Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1866-06-16
Ne Challenge the Comparison.

Gen. Hood can't be OF the full
blooded chivalry, He has refused
TO receive money raised for him by
subscription. tits the first instance
we have ever seen recorded of q
Southern gentleman" too proud or
too scli.reliant to accept filthy lucrc,
come from what source it may
Albany EreniRg Journal,
Then you are extremely ignorant
of cotcmporary history-that's all,
Hood has only done what Lee did u
dozen times, what Bcauregard did,
what Magruder did, what Long.
street did, and what no Federal
general has done.
The Albany Journal made q most
unfortunate mistake in calling at
tention to this matter. 1t suggests
comparison between the repre-.
sentative mon and chief officers of
the two officers of the two armies,
which is not discreditable to the
South.
When Robert z. Lee was rcceiv-
ing four hundred and one dollars
per month in Confederate money,
Mt time when that sum would not
purchase half barrel Of -four, the
writer of this paragraph moved, in
the Legislature of Virginia, to pre-
sent him, in view of his actual nc.
cossitios, with hundred thousand
dollars. Ho would not receive it.
A member of the Legislature, in
view of the Generals known un-
willingness to accept presents of
any sort, proposed to accomplish
indirectly what it was impossible
to achieve directly. Gen. Lee was
for several months in the employ
ment directly Of the State of Vir-
ginia, and received his pay for that
service in Confederate money. 1t
was proposed to pay him for that
duty in gold, deducting the gold
value Of the Confederate money he
received.
A resolution to that effect was
passed and communicated to him.
He Immediately replied that he had
given receipts in full TO the State
of Virginia, did not consider him
self entitled to further compensa-
tion, and therefore respectfully de-
clincd the sum rendered.
AT that time Gen. Lee and his
staff were destitute of the common
est necessities of life, and frequent
ly without animal food.
All will remember, likewise, how
vainly the people of Richmond en-
deavored TO force present of a res
idencc in that city, on General
Lee, at q time when his family
We're fugitives from their beautiful
home. The money was subscribed
and the house selected, when the
General wrote q peremptory letter
of refusal, respectfully but in Ian
guage that lett no room tor doubt,
declining the gift. Yet, at that
time, his family were occupying one
of the humblest residences on Leigh
street. -
1t is not necessary to enlarge up
on the contrast between these acts
and the course Of General Grant,
who has accepted, since the war
closed, one hundred and seventy
five thousand dollars worth of pres
cnts, 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 Ma
gruder to the people Of Texas, who
contributed a handsome purse to
procure him a fine plantation dur
ing the war, was the impulse and
uttorance of tho universal spirit Of
the Southern soldier
"No gentlemen, when | espoused
the cause of the South, | embraced
poverty, and willingly accepted it,"
Such, also, was the conduct of
Mr.. Davis, who shortly after his ar
rival in Richmond, was presented
by the generous-citizens Of our cap
itol with the mansion which he oc-
cupied during thefwar. He deslin-
ed 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 property is rented.
And Mr.. Davis salary per annum
was not equal to General Grants
wages per month.
If the contrast thus presented be-
tween distinguished men on the op-
posing sides of the late war, is dis
creditable to our Northern brethren,
let them remember that we did not
provoke it. Petersburg Indee.