The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-10-15
presidency of Washington College, he

writes: Nae ~
at is the duty of every citizen, in the
presept condition of the country, to do
All in his power to aid in the restoration
Of peace and harmony, and in no way
to oppose the policy OF the State or gen.
eral government directed to that object,
and it is particularly incumbent on
those charged with the instruction Of
the young to set an example Of submits,
sion to authority"
Now does it not show narrow, mean
and contemplate spirit on the part OF
the PEcKsNIFr of the Intelhge'sesr to
carp at the fame of such a man and In
snivelling accents denounce those who
speak well of his character and his
life We envy not the feelings of the
editor who will thus betray himself
nor do we care to cultivate his good
opinion. What right has he to speak
of the manned soldiers and widows and
orphans left by the war? By virtue Of
what gallant exploit on the field o.
danger, does he assume that soldiers are
insulted when General LEES high char
acter is named? When was our PECK
SNIFF soldier and in what school did
he learn what soldierly feelings are?
That manly honesty which recog'
nizes nobility even in foe, and that
honor which forbids the villification of
the dead, are usually recognized as true
soldierly attributes, but Of these the
editor of the Wheeling Intelligence,
has shown himself entirely destitute,
General LEE was an American; hi:
fame is the common heritage OF the
whole nation; and while the whole
press Of the country, without distinc
ton of party, is uniting in eulogy O
his high character, this little, '"loyar
editorial ass lifts his heel to kick TIT
dead lion whom living it not dare tc
! confront.
From the New York Herald of las
Thursday, we clip the following elo
ouent tribute to General ROBERT E
LEE, and we commend the sentiments
it contains as worthy Of general incul
cation:
ION quiet autumn morning, in th'
land which he loved so well, and, as ht
I held, served so faithfully, the spirit o
Robert Edmund Leeleft the clay which
it had so much ennobled and Travelled
out OF this world into the great and mys
ferrous land Yesterday the expires
sions of regret which sprang from
the few who surrounded the bed
side of the dying soldier and Christian
will be swelled to-day into one mighty
voice OF sorrow, resounding throughout
our country and extending over al
parts of the world where his great
genius and his many virtues are known
For not to the Southern people alone
shall be limited the tribute of a tear
over the dead Virginian. Here in the
North, forgetting that the time was
when the sword of Robert Edmund
Lee was drawn against us-forgetting
and forgiving all the years OF blood,
shed and agony-we have long since
ceased to look upon him as the Con
federate leader; but have claimed him
as one of ourselves; have cherished
and felt proud Of his military genius
as belonging to us; have recounted
and recorded his triumphs as our own
have extolled his virtues as rejecting
honor upon us-for Robert Edmund
Lee was an American, and the great
nation which gave him birth would be
to-day unworthy of such son if she
regarded him lightly.
Never had mother a nobler son. In
him the military genius Of America was
developed to greater extent than ever
before. In him all that was pure and
lofty in mind and purpose found lodg-
ment. Dignified without presumption,
affable without familiarity, he united all
those charms of manners which made
him the idol Of his friends and his SOL
diers, and won for HIM the respect and
admiration of the world. Even as, in
the days of his triumph, glory
did not intoxicate, so when the
dark clouds swept over him adversely
did not depress. From the hour that
he surrendered his sword at Appomatox
to the fatal autumn morning, he passed
among men noble in his quiet, simple
dignity, displaying neither bitterness
nor regret over the irrevocable past. He
conquered us in misfortune by the grand
manner in which he sustained himself
even as he dazzled us by his genius
when the tramp OF his soldiers resound
ed through the valleys of Virginia.
And for such man we are all tears
and sorrow to-day. Standing beside
his grave men Of the South and men Of
the North can mourn with all the bit
terness of four years Of warfare erased
by this common bereavement. May
this unity of grief-this unseltsh man
hesitation over the loss of the Bayard
OF America-in the season Of dead
leaves and withered branches which
this death ushers in, bloom and bios
som like the distant coming spring into
the flowers of a heartier accord!
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