his health compelled him
10 resign his seat and the Senate of Virginia
presented him the following address by an unani-
nous vote, which concurred in by the House
of Delegates, with equal unanimity.
Resolved, unanimously, that the speaker be
desired to convey to Richard Henry Lee Esq
the respects of the Senate; that they sincerely
sympathIze with him ia those nfrmities which
have deprived their country of his valuable
services; and that they ardently wish he may in
his retirement, with uninterrupted happiness,
close the evening OF life in which he hath so
conspcuousy shone forth as "a statesman and a
patriot; that while mindful of his many exer-
tons to promote the public interests, they are
particularly thankful for his conduct. as mem
Der of the Legislature of the United States.
(See life of r. II. Lee, p 2i2-3
SUCH was the patriot, whom the editor
of the New York Times and the editor of the
indianapolis journal, either in p;tiabe ignorance
or despicaoe magnty. iraduce.
1t is in scorn. would state to these men, at
this day. that h. II. Lee was the mover of the
immortal motion for independence
Gen Henry Lee the brilliant cavalry officer
during the revolution, was the father. not the
great uncle, as stated by the editors mentioned
After the close of the war, he was elected
Governor of Virginia. and then a member of the
Congress of the Confederation. He was a mem
Der ut the time of General Washington's death
and was appointed by that body 10 deliver before
il a funeral Grafton on that event. The classic
eloquence and the pathos of the Grafton delivered
by him. are well known by. every intelligent,
and felt by every reader of sensibilty
he was the author of that happy summary of
Washingtons character, so much admired and so
frequently quoted. First in war. first in peace,
first IN the hearts of his countrymen"
As itregards the attacks upon him in Mr. JEFF
ferson's Ana" would refer the reader to the
scathing reply by his son, the late Major Henry
Lee, and that of his other son, G. G.. Lee, to
fuckers life of Jefferson.
II is enough to add, that Gen. Lee enjoyed the
intimate friendship and confidence of the good
and great Washington, until his death.
As | have already stated. General Charles
Lee of whom the editor of the New York Times
and of the Indiana Journal speaks. was not "a
kinsman" of r. H Lee-was in no degree re-
lated to him. or any branch of the Lee family,
of Virginia. In regard to him also, these SLAM
ders have exaggerated the incident they men
ton, regarding hisquarrel with Gen. Washington.
In such light did Congress regard his previous
conduct and services. that they presented to him
five hundred acres of the finest land in the Valley
of Virginia
The next member of the family attacked is,
Arthur Lee, brother Of X. II Lee ard Francis
l.. Lee. both the last named being signers OF the
Declaration of Independence. This brother,
{ Lee was lawyer in London, and the
friend and associate of Sir Vim. Jones, and
other celebrated persons of that day. When the
troubles and discussions concerning Colonial
rights commenced, he was made by the Legsla-
tnre OF Massachusetts,, agent for that Colony,
and so ably and faithfully did he conduct their
affairs that that body presented him with a large
and valuable tract OF land.
As soon as the war commenced, he was joined
in - commission to France, with Dr. Franklin
and Silas Duane. During his residence in France,
he was made Ambassador 10 SpAin and also 10
Prussia where he was treated with marked re-
spect bv Frederick the Great. and allowed TO
purchase arms in the Prussian boundaries, then
the best in Europe. On his return to this coun
try. he was thanked by Congress, and soon after
wards appointed to the Board of Treasury. of
which he was for several years, an able. upright
and distinguished member
Ii is true. he differed from DR. Franklin ON
two subjects. the character OF Silas Duane, and a
leading article of the Treaty of Amity aud
1T. A IL. -, -. ....lx