Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1870-12-23
The assault upon GEN. Lee in the
u. s. Senate.

The assault upon GEN. Lee in the |
u. s. Senate.
The debate which occurred in the Senate
of the United States on the 18th inst, of
which we publish sketch in smother col
umn, brcathes, more vindictiye spirit, and
is more repugnant to decency, than could
possibly have been looked for even from a
body, in which oflate years. rage has SO
often triumphed over reason.
The proposition of MIR. McCreery, what
soevcr his intentions. was, in one Of its
features-as matters now stand at Airing
ton-altogether unreasonable, and its in
PRODUCTION, at this time, was, in any aspect,
eensurably unwise But who could have
expected that the occasion would be seized
upon for the emptying of more than seven
walls of wrath, and as many more cess-pools
of obloquy, upon the life and character Of
the now departed and ever-glorious Lee !
The noble and generous in all ages have
fixed limits to animosity, and have set ex-
amples Of forbearance and maguanimity,
when death has interposcd between man
and his foe examples, which the good and
the chivalrous have always found it in &C
cord with their natures to follow. Thus the
Master-spirit of the British Drama, who
knew well what touches Of gentleness might
naturally consist with even the sternness Of
steel-clad warriors, makes Prince Henry,
after he Stays Percy in battle-Percy who
was rebel in fact as we'll as in name
pay this tribute to his fallen foe:
''Thls earth that bears thee dead,
Bears not alive SO stout gentleman.
IT thou vert sensible of courtesy,
should not make so dear a show of zeal -
But let my favors hide thy mangled face
And even in thy behalf, r IL thank myself
For doing these fair rites of tenderness.
Alden, and take thy praise with thee to Heaven!'
But the Poet, equally familiar with the
inglorious elements Of humanity. presents to
us, in the next moment, Falstaff, who in
aicts fresh STAB on the dead body of the
hero. The play, in this feature, has been
recently re acted in the Senate of the United
States-tho great Council Chamber Of the
restored Union-the Falstaffs were many
but to play the role Of Henry there was not
one +
But what shall we say Of the classic Sum
ner on this occasion, Of him who, dwelling
in 9'the Athens Of America" makes Greek
and Roman models his study. Alas for him
that the outside alone of the cup and the
platter conforms to the antique pattern !
He initiates, it may be, the style, but for
gets altogether the morals of the Roman
In this the Pagan puts the Christina Heaven
save the mark y to the blush Where, the
other day, was his memory Of that cft-ccm
mended Roman maxim, ".Ds anortu,s nj
aisi bonana," ''say nothing of tho dead bu
what is good" Or, if his memory travelled
not back SO far, had he forgotten the lessons
Of tie more modern tragedy, in which
Zanga the barbarian, who had been stricken
"a blow by A lonzo, makes revenge the
study of his after life There is such re
sembianee between Zanga's wrongs, and
Zanga's spirit, aud those of the Senator.
that one might have expected hiln-as he
has followed Zanga SO closely thus far in his
passion Of revcnge-not to be oatdone BY
the barbarian in uaagnanimity for even
Zanga, over the dead form of Alonzo, ex-
claims
"And art thou dead So IS my enmity.
war not with the dust!
But we forbear fer we feel that to point
the assaiiants Of Gen. Lee to such exam
pies as these, is to ''cast pearls before
those, vino, swineiike, will 'trample them
under their feet, and turn again and rend
u.s."