Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-12-16

THE LEE ESTATE RESOLUTION.

The discussion on the resolution in the
Senate in relation to the Arlington prop
erty on Tuesday, is reported as follows:
Mr.. McCreery asked leave to introduce
the resolution q notice of which he gave
yesterday. proposing an investigation with
view to the restoration of the Arlington
estate to the widow of Gen. Lee, the re-
moval of the graveyards in the premises,
and II general restitution for any incum-
brance placed there in the interest of the
government
Mr.. Edmunds hoped that the resolution
would not be granted, saying that he would
not dignity it by discussing it. The only
regret that right-minded men could have
was that General Lee had not died in his
youth, or during his patriotic manhood, Or
even by the hand of the law, which would
in some measure have atoned for his
crime
Mr.. McCreery supported the resolution
in speech of twenty minutes, in
which he paid earnest tributes to the
memory of General Lee, extolling his mill
tary ability, and declaring that the Ameri-
can people would never relinquish the
property which they held in the name and
fame of the great Virginian.
Mr.. Trumbull, while disclaiming any
sympathy with the apparent object of the
resolution, to surrender and mutilate the
last resting place of the Union dead, ar
gued that it would be. if not unprecedented,
at least parliamentary to deny to men,
Der simple request to introduce any leg
islaton not in itself insulting to the Senate.
Mr.. Carpenter inquired whether Mr..
Trumbull could state II proposition more
fiagrantly to the Senate than to remove
the slaughtered dead of the Union army
from Arlington for the purpose of return
ing the farm to its rebel possession.
Mr. Trumbull replied that while the res
olution was without doubt repugnant to
the Sc Sc of the nation, it was not in
personal sense insulting to the Senate.
Mr. Edmunds and Mr.. Sumner cited two
instances-one in the case OF the proposed
annexation of Texas and the other the bill
for the repeal of the fugitive slave act
when requests for leave to bring in bills
were refused, and the Vice-President
enumerated five additional instances.
Mr.. Sawyer said that the Arlington es-
tate, like thousands of acres of property
in the South, had been forfeited and sold
at public sale for the non-payment of taxes
and bought by the United States in the
absence Of any memorial from Mrs. Lee.
He regarded the contemplated inquiry ut
terly worthless, as the facts that he had
stated were well known, and needed no
veriiication.
Messrs. Harlan and Patterson also OPP
posed the resolution. The former depre-
Gated the day. should it ever come, when
ali equal solicitude shall be shown by Con-
gress for the welfare of rebels and Union
lists alike.
The latter denounced the offer to rake
up the bones of our valiant dead, in order
to prepare a home for one who fled from
it, even before her husband, as an insult
to the country. He said that Gen, Lee had
spit upon the nations flag and hurled de-
tiance in the face OF the nation, and the
request that was now made in behalf OF
| his memory would, ii granted, be an out
rage upon decency.
Mr.. salisbury disapproved of that part
of the resolution looking to the removal OF
the graves from Arlington, but he conld
not see that the merits of the cause in
which Lee was engaged was ut all in the
controversy. He regarded the question
as one simply of the ability of the Sena-
| tor to exercise his right to introduce busi
ness.
Mr.. Nye said that the verdict of to-day
| is, and of posteritv will be that Lee was a
traitor The Senator (IcCreery) had de-
clared him hero, and so was Benedict
Arnold; but what would have been
| thought of Il man who could have propes-
ed to restore Benedict Arnold his property
in Connecticut? The Senator had said
that Lee was IA Christian. He (Nye) re-
GREETED he did not know SO well Us he
ought what constituted a Christian, but II
Lee was a Christian he did not want to be
one Could the Senate recognize us n
Christian and patriot, II man who mad
drcnched this country in blood? He look
ed upon the resolution as an insult to his
person and indicative of disposition
which, if not rebuked, would be a premi
um upon treason.
Mr.. Flanagan spoke of Lee as the great
traitor of the age, whose influence had
carried into the rebellion the flower OF
Southern youth. Davis, the other great
traitor, lived, and in the light of recent
events it was not unreasonable to expect
an early move to make him President.
Mr. Sumner desired that parliamentary
law should be administered upon the pres
ent occasion with the utmost rigor, with
view to the most summary disposition OF
the resolution. He had nothing to say OF
Gen. Lee, except that his name stood high
upon the catalogue of those who had i'm
bued their hands in their country's blood
| He was content to hand him over to the
avenging pen of History. lie regarded
the resolution as indicative OF the sentl-
ments of the political associates OF The
Senator from Kentucky, and as preiiguring
the policy they would establish should
they obtain power, which was to take the
old rebellion by the hand and to install it
in high places and power. Could he
make his voice heard from Massachusetts
to Louisiana, it would ba to warn his fell
low countrymen, especially the South.
against that combination which now