Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-09-15
GENERAL LEE.
High Tribute to his Character by
an English Paper.

In long editorial article calling for
a subscription Of el0, 900 to Washington
College by the friends and admirers of
General Lee in England, the London
Standard, of August 7th, speaks of him
as follows:
There is no living hero-there are few
if any, among those whose names shine
with the purest lustre in history-whose
character has commanded so high trib-
ute of affection and admiration from
their friends, of respect and honor from
their foes, as that of General Lee No
life more perfectly heroic, no reputation
more untarnished even by the minor
blemishes which are not uncommonly
found in union with the highest heroism,
has ever been connected with a great
national struggle. No shade of vanity
or egotism, nothing of the self.will or
petulance so often characteristic of con
scious genius, no tinge of affectation, no
taint even of the pride inseparable from
ordinary greatness of mind, which can
endure everything but humiliation, and
regards submission as disgrace, alloy the
simple granduer of the Virginia sol
der nature. A piety without the slight
est shadow of Pharisaism, sense of
duty to which the sacrifice of every per
sonal feeling and interest appears mat
ter of course, having marked his whole
course and guided his every public act,
whether as soldier or n citizen A
family connection and the nearest living
representative of the great champion of
American Independence, General Lee
has been the Washington of the Confede-
rate war; like Washington, a man
whom envy dare not hate" but without
even the one dark stain of doubt, if not
of dishonor, which the death of Major
Andre has left on the memory Of his
prototype. No more "selhess man and
stainless gentleman" ever lived no sol
der ever set more admirable example of
the soldierly virtues of honor, chivalric
generosity, and manly simplicity; 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 Christian patience
and unshaken fortitude
OF his military achievements, we need
not speak. 1t is enough to say that
nearly all his victories were won against
enormous odds, and that his four years
defenselof Virginia has few parallels in
history as an example of great results
accomplished with small means and at
fearful disadvantage What is now more
interesting to remember is the personal
character of the man, as displayed in
the various exigencies of that trying
struggle the simple honesty and kindly
feeling which prompted him to console
his soldiers as they recoiled from the
cannon-crowned heights of Gettysburg,
with the assurance, " IL is all my fault"
the unaffected selfdepreciation which
pronounced, when Stonewall Jackson
fell, :" would wish, for the sake of our
cause, that had been disabled rather
than you; the Christian chivalry, which,
after Virginia had been rendered des
ert, withheld the army that invaded Penn
sylvania from inficting the most trivial
injury on person or property which,
when his own estates had been plundered,
ravaged and confscated, took care TO
protect the houses and property of his
enemies; the horror OF useless blood
shed which withstood the cry for retribu-
tion excited by the murder of Southern
prisoners in cold blood and supported
the resolve of the President that unless
the actual murderers were taken no
blood should be shed but on the field of
battle the touching unselfishness of his
last words to his disbanding army on the
sorrowful 9th Of April, Il have done my
best for you" But it was when all was
over, when the chief of great and long
army was a private man and
paroled prisoner the peculiar great
ness of Gen. Lees nature shines out with
brightness.