The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-10-15

neither by the people of the South alone
nor by the people of the North. No sec
tion can accomplish it, nor any party but
the steadfast cooperation alone of honest
and brave and generous men in all sections
and of all parties. To all such men the
saying 1.-THE patriot, whom Virginia
mourns to-day, speaks from his grave, as
from his modest home he has spoken for
tve long years OF magnanim0us calm, words
tull OF warning at once and Of hope
Hath been enacted through Your eulnity;
Then, be ct peace, except ye thirst for blood!"
From the New York Tribune.
Robert f. Lee.
The death of General Lee will give occa.
sion at the South for marked display of
public grief; 1t will be without signiii-
cance, and may not, perhaps, be thought
wholly appropriate nevertheless 1t will be
demonstration in many respects remaI ka-
bic. 1t is much to be doubted if any other
Government than that of the United States
would permit, or any other people than our
own would cOuntenance, the open express
sions Of regret which will be made over the
loss of man who had become prominent
in great conspiracy to destroy the Gov
ernment and divide the people. But, not
only will the public meetings, the official
resolutions, the public parades in which
the Southern people will express their sor-
row, be officially ignored, but loyal people
will respect their grief. The best-loved
leader of the South, Lee was not absolutely
without honor and even affection in the
North while hot tears flow for him there,
q sympathy, not unallied to pity, will be
felt for him here.
Time has sutficed to give both North and
South u better idea Of the personal charac-
ter of this man. It was difficult for us in
the heat Of the war fever to understand how
it was possible that q man could he traitor
to his country and yet strictly honest to-
ward his fellow-men. 1t is still something
of a mystery, but none will refuse to admit
that socially Gen. Lee was above reproach.
Though guilty Of weak and wicked acts, it
cannot be shown that he ever did mean
thing; and it was his misfortune that he
was. less firm Of purpose than by nature
en,,nro;::s aid yielding. Ills popularity was
based on these attributes and uniform
successes in his defensive operations during
the first years OF the war won him such
confidence of his troops as his repeated
blunders and failures in his offensive cam.
paigns could not shake. This confidence
Remained so strongly with him TO the end
of the war that with his fall ut Appomattox
the cause he hnd defended fell forever.
Now that he is zone, let Us endeavor to
forget his folly and bis great crime, remem-
bering only that he was not wholly bad.
False political principles rather than false
morals perverted his mind and wrought his
ruin, rs they wrought that of his party.
To forget is the greatest charity we could
now extend him. Yet in the history OF his
country he must live, not indeed as the
uI Of
throw. but as in many respects the least
odious and the most prominent; as Gen
eral great only il d5fenslre-passive opera.
tions, but there unequalled throughout the
war on either side; US Il soldier stainless on
every point save that on which a soldiers
honor should be the brightest-the cause
for which &c drew lis sword. 1t Is Il great
and pathetic figure that he makes in our
annals. But the country pardoned him
he bore himself manfullv oud modestly
alter his overthrow; and he will be carried
to bis grave amid the passionate sorrow OF
the gallant people that made him their
leader, and the respectful silence Of the
people that conquered him.
rErom the New York Herald
General Robert e. Lee.
Within the last six months death has
been remarkably busy among the great
warriors of our civil conflict. With Thomas,
Farragut, and Lee, the three men who,
throughout the contest, most nearly repre-
sented the American idea of the true,
knightly soldier, the Bayardss Of the con-
tending forces, have departed from earth.
While the reunited Union deeply dcplored
the loss of Farragut and Thomas, and
freely lavIshed the highest encomiums
upon their names and memories, it
cannot withhold its tribute to the sol
der just dead, who, while warning in
an unhappy and illusoly cause, pur-
sued his individual course with the
true instincts Of soldierly honor. While he
sought by force of arms, by all the accepted
appliances of the military art, and by the
energetic exercise of his unquestionable
military genius TO secure the victory, he
never descended to the childish trick of un-
derrating his enemy nor sullied his record
with the horrible atrocities of some of bis
subordinates. Of his course in turning his
sword against the Union, in subordinatn.
his duty to the country to his presumed
that he is dead. Many brighter intellects
than Lees were misled by the dazzling
will-o'. '.the-wisp of State rights. As brave
enemy he is deserving of u tribute, and
for his course since he surrendered
his sword at AppomattoN he deserves
high honor. He alone of all the Con-
federate chiefs who were brave enough
to take the consequences of Il surrender
has Gtly comprehended the magnanimity of
the Government. He drew within himself,
avoided publicity, persisted in ret!cence,
and, confessing by oil his acts that his own
cause was lost forever, deportcd himself
with the modest dignity that becomes 4
fallen chief
The plories achieved in a civil war are
unenyiable ut the best. The Romans never
erected monuments OH the battle-tields Of
their civil wars, nor permitted Ofations TO
the returning conqueror in an lnterneclne
strife but, as we honored the memories
and celebrated the victories Of Farragut
and Thomas, so will the southern people
honor the memory and celebrate the victo-
ries of Lee.
from Mr.. Greeley's "Americau Confetti
Lees farewell to his Soldiers.
The parting OF Lee with his devoted fol-
lowers was sad one. OF the proud army,
which, dating its victories from Bull Kun,
had driven Mcclellan from before Rich
mond, and withstOod his best effort at An
tietam, and shattered Burnside,s host AZ
and worsted Hooker at
Charlottesville, and fought Meade so stout
ly, though unsuccessfully, as before Gettys-
burg, and baffied Grants bounteous re-
sources and desperate efforts i'll the Wilder
ness, at Spotsylvania, on the North Anna,
ut Cold Harbor, and before Petersburg and
Richmond, mere wreck remained. 1t is
said that 27 900 were included in Lees ca
pitulation; but OF these not more than TO-
GOO had been able to carry their arms thus far
on their hopeless and almost foodless fight.
Barely nineteen miles from Lynch6urg
when surrendered, the physical possibility
of forcing their way ttither even at the cost
of half their number 10 longer remained.
And if they were all safely there, what
thenp The resources OF the Confederacy
were utterly exhausted. OF the 200
men whose names were borne on its mus,