The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-12-22
ARLIyGTOy AND LEE.

an h1AAulVA AAD AHA+
We mentioned last week that Mr..
MrCreery, of KY, Dem introduced
a resolution in the Senate restoring
Arlington to the heirs of Gen. R. E.
Lee, and to provide for the rem oval Of
the Union soldiers buried there. We
give the whole proceedings on the
subject, being satisfied that every one
who honors the Union dead will be
interested. The resolution was first
introduced on Saturday, the 10th
inst, and is as follows:
By Mr.. MeCreery, of Ky, Cd a
/ joint resolution for the benefit of Mrs.
/ Robert E Lee, which, upon request of
Mr.. McCreery, was read. 1t provides
for the appointment of n joint Com
mjttee Of inquiry to report what real
| estate, If any, belonged to r. E Lee
at the time he entered the COnfede-
I rate service, by what right he held the
land known as Arlington Heights,
and whether he had anyclaim thereto
which rendered Arlington liable tn
cDnfiscatiOn and forfeiture by reason
I Of his participation in the rebellion,
whether tile Arlin gtOn estate was not
the property of, and the sitle thereto
vested in Mrs. Lee and her children,
and inherited by her from her a1ces-
tors; also, whether Lee h ID any right
thereto, subject To forfeiture If the
property was sold for taxes. The
Ommittee are directed to report the
amount of taxes assessed upln the
value of the property when sold; who
paid and who received the money;
whether less than the amount was not
Sufficient to meet the demands of
the government, and As to the legali-
ty Of the sale.
Additional directions are given the
committee to report as to the eXpen-
diture necessary u put the premises
in good repair, with view to their
restoration tn the owner or owners, as
TO fair and reasonable cOmpensa-
ton for rent by the United States
since their occupation by the govern
ment, as to the necessary means Of
removing any graveyards on the land
to other localities, and relating to
the character and value of any i'm
prOvements Of the land or Incum-
brances upon it since its occupation
/ by the government, or agents; wheth
er any mamentOes or relics left by
| George Washington or family have
been taken from the estate, and sIb-
sequently lost, aud the extent Of Mrs.
Lees loss in this particular.
On the 18th the following action
and discussion took place:
Mr. McCreery, of KY. 3D. asked
leave to introduce a resolution, no
tice of which he gave yesterday, pro-
posing an investigation with a view
10 the restoration of the Arlington
estate to the widow of Robert E. Lee,
the removal of the graveyards on the
premises, and general restoration Of
any incumbrance placed therein in
the interest of the government.
Mr.. Edmunds, of VT. (R.) hoped
| leave would not be granted; The
! soldiers in order that certain property
might be given buck to the rebel own
ers was, to his mind, perfectly mon
strOus.
Mr.. McCreery then occupied twen-
| ty minutes upon the subject. He refer
| red to the circum stances attending
| the recent dece tse of the two fore
most generals on either side in the
war.-Lee and Thomls. He spoke Of
the friendly intim icy existing be-
! tween these generals up % the com
mencement of the rebellion, when
Thomas followed the starry emblem
If the Union and Lee resolved To
stand or fall by the State that had
| given him birth; of the general sOT-
row and resnect which m mInifeSted it
self in either section succeeding the
mournful intelligence Oftheir decease.
He proceeded to eulogiZe the inflexi-
! BILE virtue, military genius and valur
| If General Lee, remarking that the
American people would never relin-
qnish the property which they held
IN the name and fame of the great
| Virginian. He was devoid of Osten-
tatiOn, and from the testimony of
/ most Intimate acqdaintances was sim
| gulaFly exempt from the faults and
I ftl.lies of other men. His life was
that Of hero, Christian and gentle
nan. There might be those i'm the
| Senate who could derive comfort
rom casting aspersiOn upOH General
| Lees character, but all sections Of
the country would eventually accord
| To his merits their just deserts. The
| beloved partner of his bDsOm still
lived, aud in her behalf justice was
mplOFed. She belonged to a race
tOnd of bestOwing charity, but power
" could not force her to accept it.
/ Would the Senate now remove the
Iarrier that excluded her from Airing
| ton?
/ NJ. T .,,n5, eo;I tbof ;vsko,d of
| iIeing welded to the institutions and
lestinies of Virginia, Gen. Lee was
| he ward of the nation; that the na-
ton had fed, clothed and educated
lim; that he lived at the capital, and
when the capital called upon him
tO defend the flag under which he
rad been born, protected and hOnOred
le deliberately turned his back upon
md planted his cannon in sight of
| The capital he had sworn tn protect
md defend. But he E lmunds)
would not dignity the proposition by
discussing it. Gen. Lee was now
| lead, and the only regret he thought,
that right minded men would have
vas that Gen. Lee had died, either in
! his youth or or in his patriotic man.
lOOd, or even that he had not died
| .rlier than he did, by the hand Of the
aw, which psnslty would have
ltOned in some measure for his crime.
Mr.. Trumbull, of Ill. (R.), which
lisclaiming any sympathy with the
apparent object of the resolution.
which was to surrender and mutilate
The last resting place of thousands of
Union dead, argued that it would be
It least unparliamentary, il not un-
Jrecedented, to deny a member the
simple request for leave to introduce
my legislation not in itself insulting
70 the Senate.
Mr.. Carpenter inquired whether
Nr. Trumbull could state a PROPOSE
ion more fl Igrantly insulting TO the
senate than that to remove the
laughtered dead of the Union ermy
from Arlington for the purpose of re-
turning the farm to rebel possession.
Mr.. Trumbull replied that while
5he resolution was without doubt, re-
Du gnant to the sense of the nation
it was not in a personal sense insult
NJ to the Senate.
Messrs. EImunds and Sumner cited
wO instances, one in the case of the
proposed annexation of Texas, and
he other bill for the repeal of tine
Fugitive Slave act, when requests for
cave to bring in bills were refused,
md the Vice President enumerate
i've additional instances.
Mr.. Morton, of Ind. r. protested
tgainst the consideration of the resO-
ution. He had heard, what he never
expected to hear, eulOgy upon the
character of Gen. Lee in the Senate
# the United States, and that, too, in
the sight of the graves of the victims
If his rebellion. This man, Gen. Lee
vas, above all Others in the rebellion
sinner. He had sinned against
ightand knowledge. His revolution
lrv ancestry, his oath of fealty as an
Iffieer of the United States, his finish
ed education and high abilities all
.JrbAde him thus TO sin, and the
.nOrmity of his crime could not be
concealed by decorating his grave
with flowers Of rhetoric. In a word
It was now proposed that the Senate
should gravely consider proposition
20 degrade the memories of the patri- /
ptic dead of Arlington by removing
their bones to less hallowed ground |
n tender consideration of the rights /
IF the widow of the arch rebel of the /.
most wicked rebellion in history.
NJ Eaoft of pa n said tho -