The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-06-13
nv Davis and General Lee.

Grn. LEE during ms he a'''' '''~ ,;o,v
,;,,soIr with uncxccptionahle proI,..
nh d;c,,;,x He never discussed po'''
', ,,o,.,r permitted himself to he
'.'',a(, ,. n his everlasting honor DC u
". considered that he susta'heu - nth
re,,t;on towards the people Oh ~" wort
.,,a, ,sonpd him in Justice ana ho",'
s"r,,, anv reasons OF proprtety relating ~
n;s AVN personal dignity-to say ho'a'hs
.n5 do nothing which might IN an! ln'nne.
on,harrsss them. Mr.. DAVIS, on 'ne o'nei
,ond has been governed byno such pi'pei
sonso of responsibility and prudence. he
hos taken especial pleasure in harplng upon
~. nol;rjcal dosmas that were at issue I'd
rho war and representing them as not deao
o,6 the battle for them as having to he
fought over again. He means loushs o'el
in the political arena; but those VINO fougn'
era;uSl him and us in tne late war VIII Ill
tcrprct him to suit their own purposes.
General LEE lct1 Us unframed by Wofo
or an act of his. Mr.. DAVIS, In the mids'
of our defeat, prostration, and helpless
ness. lifts the arm Of defiance, ana pro
claims the war not ended. In thtS the North
calls him our leader. and thus he lnhlcts
upon us deep wrong and great INJURY.
Mr.. DAVIS should have kept his lips
sealed. As did General LEE. BE has no
right. bearing the relations he does TO the
southern people, to put in danger thcu
peace and welfare by expressing MS ihol-
yidual opinions about the sensitive topics
that were at the bottom of the war.
Gen. LEE viewed the situation IN MIL
tary sense. He considered his countrylnch
of the South and himself a. captlVcS ana
prisoners. HIS high sense of honor ana
personal dignity would not permit him 10
rail at those who held him III custody. Ut
truly considered that unmanly ana pee',>h'
To indulge the language OF eNasperatioh
or the wall of lamentation was cqn'ls az
horrent to his ideas of true malihooo. ii'
therefore bore himself like a man Win !"
conscience void of offence, knowing th:'I III
WAS ut the mercy of his captors, ana SUD-
hitting himself TO their power. " nat e'se
WAS there for him to do: Couid II rrou'
him in any manner to eyaSperatc them by
controversy and bitter accusation! ooui''
It ncncti; his colintrymen for hun 10 set the
example Of pccvishness in useless raiiinS'
or i'm worse than useless discussion OF ques-
tons upon which he and his comrades mao
been defeated in the bloody fields OF battie'
Gen. LEE acted exactly as he desired Ill
of his countrymen to act. lie avoided
wrancling about politics and high officials.
He held his peace in dignihed serenity a It
man who had done what he thought rl2ht
10 the best of his ability; and now belh3
defeated and captive, he submitted grace
rnIlv TO his fate as noble man and a Chris
tian gentleman.
Nothing cave Gen. LEE so much concern
rs the haste with which the press ana pto'
liz men at the South rushed into the polltl-
cal canvass, deudcd by the 1gmS tdtu"S
set M hv President JOHNSON after his lnla-
nous ST. 900 amnesty proclamation. IL"
did not think il wise or becoming. Adhcr-
inr to his idea Of what should be the con-
duct Of captivcS, he feared, ana justly
feared, that while this was unbecomnS III
the south, it would eNaspcratc those VINO
hali us 1T their mercy, and increase IN"
severity of the sullcrin@> of his own pco-
plc. lie was not anxious for himself.
As late rs month prior to his death nc
held to his opinions on this point. Inc
writer Of this then met him, and beginning
with the assurance that he was no inter-
viewer, as the General knew, and would
make no improper use of any remark he
might make. asked him how he felt about
the political condition of the country. lie
repIicd that be thought there was some lnl-
rroyemcnt, but still there was great deal
20 dcplorc in regard 10 the temper oil inc
discussions North and South-that they
opposed great obstacle 10 the restoration
OF peace. He alluded particularly to the
tone Of the southern press, and sad that
though greatly improved, there was stiil
room for Improvement. We put III pea
for the press in respect to its promptness Ill
yindicating the South from false accusa-
1ions, and as an Illustration referred to IN
article in this paper commenting upon the
surprise expressed by northern journal
that Gen. LEE could possibly have fought
with the South, as he was opposed to
slavery. In that comment we assumed that
the opposition TO slavery was not rare III
the South--that Virginia had been very
near abolislling slavery in 80, and that
many prominent southern men, adopting
Mr.. JEFFERSoN's views, favored abolition as
the best for the welfare of the southern
people; and that these men had higher
motive than the defence OF slavery i'll their
taking up the cause Of the South.
The General replied that controversy did
no good-that the northern journal should
have known his opinions long aSo-that De
expressed them before the Reconstruction
Committee in answer to their questions
that his father before him was opposed to
slavery as Il public evil III Virginia. All
this ought to be known, and his motives
in standing by his native State ought 10 DC
known everywhere. But controversy is
un;ivaiiing, said he it does no good. anu
only protracts the day Of peace and M
tional harmony.
In this spirit he conyersed awhile, and
then changed the topic Of conversation.
General LEE was more anxious for his
countrymen, especially for Virginia, than
he was for himself. lie ycarned for quiet
and order for the country, and for the sub
sdcnco Of bitter sectional luminosity. If
ANYTHING hastened his death it was the dis
turbed state Of his country and the mad pas
sions which delayed the restoration OF good
feeling and general peace.
Such conduct is in wide contrast to that
of Mir. DAVIS. 1t may be Il personal gratiti-
IN