Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-11-10

IA enclose You an eulutial taken rom tie DS-'tJ
Telegraph Of this city, containing such happy
tribute to General Lee, that hope YOU viii publish
it in tie Wig 'l-Ertyaci from letter, dated Lon
don, October 81.
At Lexington, in the State OF Virginia, there IS
a COLLEGE which bears the name Of tie most Illus
trious c.tZeu ever born in the odd Dominion, fer
tile as that pleas land has leen in heroes; nor
could George Washington himself have wished that
the college erected iu his honor should have Tor
President a worthier chief than the one who quietly
entered upon his duties lust a fortnight ago. 1Ee
new President is still in the prime OF manhood,
though already his hair aud beard are grey; he has
been long accustomed % command; ne IS ianliiiar
with hardships As with nme-has slept Tor months
amid the woods OF Virginia, and has crossed the
RappahannOck northward Ct the head o. victo-
r.OUs army; he has been proved alike by good ana
evil fortune, and, whether when threatening tie
Federal capital or when surrendering ms sword to
Federal captain, be has ever borne himself as be-
seemed a man noble alike by ancestry and by ma
ture. The descendant OF Light Hor-e Harry has
dotted the grey uniform for the garb OF peaceful
professor; nor can We own that the change is de-
eradat!On, even tor Robert Lee. There Is q differ
ence ia the mode OF action but no alteration in tie
ObjeSt which simply 70 render the best service bo
can 20 his native state. To that single aim lie has
never once been unaithful and he will still pursue
IT, We NAV rest assured, with the old high euthus
aSm, tempered BY cautious brain. Throughout
the war nothing was More remarkable than Lees
personal intueuce-the manner in which he I'M
pressed every one who approached him. That men
with Jlck,Jn'S purity and earnestne>s or with the
dehOna.re and graceful val0r OF stuart should APP,
preciate the illu-trOus qualite, OF their leader,
only natural; but even the humbest soldiers iDl
ranks felt, though they might not have be-
able TO express, the moral power which u
cNeltnd. The war was, IN all cOnsclenCei'
sauguinary enough; but there would have been
very carnival Of carnage devilsh outbreak OF ali
mans ieIcest passions had the southern leader been
of different temper. Calamity as the CUutedcrates
pG
often composed Of syUeW-a- questionable raw
material; that the volunteers. with all the instinct
OF bravery which seldom deserts q dominant class
had likewise many OF the vices which are lnev.tbiy
engendered BY the possession OF arbitrary and law
less power. Accustomed 10 the unchecked GccnCe
OF authority the shareholders might peIchGnee have
b1en ready enough 10 give the wJra character OF
iuterueciue hatred and t was cm.nenty due 10
Robert Lee that the CoUrteS.es and humanit,eS If
civilized warfare Were. on the rs hole, observed. The
gentle nature Of the man never degenerated into
weakness, with high hand he could restrain eN-
cesses aud admirably did he exercise his power
There are no Lurer pages in the history oi the evil
wal than those which relate his invasion Of Mary
land ana Pennsy lvania. at time when the temper
OF the Southern people sOTliy tried such
qualities as he displayed could not TAIL, IN the long
run, 90 win the regard Of manly and eUectOuate
people and whilst We find that he was loved like q
father by all those who shared Lis immediate pcrls,
We have not yet forgotten that when the victorious
veterans Of the North wctc marching home through
Richmond, they burst into O pieud:d shout OF en-
thusasn as they recognized, grWeiy contemplating
them from Curtained window, the familiar form
and face OF Robert Lee
The old order changes, giving place 10 new, and
God iuiAlls himself m many way. To teach young
lads their classics and mathematics may seem but
poor occupation tor one whose word was lately the
supreme law for q hundred thousand fighting men
and vet there need be no seu~e OF Illumination III.
