The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1865-12-06
The Confacaeracy
Its Dying Hours and Struggles.
THE NOBILITY OF I.EE--TEE HoPELEssNEs!
u OF THE STRUGGLE.

THE NOBILITY OF LgE--TIlE IIoPELEssNEss
3 OF THE STRUGGLE.
4 Thrilling account by an Impartial
Observer. ,,t
[From the London Fortnightly Review
1t is said by Coleridge that no man
thrown to the surface of human affairs
ever succeeded in simultaneously gaining
distinction and affection, unless he pos
sessed something Of an epicene nature, that
is to say, mixture Of masculine and femi-
nine qualities. Without claiming for Cen
eral Lee in the highest sense Of the title
" great it is impossible to deny that his
memory will be cherished by those who, in
the crisis of his three years trial, stood and
suffered by his side, as an exceptionally dear
and precious possession. Few soldiers, if
asked whether they would rather have
served under Lee on the one hand, or under
Cromwell, Frederick the Great. Marlbo-
rough or Napoleon on the other, would
hesitate to prefer the four famous gener-
ais to the discounted Confederate. Yet
! it is doubtful whether any Of the four, alter
they had passed away, and had ceased to
communicate the electric shock of their
presence and contact of eye, voice, char
acter and influence-to Others, possessed
such hold on the affections and esteem as
were inspired by Robert Il. Lee.
The truth seems to be that the greatest
men are necessarily and intensely selfish.
All great men are monsters, says German
proverb, and it may, | think, be conceded
that when a man is playing conspicuous
role in life, and is generally loved, he is not,
in the worlds highest sense, great. He is
probably something better. He has the
thoughtfulness about Others, the unobtru-
siyeness and remuneration of SELF the truth
ftlness, purity, modesty, charity, gentleness
which cannot be long unnoticed by those
around him, and which lay firm hold upon
their hearts. But to be great, to fill large
space in the worlds eye during a mans
few brief years on earth, he must throw
modesty and unobtrusiveness overheard;
he must be grasping aggressive, discreetly
greedy Of praise, covetous of large share
Of honor, judcieusly envious; must know
how to undermine troublesome rivals with.
out being found out, and to help useful
friends without being supplanted Hearth
lily agreeing with Coleridge that where dis
) tinction and affection have been won coin
cidently, there must be the epicene ele
ment in their winner venture to doubt
| whether mans affection is ever won by the
greatest, or, in other words, whether in the
greatest any of the woman is to be found
, The men who are brave from tenderne-a
, are Drawer than the men who are brave
, from pride. But the men who, to encour
!" age or spare others, are gratuitously brave
are not selfish enough to be great. Thu
calm Judgment of posterity, especially J,
|, assisted BY the pen Of Mr.. Carlyle lwho il
said to hold that Washington stands toe
high, and who, it am rightly informed
/ contemplates lowering his pedestaD, will
, think, reverse the verdict of Mr.. Ever
, ett's well known lecture, and will pronounce
Y that Washington was not greater than Pe
. ter. or Frederick, Or Marlborough, as MI
: Everett contends, but was simply more es
!; Unable.
The exceeding loveableness of Lee be
9 came patent, as your consciousness that a
: politician he lacked yigor and selt-assel
: ton became more irresistible. This love
h bleness was based upon nevef-tiriRg Hnse
/. fshncsss, contagious endurance ofhardshi
n and danger, shrinking modesty, an abouno
o ING tenderness. The child and the youn
d Girl who had neverscen him before, ran t
him instinctiyely as to friend. His loo
h spoke of honesty, directness, kindlncs:
l. courage. His smile was ifresstably vii
,f ming. But the stuff which made Cromwell
T. Napoleon, William the Silent, greater q
:. poIiticians than as soldiers was lacking
Lee. All that there was of tine and BRAY
l. in the people whom he so nearly made nj
v ton called on him by signs that he who IA
+ might read to put Congress aside, to contrt
O. the press, to be Dictator indeed; and y
Is he would not Nevertheless, in the belle
ID that there is no more powerful stimnlant
in a noble ambition than the study of such
character as Lees, | desire to throw ID
to stone upon the cairn by gathering togeth'
N a few notes, for the general accuracy ,
o. which | can entirely vouch, exhibiting II
III main features of the eventful six Ga.
d. which interviewed between the evacuation
IS the Confederate lines around Petersbul
he and Richmond on the night of April 2, al
he the surrender of Lees army on the mornll
"a of April9.
he In order rightly to understand these $
no days, it should be promised that the Fedt
Ee. al cavalry, massed under General Sherlda
oh numbering about $4,000 sabres, splendid
in equipped, and converted by their able col
manderinto body of military horsenen u
we on whom an Austrian or French sabre
.ta might have looked without disdain, NOV
on southwards down the valley of Virginia |
,us tween the lst and 10th Of last March, a
EN- encountered O scratch Confederate army
We. about 5000 men, under Gen. Early
ess Waynesboro. General Early, distrustful
de- his men, who were equally distrustfal
ne him, planted them with their backs to
deep river, in order to p,ake retreat imp
Use sible. The result is easily foreseen. u
his eral Sheridan bagged two-thirds Of his
&C. emy's force and most of his enemy's arti
He ry. Sweeping rapidly onward toward
,u- James between Richmond and Lynchbu
me Sheridan found himself confronted by
by swollen and impossible stream. He
cts back, rounded the left wing of Lees ar