The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1866-09-29
A. High Tribute to the Character
of Gen. Lee.

Oh NelIs IIcSs
In a long editorial article calling TOT
n subscription of Elo,ooo to Washing
ton College by the friends and admirers
of General Lee in England, the Lon
don Standard, Of August 18th, speaks
of him as follows:
There is no living hcro-thcre are
few, ifany, among those whose names
shine with the purcst lustrc in history
whose character has commanded so
hiph a tribute of affection and admira-
ton from their friends, of respect and
honor from their foes, as that of Gen
cral Lee. No life more perfectly hero
ic, no reputation more perfectly learc,
no reputation more untarnished even
by the minor blcmishes which are not
uncommonly found in union with the
highest heroism, has ever been connect
cd with a great national struggle. NO
shade of vanity or egotism, nothing OF
the self.will of petulances so often III
actcristic of conscious genius, no tlngc
of affection, no taint:cven ofthe pride
almost i~nscparable from ordinary
greatness of mind, which a endure
everything but humiliation, and regards
submission as disgrace, alloy the sim
pie grandeur Of the Virginia soldiers
nature.
A piety without the slightest show
of Pharisaism a sense Of duty to
which the sacrifice Of every personal
feeling and interest appears a matter OF
course, have marked his whole course
and guided his every public act, wheth-
or as a soldier or as n citizen. A family
connection and the nearest living rep
resentative of the great champion OF
American independence, Gen. Lee has
been the Washington Of the Conied-
crate war;; like Washington a man
"whom envy dared not to hate" but
without the one dark stain ofdoubt, ii
not of dishonor, which the death OF
Major Andre has left on the memory OF
his prototype. No more "~sclfiess MAJ
and stainless gentleman" ever lived
no soldier ever set Il more admirable
example to the soldiery virtues OF hon
or, chivalric generosity and manly SIM
plicity no great man ever retired into
obscurity, after witnessing alike the
ruin of his cause and the destruction OF
his private fortune, with more of chris,
tan patience and mistaken fortitude'
or his military achievements We
need not speak. 1t is enough to say
that nearly all his victories we're won
against enormous odds, and that his
four years defence of Virginia had but
few parallels in history as an example o
great results accomplished with small
means and at Il fearful disadvantages
What is more interesting to remember
is the personal character of the man
us displayed in the various cxigencic'
of that trying struggle the sinplehon
csty and kindly feeling which prompted
him to console his soldiers as they re
cooled from the cannoa-crowncl moutl
ut electromagnetic the assurance, =" !!
is all my fault the unaffected sci
depreciation which pronounced, whel
Stonewall Jackson fell. "lcould wlsl
for the sake of our cause, that ! ha'
been disabled rather than you;' TIL
christian chivalry, which no outrag'
could provoke to retaliation, whichafte
Virginia had been reduced u desert
withheld the army that invaded renn
sylvmia from inhicting the most trlvla
injury on person or property; "lici
when his own estates had been plumber
ed, ravaged and contiscated, took car
to protect the houses Of his enemies
the horror of useless %bloodshed whlcI
withstood the cry for retribution cS
cited by the murder of Southern Pris
oncrsi in cold blood, and supported tn
resolve of the President that unless til
actual murderers were taken no Dloo'
should be shed but on the field OF bat
tie, the touching unselishness OF HI
last words to his disbanding army, o
the sorrowful 9th Of April, 81 hav
done my best for YOU" But it wa
when all was ovcr-wllen the CHIEF c
a'rreat and long victorious army Wa
private man and q paroled prisoner
that the peculiar greatness Of oeher'
Lees nature. shines. out with uneq''ale
brightness.