Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1865-12-30
From the New York Old Guard.
nrw uunuuT r. LET.

the Difference and admiration which
human nature, under all circumstances, |
pays to a really splendid character.
Character is something greater than
talent-greater than the sword-for IL
survives, In the alteration Of mankind,
when the achievements of the sword are
obliterated by the Of time. After
character Is the test Of real power in
an individual.
II was a man, take him aIIinan,"
is the highest praise a mortal can win or
wear. We behold the triumph of ehardc-
ter in the plaudits which the Roman
people declared when they said, ''The
victorious cause might please the gods,
but the Vanquished cause pleased Cato"
In the light of a truly great character,
the vanquished cause often shines more
e-onspicuously and more gloriously than
the victorious. often called failure,
isthe greatest success in the way OF fame.
The assassination of the usurper, Cesar,
was a failure, 80 far as bringing a the
lost liberties of the Roman people was
concerned: but the undertaking was
gilded with the splendOr of Brutus' viz
tues, and il has ever since occupied one
of the proudest points in the admiration
of mankind. After the lapse Of two
thousand years its glOries are unGimmed;
and they will shine brighteran brighter
as the ages pass away. The name of
Brays viii be synonymous with virtue
and Utterly, as long as the memory of
man survives.
"Rebeli is a word which, however
mountainous in the imagination OF ignO-
rance and roguery, need have no terrors
for a truly v%irtuous and patriotic man.
The "rebeli Of to-day is, oftener than
otherwise, the greatest hero and the
most splendid c~haraeterof history; while
the most 'loyal" man of the hour, If his
name survives long enough to get into
| history, is quite a apt To pass there Is
the meanest specimen of a wretch that
ever sneaked through an inglOri0us *
istence. When the impartial historian
comes tn narrate the events Of the last
four wears of American history, he viii
| be confronted with the pregnant fact
hat what was called the rebellion was
led by such characters a Lee, and
stephens, and Bishop Polk; while
the other side was represented by a
Ben, Butler, a Stanton, or a Milroy
The patriotism and virtue Of Gen.
Robert Z. Lee stand unquestiOned to-
day by all parties whose reputation
for intelligence and candOr renders their
| opinion desirable. When the unhappy
conflict began, Gen. Lee bore c reputa-
tion that was untarnished by a single
| SPOT. and the following letters, one to
Gen. Scott and the other to his sister,
| show that, in taking the step he did, he
was moved by no motive that was
not inspired by a n of duty, and by
the most earnest impulses of patriotism
and virtue:
DARLINGTON, VA, April %, 1861.
"General: Since my interview with
you on the eighteenth instant, / have
| felt that | ought not longer TO retain my
commission in the army. /, therefore,
tender my resignation, which l request
YOU will recommend for acceptance. IL
would have been presented at once, but
for the struggle it cost me to separate
myself from a service to which | have
devoted the best years of my life and ell
the ability l possessed.
During the whole Of the time-more
than a quarter of a century, have ex-
perienced nothing but kindness from
nv superiors, and the most cor
dial friendship from my comrades.
To no one, General, have l been
as much indebted as to your
! self for uniform kindness and considera-
ton, and it has always been my ardent
desire to merit your appreciation. l shall
carry to the grave the most grateful
rscollectiOns of your kind consideration,
and your name and fame will always be
dear To me.
"Save in defense Of my native State, |
never desire again To draw my sword.
/ Be pleased 10 accept my most earnest
wishes for the continuance Of yOur hap
piness and prosperity, and believe me,
"R. r. LEE.
aLieut-Gen. Winfield Scott, commanding
United states Army
\ copy of the preceding letter was en-
closed in the following letter 10 a sister of
the General, Mrs. A. M;
"~AELINGroS, VA. April D, ISL.
my Dear Sister: am grieved at my
inability to see you. l have
been waiting for "a more convenient
season. which has brought TO many be-
fore me deep and lasting regret. Now
we are in a state of war which will Weld
to nothing. The whole South is in a state
of revolution, into which Virginia, after a
long struggle, has been drawn, and though
I recognise no necessity for such a state
of things, and would have forborne
and pleaded 10 the end for redress
of grievances, real or supposed, yet in my
own person | had to meet the question
Whether I JcOlad take part against my
Hatige State. With all my devotion To
the Union, and the feeling of loyalty and
duty of an American citizen, l have not
been able TO make Up my mind to raise
NV hand against my relatives, my chill /
dren, my home. 1 have, therefore, re-
signed nay commission in the army, and
save in defence Of my native State, with
a sincere hope that my poor services may
never be needed, I hope | may never be
called on 10 draw my sword.
AZ know you will blame me, but you
must think of me as kindly as Yen can,
and believe that I have endeayored 10 do
what [ thought right. To show you the
feeling and struggle it has cost me, / send
q COPY Of my letter 10 GeIf. Scott. which
accompanied nay resignation. Ihave no
time for more.
May God guard and pro-
tect you and yours, and shower upon you
every blessing, Is the prayer of your de-
voted brother,
ar. E. LEE
OF course it will be said that Gen. Lee
committed q fatal error in resolving TO
follow the fortunes of his State. But
would il not have been astonishing if he
had arrived at any other conclusion?
He had been instructed by Jefferson. the
Father OF our Declaration of Indepen-
dence, that Estates can wholly withdraw
their delegated powers.n He had also
been instructed by President Madison,
the father Of the Constitution, thai "a
delegated is not a surrendered power
and that there is no power above that
of a State to judge in the last resort, " etc.
HI = fla1frina rafthar ha -, llg-
else, had ever heard called in question by
any respectable statesman from the
OF the Government To the
of Lincoln. And more than
he knew that Virginia had ratified
the Constitution, and became a member
Of the Union, only on condition that she
have the right to resume her dele {
powers whenever, in her opinion,
lt should become necessary for her own {
More still, he knew that from [
tine 10 time, for more than 3 quarter Of I
Z century, various Northern states had /
petitionsd Congress for q dissolution Of {
The Union, and that the New England :
states had several times taken steps "a
Withdraw, ,ipeaeeabiy iuhey could, for (
sibly if they must.n Under these cir 6
,umstances, was there any d~epravity on
he part Of the Judgment Of Gen. Zee IN
he fourse he pansued2 We dare answer {
his question in the negative. We dare '
further, and say that we believe II will a
,e the verdict Of history that his act in L
no crime, and was not in the least a
Inconsistent with the loftiest patriotism, Q
md the most illustrious virtue. We {
hOuld despise ourself if we were wanting u
n the integrity and courage TO thus C
utter our honest opinions ia rela- s.
70 a public character whom we be- n
ieve to lie one Of the foremost men, as
veil Is one Of the purest patriots of his
&c. And it is a question which impair n
Ial and inBEor2ble history viii have @ -
ettle, whether a success on his part :,
1ould not have proved a benefit to his u
ountry, by preserving the grand princi- q
lie OF self government and liberty which
ras established here by our fathers. The II
TniOn, as it was established by our n
lthers, was dear 10 Gen. Lee, as il was "
, everybody in the land, except the &c
egro-eqHdl-6lg revolutionists now in VI
They Were ard are the real foes a
ths Union. They, not men like Gen. e,
&c, are the traitors 20 The great Ame- "a
can principle Of government And we q,
quite as little respect as patience for g,
,of bV M means small uumb pr of north a,