New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-10-27
THE LATE GENERAL LEE.

We copy the following from the Phila-
aelphia Age, Democratic paper:
There was no period of his life, from his
youth at West Point. throughout his career
in military service, that Lee was not fllllnS,
with the highest distinction, the position he
occupied. As cadet, he was graduated with
the highest hOnors: As a captain Of en-
gineers in the war with Mexico, his rank by
no means measures the Importance ct his
services. He was the trusted, confidential
staff-officer of the General-in-Chlef. Scott
always made the most ample and generous
acknowledgment of his merits. They were
varied and important. for he was as ready
in action as in council. His personal cour-
age. indeed was Of that habitual and i'm
perturbable kind that seemed too much a
mart of his nature to be the subject OF special
commentator. 1t is almost superttuous to
saw of him that he was brave amid all the
ordinary perils of the soldier One instance
of a rather peculiar character, occurs to lis.
The battle. of COntreras was Won by
flank movement which. at the close of a
day of hard and indecisive battle, carried a
body Of American troops across region
which the Mexicans had tondly deemed
impossible. 1t was the ground known as
"the Pedrigal," vast field of volcanic
rocks, chasms and precipices. Across this
the American troops land the brigade OF
General Cadwallader, OF TINS city, was
among them, painfully crawled and scram-
bled. arriving at nightfall on the opposite
side. Lee accompanied this movement, but
no sooner was it effected and the troops
posted for an attack at daybreak, than he,
solitary and alone, retraced his steps amid
all the perils of the way. enhanced by
darkness and the presence of the enemys
skirmishers to inform General Scott upon
the result. and concert the decisive attack
on the next morning, which was to retrieve
the unfavorable result OF the first days
operations. This was a feat remarkably
daring, and it was characteristic OF the man
who did it. Well might General Scott call
him in his report, the gallant and indetati-
gable Captain Lee, as dlstln-
guished for felicitous execution as for science
and daring"
His more recent career is too well known
to need recapitulation; and we have no am
bition to anticipate the future historian and
military critic by comparing Lee with other
great captains among whom he must ever
bold eminent place. 1t may, however, be
said without derogating from his great
merits, that he shone more in defensive than
in aggressive war. His campaign against
Mcclellan and Rosecrans, in West Virginia.
was failure. His invasion OF Maryland
ended in defeats mt South Mountain and
Antietam. The invasion of Pennsylvania
eliminated in disaster at Gettysburg. IL
deed, to his military reputation this battle,
and his conduct Of it, are the most serious
detractions that his career affords. 1t is a
published fact that General Meade's chief
anxiety, after he got his troops IN position,
was lest Lee should refuse to attack him.
A feint on Washington must have hurried
Meade to its protection; for that was held
by those who then conducted the war to
be the first and highest duty of the com
mander of the Army OF the Potomac.
Del T 1x In of
on the first day, when partial victory was
in his grasp: nay, he made a second and
disastrous attack after the first had failed,
and in vainly endeavOring to carry an I'M
pregnable position, shattered his army, and
the very cause that it upheld. 1t has been
said, we believe by General Lee himself,
that at Gettysburg he yielded to the ur,
gency and enthusiasm of his officers and
men. This, too, exhibits a trait IN his
character. There was an amiability, a bon
hOm0,ie, about him that was not, perhaps,
consistent with the sternncss and intleXi-
bility that war sometimes demands IN
leader. We can not conceive of Joseph E.
johnson or Stonewall Jackson-tO COM
pare him only with his Confederate con-
tempOraries-yielding their better Judgment
to the enthusiasm of those around them. To
be thus infectious to the feelings of others
was an amiable trait of character which
Lee possessed amid all the strength of
his genius and resolution. His best fought
fields were on the Peninsula, and at Chan
cellorsville and fredericksburg, and the
long, desperate, brilliant, unequal struggle,
the successes Of which will fill the soldier
with admiration and wonder, though to the
popular eye they are merged in the fall of
Richmond and the capitalization of his army
AS a great master OF defensive warfare,
Lee will probably not be ranked inferior to
any general known in history. Whether
those for whom heoought will rank him ul-
timately above johnson and jackson, or
how he will stand on the pages Of history,
in comparison with his great opponents, we
have neither ability nor inclination to dis
cuss. 1t is not our aim to-day to crltlclse,
nor to breach political questions, but to pay
our tribute of respect and honor to great
man. who fought fairly and nobly on the
side he took, sincerely believing it to be, ac-
cording to his light, the side to which pa
triotism and honor summoned him. There
are too many men in the world who willfully
go wrong from base and venal and selfish
motives. Let us be charitable to the brave
and good, who, if they err, err because
human Judgment is fallible, the circum-
stances of their position difficult, and the
path of duty, which they wish to follow, is
not to their eyes, clearly observable.