Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1871-01-13
Noble Tribute to the Great Dead.

| Noble Tribute TO the Great Dead.
The London ,Slenadrd pays the following
glowing tribute to the memory Of Robert L.
| Lee:
| Few indeed are there in Europe or in Ameri-
ca SO mean of nature or so violent in partizan-
ship as to hear without regret that the illness
Of General Lee has terminated fatally. The
world has lost one of its greatest men, his pro-
fession one of its nobest ornaments, bis un-
happy country her foremost citizen. 1t is i'm
possible to think of the departed hero without
regretful feelings, not only for the loss that
Virginia and the South have sustained, not
only for the removal Of one whose example is
as pure and as noble MS any that history re-
cord, but for the circumstances under which
such man has closed a life SO ilustrous and
so unfortunate. Most Of General Lees COM
rades and intimate associates were happy in
the Time and in the occasion of their Deaths
happy in dying soldiers death, while yet
there was hopa for their cauFe, ana d eseapiag
the bitter fate which awaited the be8t ahG
greatest of them ALL Sidney Johnston, the
commander of the Western armies, fell in a
moment of victory. So died Stonewall jack
SON struck down by accident or error, when
the great success of Charlottesville was al
ready assured and living to know how COM
plete that success had been. Stuart the brill
liant chief of the Confederate cavalry, like Tur-
ner and Ashby, his predecessors in the Vir-
gina army, was killed in battle. Morgan the
most skilful and daring Of guerilla leaders;
Polk, the gallant aud Christian soldier, who
gave up bishopric to draw bis sword in his
conntry's defence; and numberess others
whom we need not name here, but whose
names the South will never forget also fell
fighting before they had learned TO despair OF
their country. 1t was the hard fate of their
chief to see them all fall around him; to pass
l.nl ,cI t,tfar hat
ties; to maintain for months after hope was
gone n defence against overwhelming numbers
and boundlcss resources, against famine and
despair, no less against the enemy arms; and
finally, after having done oil that soldier, u
general, a stasesman could do for his cause, 10
witness its fall and put the seal on its ruin; to
surrender his army and survive his country
Since that sad day General Lee had remained
in as much obscurity as was possible TO one so
loved and so trusted 10 one from whom his
countrymen were ever seeking guidance and
counsel. He descended from wealth to poyer-
ty without one complaint OF the lawless avage-
ry which had so ruthlessy and unsparingly
devastated, the illegal vengeance which had
confscated his property; he, the Commander
and Chief of one Of the great armies Of tho
world WAS content 10 become the head of q
second rate College; he, the foremost champi-
ON Of the Confederate cause, made IL his con-
slant effort to reconcile his soldiers and conn-
trymcn to the Federal yoke TO quiet them
under insult and wrong to restrain not only
open outbreaks Of impatience, but private ex-
pressions Of regret and longings Tor an ire
trieynbe past. He, who might have been re-
ceived with honor and admiration from end to
end of Europe, who might have made for him
self new career in foreign service, refused
to quit the country where he was debarred
from almost every sphere OF public usefulness.
In peace, as in war, duty was the one rule OF
his ife--a steadfnst devotion to the work
which his Master bad appointed him % 90 was
| the inspiring motive OF his actions. ie Wno
| had drawn bis sweed sgaiasi iltc Talon, nut
from inconsiderate passion, but only n ooedi-
| ence to the Sovereign or personal ambition or
| party spirit, Of the State to which he owed al
| legiance, even stopped to sue for the pardon OF
| the conqueror, not because he feared anything
that Northern vengeance could iniict, or hope
| to save Anything from the wreck Of his for
tunes, but because Congress had made il i'm
| possible for any SOutherner to set TO work to
retrieve his own or his eonntry's position till
he had obtained pardon. General Lee felt
that IL was necessary that his countrymen
| should submit to the humiliation imposed up
on them and, with Characteristic simplicity
and unselfsbness, in lieu Of exbortation and
| advice, he gave them his example. Both
North and South are deeply indebted 10 him
| for there can be but little doubt that on the
:
have postponed indefinitely the peaceful accom-
| plishment of political reunion; and that, on
the other, without bis efforts and his example
the flower Of the Southern people would never
| have submitted to their fate, but would either
| have quilted their country altogether or re-
manned at homo in sulen abslentation, walt
ing chance Of restoration or Of retribution.
Great as was his part in the war, there Is
deeper, truer, rarcr greatness in the part he
has borne in peace. That such a man should
die thus early, thus unfortunate is a sad and
| painful thing But he died as he had lived,
fearless gentleman, sincere, deyout, and
hopeful Christian. lie leaves to his children
a name as noble as the world can show 10
his country memory which will be cherished
| while the South retains one spark OF that
chiyalric spirit and patriotic devotion which
have been her Characteristic virtues and an
example which might suffice TO teach meancr
people the lessons Of chivalry, OF patriotism,
and Of Christianity.