The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-12-21
General Early's Letter.

1t was with infinite pleasure that we laid
before our readers on Saturday this excel
lent letter. Glorious old JUBAL. The pink
Of loyalty, honor, and bravery. How clear
his testimony, how convincing his logic,
how patent and indubitable his truthful
ness He scatters to the winds the idle
stories about SToNEwALL JACKSON which
accused him alike of folly and barbarism.
He sweeps away the whole fabric Of those
strange stories, and leaves them without a
jot or title Of support-and there fall
along with them anumber Of misrepresenta-
tions set afoat after the battle of Frede-
ricksburg about what General LEE might
have done and what he did not do. Gene
raj EARLT settles finally all these matters
of imputation and SANDER of both the great
Generals LEE and JACKSON concerning the
bloody battle Of Fredericksburg.
A striking and noble passage in the letter
of General EARLY is it's graceful tribute to
General LEE. Than that of the author
of this letter no mans testimony concern
ing the qualifications Of that great COM
mander is entitled to more weight. Through
letter-writers and reviewers the idea tina.
General LEE was cautious to fault on the
battlefield, and betrayed indecision in
leaning upon his subslterns for counsel,
has been disseminated much too widely.
The strong testimony Of General EARLY on
this subject is so admirable that we here
reproduce it:
"There is another reason, which to me is
most potent one, and that is because know
that the boldest man in his strategic move
ments and his tactics on the field of battle In
all the Army of Northern Virginia, Stonewall
Jackson not excepted, was General Robert Z.
Lee. Yes, under that calm and digniffed ex-
terror there beat one Of the boldest hearts and
dwelt one Of the most daring minds that ever
inspired the commander Of an army. He re-
quired no council of war to urge him to deeds
Of boldness, and never heard of a council Of
war during the whole history Of that army
under his command. 1t is true that he often
conferred with his corps commanders, and
sometimes with subordinates entrusted with
special duties, but 1t was not to catch inspira-
ton from their counsels, but to insttl into
them portion OF his own daring spirit.
General Jackson had his confidence in pre-
eminent decree because he was always ready
TO second with alacrity the plans OF the COM
manding General and no one felt the loss of
that Invaluable lieutenant more than General
Lee himself did.
"1o satisfy any one Of what say in regard
to General Lee 1t is only necessary for him to
examine the yet unwritten history Of that un-
paralleled campaign from the Rapidan to the
James, OF the operations on the line of de-
fences around Richmond and Petersburg, and
of the retreat fer more than & hundred miles
to Appomattox Courthouse-a place that will
remain forever famous, not as the scene Of
triumph for the invader with his untold
legions but as the scene of the struggle of that
great heart and that great mind which so re-
luctantly surrendered the small remnant of
less than nine thousand of the Army Of North
ern Virginia with arms in their hands"
And now word about the heroic man
who still suffers from voluntary exile, to
which he is induced by proud spirit
which cannot brook Acknowledgement and
cannot bend to sue for pardon. General
EARLY was before the war the most de-
voted Of Union men. Is member of the
Virginia Secession Convention" as it is
styled, he bravely struggled with the seces-
sionists until all was lost. His conflicts
sometimes involved personalities, in which
he always bore himself as brave and gem
ercus man. Had he and his associates re-
ceived the support from Washington which
they should have had, Virginia never would
have seeded, and the war would, as con-
sequence, have been avoided. But the
Federal Government deserted them, paid
no respect to their remonstrances, and
'osAI a. EARLY was driven, with other
gallant sincere, and patriotic spirits, to
ash' against the Union they were prepared
to peril their lives to save.
No man in the Union deserves more tho
respect OF Union men than he; vet he lin, ;no
gers in foreign land, suffering the MAIN.
of absence from friends, family, and home
rather than submit to the hard conditions
imposed on him by his country!