The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1870-11-26

as he WAS. as one Of the abest Of his coun
uy's soldiers. Aud to prove that he WAS
estimate, then AS such. let mr tell yOn
'ha, WHEN Lee was a captain of Engineers
stationed in Baltimore, the Cuban Junta
in NV York selected him to b. their
l"ader in ,h- struggle for the Independence
OF their na,iv- country. They were anx
i.uS to secure his services, and offered
him every te,nptstiou that ambition could
desire. He thought the matter over. and
I remember came 20 Washington to con
sn|, ~. As 10 what h. should do, and when
| began to discuss the complications
which nigh; arse from his acceptance Of
! the trust he gently rrbuked me, saying
that this WAS not tb- line upon which b.
wished nv advice. th- simple question
was. "Wh-th-r j, was right or not" H.
had been educated by th- United States,
and trlt it wong t" accept n place in the
army "t foreign power Such was hi-
extreme d-licarv. such was the sense Of
honor of the gallant gentleman whose death
W. depore. But when Virginia with
drew the State to whom he owed his
first and last aII-g' an.e- the same nice
spuse of honor l-d hun to draw his sword
and throw it in the scale for good or fo'
evil. Pardon me for this brief d-t-nc. Of
my illustrious friend. When Virginia
joined the Conf.deracv. Robert Lee, the
highes, officer in the little army Of Vir-
ginia, came to Richmond, and, not paus-
ing to inquire what would b. his rank in
III. service Of the Conf-deracy. went to
West Virginia under the belief that hA
was still An officer Of the State. H. came
back carrying the heavy weight Of defeat.
and "nappreci~t-d by the people whom he
served, for the could not know. as | knew,
that if bis plans and orders had been car
ried oat the result would have been victo
~ rather than retreat. You did not know.
for | would no, have known it had b. not
b,esthed it in my ear only at my earnest
request. and begging that nothing be said
about it. The clamor which then arose
followed him when he went to South Car
Dina, so tha. it became necessary on his
going to South Carolina to write letter
to the Governor # that State. telling him
what manner OF man he was. Yet. through
all this. with magnanlmitv rarely equal
led, he stood in silence, without defending
himself or allowing others to defend him,
for he was unwilling to offend any one
who wa. wearing a sword and striking
blows for the Cenfrd-racy.
NJ. Davis then spoke Of the straight. to
which the Confectionery was reduced, and
of the danger To which her capital was ex-
posed Just after til. battle Of Seven Pines.
and told how Gen. Lee had conceived and
executed the desperate plan to turn their
flank aud rear. which. after seven days Of
bloody battle. was crowned with the pro-
lection If Richmond, while the enemy was
driven far from the city.
The speaker referred also to the circum
stances attending Gen. Lees eros ing the
Potomac and the march into Pennsylvania
H. (Mr. Davis assumed the responsibility
Tor that movement. The eneruy had long
been concentrating his force, and it was
evident that II they continued their steady
progress the Confederacy would bs over
whrlmed. Our only hope Was to drive
him to the defence Of his own capital. We
being enabled in the meantime to reinforce
our shattered army. How we'll Gen. Lee
carried out that dangerous expet'm"n mt
need not be told, Richmond WAS RELIEVED.
the Conf,deracy was relieved, and time
was obtained. if other things had favored,
to reinforce the army.
But, said Mr.. DAVIS, | shall not attempt
to review the military career Of our fallen
chiefta,n. OF the man. how shalt | speak
lie was my friend. and in that word is in
cluded 81, that could say Of any man
His moral qualities rose to the height o'
his genius. S.;td-nving Always 'nten,
upon the one idea Of ln;y self controlled
10 an extent that many thong ht him cold
HIS feelings we're really warm. aud b.:
besrt melted freely at the sight ola wound
I'd soldier or the story Of The suffer'ogs o
the widow and orphan. During the wa
he was ever conscious Of the inequality Of
the ,n.ans ut his control! but 1t was nev-
bis to complain or to utter doubt
WAS always his to do. When 10 the las
campaign be was beIeague'ed at Peters
burg, and painfully aware Of the straits t.
which va we're reduced, he said: 'Witl
my ARMY IN. the mountains Of Virginia
c"uld carry on this war for twenty year
longer." His men exhausted and his sup
plies failing, he was unable to carry on
his plans. An uutoward event caused hin
to antici pate the movement. and the Arm,
Of Northern Virginia was overwhelmed
But in the surrender he anticipated condi
( tions that have not been fu!fiied-he ex
pecteI his paroIed soIdi RS to BE- allowe
the enjoyments Of life and propettl
Whether these conditions have been ful
filed. let Others say.
= Hese be DOW sleeps in the land b
. loved 80 we'll, and that land is not Vii
= gina only. for they do injustice to L.
J, who believe hs fought only for V'rgini'
, He WINS ready to 60 anywhere, on an