Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-05-08
We challenge the Comparison ConEed-
crate and Federal Generals.

General Hood can't be of the full bloodcd
chivaIry. He has refused to receive money
raised for HIM by subscription. 1t is the first
instance We have ever seen. recorded of a
Southern gentleman" too proud or too self.
reliant to accept filthy lucre, come from what
source it may.-ADany ECeniRg Journal
Then you are extremely ignorant of cotem-
porary history-that's all. Hood has only done
what Lee did dozen times, what Beauregard
did, what Magruder did, what I.ongstreet did,
and what no Federal Gener0l has done
The Albany Journal made most unfor-
tunate mistake in calling attention to this
matter. 1t suggests a comparison between
the representative men and chief nficers of
the two armies which is nat discrcs{;ti6Ee- to
the South.
When Robert +. Lee was receiving four
hundred and one dollars per month in Con-
tcderatc money, at Il time when that sum
would not purchase half-bnrrcl of -four, the
writer Of this paragraph moved, i'll the Lcgis-
lature OF Virginia, to present him, in view OF
his actual necessities, with IL hundred thou
sand dollars. He would not receive it.
\ member of the Legislature, in view of
the Generals known unwilIingness to accent
presents Of any sort, proposed to accomplish
indirectly what it was impossible to achieve
directly. General Lee was for several months
in the employment direotly of the State of
Virginia, and received his pay for that service
IN Confederate money. 1t WAS proposed to
pay him for that duty j"yDld, deducted the cold
value "f the Confederate money he received.
y resolution to that effect was passed a nd
communicated to him. lie Immediately re-
Piled that he had given a receipt in full to
tho State of Virginia, did not consider him
self entitled to further compensation, and
therefore respectfully declined the sum ten
dered.
At that time General Lee and his staff ,ccrc
destitute Of the comn'OncSt HeceSs0yicS Of life,
and Frequently Without animal E,Od.
All will remember, likewise, how vainIv
the people OF Richmond underworld to force
a present of a residence in that city On Gen
eral Lee at time when his family were fu.i-
tives from their beautiful home. The money
was subscribed and TIE house selected. when
the General wrote a peremtorpy letter ufrefusal
respectfully, but in language that left no room
for doubt declining the gilt. But at that
time his family were occupying ono Of the
humblCst residences on Leigh street
1t Is not necessary to enlarge upon the con-
trast between these acts and the course of
General Grant who has accepted, since the
war closed, ono hundred and seventy five
thousand dollars worth ofpresents-carriages
horses, books. and what not. So much for
the fling at chivalry.
Whatever else may be said of Southern
Generals, the charge Of being mercenary does
not lie against them. The noble response Of
Magruder to the people ofTexas, who contrib
uted a handsome purse to procure him fine
plantation during the war, was the impulse
and utterance of the universal spirit Of the
Southern soldiers:
No, gentlemen, when I espouscd the cause
of the South, l embraced poverty, and willing
ly accepted it."
Such, also was the conduct of Mr.. Davis.
who, shortly after his arrival in Richmond,
capital with tn: which p he oee U 3uI
during the war. He declined, respectfully
but positively, to receive it on any other terms
than being permitted to pay rent for it at the
usual percentage of cost for which such pro-
perty is rented. And Mr., Davis's salary per
emn"na was not equal to General Iiruut's wages
per .month.-PetcrsLur1 InQer.