yOlvei IN the deliberate acceptance Of such employ
meut. The new order is that OF peace, Tor
time tie finest thing that Lee could DO was 90 set
an example of yalOr and virtue 10 the whole man
hood Of the South hut not less pure the glory Of
one who by honest sud patient labor prepares the
yuaug for that longer conflict which fills the whole
length and breadth of hUmaH life Our age, TO quote
the French phrase, Is ' icgtIlc i'm emotions is swift
and sudden IN its changes The ruler OF yesterday
is the exile Of to-day; the exile OF to-day may he the
ruler OF TO- morrow. Many bright sword is in its
scJLbayj besides that of the great Nirginian. Ouy
a few weeks ago the F1ueErS of Paris could CaZe ON
one whom Victor Hugo called "a spectre in q white
bugnouS On one who for ycdrs fought after the
old Numidiau fashion against Bugeaud and Bedeau,
against Caydiguac, Peiissicr and LamOricieIe; and
now, the survivor OF them ali, Abi-elkader, jour
news slowly homeward 10 Damascus In Russian
city, far within the heart OF the mighty e;a-
pine whose power he witastO0d for nearly
thirty wears, quietly lives an old, grey
bearded, weakeyed man, against whom when lie
held possession ut his mountain Businesses GrUbbe
and orUuZOu Vaiu.y hurled their disciplined bat
taEOUs; aad SO calm IS now the crer of his
life that only with q strange thrill OF wonder does
the traveller hear that Ae has indeed seen Schamyl
the C.rcaSSiOn. The hero Of Rome, Narese aud
Narsala l.mu- about along the rocky PATHWAYS OF
Caprera. What English tourist on the Continent
who casually meets George kap6a remembers inn
mediate.v the exploits al the man who held COmom
against the Austrian aud once sailed forth rs far as
RAab on the road % Vienna itself The actions of
these leaders are already passing into history, and
may surely be viewed with historic inn ariiaity and
calm Beaten Ike them, Lee Screnely accepts the
altered conditions Of his life. Had he consulted
Door and oUtworn feeling Of personal dignity, he
would have lett the country IN which he had held
command so absolute, and suffered 4 discontinue
50 overwhelming. By men of all parties in Europe
he would have been hailed with acclamat.on; lac
would have found 70 impossible % remain in privacy
he would have felt again the breath of popular APP
plause-bUt % what good end The welcome must
needs have been misn;erpreted across the Atlantic
and have tended however unfairly, 10 excite an
angry feeling. Lee rs an exile as refugee, would
have been living protest against the Government
which prescribed Lm; President OI college IN
Virginia he lends the aid Of his illu>trouS name 10
the good work Of Tee Onciliuton.
Marvellous indeed, despite the troubles which re
main, is the spectacle presented by America after
her mighty struggle. The shiitieSJ aud most deX-
friend, are falling, as ii by some natural law of
grayitation, into their proper places and there Is
something really wonderful IA their versatility The
General telling his wife 20 take care OF Lis epau
.,ocs hack 10 the farm the loom; and two mighty
armies have hitherto scarcely shown sign oil dlSor
Ter during the trying time of di>bandment. The
exclamation OF all this must not he sought in iust
tu;ions" or constitutions but in those grand ma
tural capacities OF the land Itself which no labor or
,yit of man created which 10 violence OF man could
altogether destroy In that immense continent there
5 room for all; and no one with any real capacity
has long q wait before he finds hs place. Few
other countries could have sustained the recent con-
test without utter ruin; in America the wounds ale
healing almost before the swords are sAeathed. Nor
et Us forget contemplate the significant scene
9t generals devJtng themselves 10 civil pursuits
thar the national character must have been potenty
affected bv the events of the last five wears. Many
lf lie's most important lessons can Ouly he learnt
through the stern dis, ipiine OF battle; and pee
pie which had never passed through TIE lUrlu
cloud Of deso'atiOn and Of death might indeed
have roted in all the iu>0.ent extravaganza OF ma
teri9l prosperity. but would never have been, in the
high meaning Of the term, nation. IL = unphiio-
pplicIl 90 believe that the American character has
been radically altered 10 is not less unphiOSOphical
To- assume that u L-s NOT tyeu greatly modified
The old forms of action, the old political Organiz1-
.uus, the Old party names, may Vet survive; but q
uew spirit has been hre3thed into them all. On the
race as on The individual the charm has worked.
aud We shall probably, for the future find a graver
and more serious tone i'm the cOuutrymen of that
.-~tng President who, by sheer honesty OF meaning
had acquired stateman's reputation when he Pc
gisaej by martyrs death. aud OF that southern
himself s6iliul and resoiu,e ruler. Lees nature
underwent uo change IL simply retains its serene
nobility. For the rest " let the dead bury Their
lead" Our BUSINESS is with the present and the fu-
.uie The signs Of war, though they cannot utterly
disappear, may fade away with singular rapidty in
that Young land where all things grow 50 swiftly
from corn and maize up 10 men and women. Tie
traveller in the pur.es Of the West. camping amidst
che long luNuriant grass, may a.uOs. smile, aS the
guide tells him how on thar very spot the Indians
tourA-hOw Le mig ht Vet md traces OF the conflict
in rusty tomahawk and in broken bow. Il was not
a long time ago: bu; meanwhile the land is very
rich. and the grass is very green.
RUSSIAN RAILROAD CAES.-The NOr9 contains
description OF the railway carriages now running on
the Moscow aud s. Petersburg line. Il appears that
for the triHing addition Of roubes To the usual
fare travellers are received in brilliantly lighted
saloons around which luxurious sofas and arm
chairs invite the weary 70 repose. while peruSing the
latest periodicals. and newest novels, which are
scattered on the tables When the hour of retiring
l-rTvas l.g1ef rbrmbrF conducts Uertla.