The weekly union record. [volume] (Oroville, Calif.) 1864-1866, 1865-12-02
Not Much Mystery. After All.

Lives, The MarysEllle Express OF Monday
has an editorial on the subject of the surrender
Of General Lee to the Union armies nuder
General Grant, and the consequent downfall Of
the rebellion. in which it says:
The downfall Of the Confederacy carried with it
two prominent and noted gentlemen, Lee and
Davis-the a military commander in the fed,
with superior TO order or DICTATE to hin; the
other 4 civil officer chosen by the people as their
representative head. The former, with the words
hardly cold from his mouth that he not obliged
10 surrender. makes terms with the enemy, cspifn-
lates for a consideration, LAYS down his arms.
knowing that his doing 50 was. certainly. bat the
keynote 10 the fal d the entire South. Where are
these two prominent leaders now The one. Lee,
is free a. a well pinioned bird. in early morning
resting quietly In the bosom Of his family, occupy
ing a position Of honor and trust. exempt from
charge arrest, bis liberty protected b. the Com
handing General 20 whom he surrendered, well
a. our National Administration. The ether Davis,
occupies prison cell in or near Washington, away
from family or friends; an armed guard stands
sentry over him night and day; he is about 10 be
arralgned a. = criminal, and nothing IS too imam
Gus Tor the petty hncksters Of newspapeFd0m TO
charge 10 his account. Is this American justice .
II Lee Is free why not Davis, also
Does any one pretend 70 tell Us that Lee, when he
made terms did 80 for himself and MS immediate
command only, without a prOviso Tor others, for
Davis as well as the rest! To do 50 would take
away much honor from that gentleman, and surely
his admirers are not willing to do that. What.
then were the oficial terms Of the Lee capitula-
ton This IS what We want the people to know
for, some Of our sagacious Radical c0Iemporaries
10 the contrary notwithstanding, il HI. never yet
Been published.
This mystery" upon which the Express
has dwelt SO often, and with so much earnest
ness, since the closing scene of the ConledeTacy
the capture of JEFF Davis in feminine appa-
rel, or "the last ditch is not much of mys
terry, after all, according to the above extract
from the Express. 1t is clear from it that the
Express considers Robert E. Lee as another
Benedict Arnold, with the difference that Lee
not only sells his country, but is successful in
making the transfer. While, to fully carry out
the comparison, JEFF. Davis, in the opinion OF
the Express, is a second Washington, for, in
another part of its editorial, it says he himself
chained captive, sits down manacled hero,
to await the award of destiny, conscious Of
right and full Of trust in Omnipoteuce."
here We have fne illustration of 'chivary
as understood aud defined by the Express.
After maintaining hopeless contest to the
verge Of destruction, Lee, with his army, re
treats from the Rebel Capital, with hope Of
uniting bis forces with those of Johnson in
North Carolina, and continuing the struggle.
Failing 10 this, aud finding all avenues for the
escape of his army closed, and knowing that
it would have been sheer madness to expose his
men to further slaughter without a hope Of
ultimate success, Lee, Instead of trying to save
himself, negotates with his enemy for the sur
der of his army upon terms honorable alike
10 both the parties to the conflict. This the
Express terms "surrendering for consllerd-
ton and therefore base and iguominious
When the CHRISTIAN President" of the Con
federacy sees the last hope of the Conlederacy
vanish, straightway procuring all the coin
and yaluables Of 1.-The said deceased he getteth
on his fleetest h0rse-yea, even the iron horse
and "skedaddlelb,' and at last, when the
hounds of war are close upon his track, as q
last resort, he assumes female apparel, with the
determination, if escape is impossible, of dying
in the last ditch"-or surrendering uncond-
tionally. This, according to the Express, is
true chiyalry AID Jefferson Davis is now a
"manacled hero, conscious Of right and full of
trust in Omnipotence"
1t is Lees misfortune that, as commander of
the Confederate armies, he could not perform
a miracle, and change a complete defeat and
Fout into victory. 1t is therefore the only
source Of consolation to stay at home rebels to
contrive pretty and Convenient stories about
Lees treachery being the real cause of the
downfall OF the rebellion. But it is very d fer
ent from tie expression Of prominent rebel
soldiers, who, like Harry Thornton, ackuowl-
edge I'VE were whipped-they outfought US 2"
That's what's the maiter-Lee was whipped ::
And 50 it happens that gallant Bob,
From Virginia 10y the sea,
Stands very low with the build seccsh-
Does gallant Robert E. Lee;
And ia rather be any man than him,
On the laud or GA the SEA.
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