Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1871-01-07
NObly Said.

How nobly n woman can speak for
a woman, all can learn by reading
the following from Grace Greenwood,
written to the New York Tribune.
She says Of the recent debate In the
Senate on Mr.. McCrcery's resolution: (:
Though our dead soldiers possess
the pleasant grounds of Arlington
forever-hold them 10y the most sa-
cred and awful right, as by title-deetls
written In blood Ill believe our Gov.
ernment should pay to Mrs. Lee val
uatiOn of the property now so inval-
liable to US. 1t was hers by birth.
right. 1t continued to he liers by
higher than legal right. She did
not forfeit it by any overt, individual
net Of treason. know II has been
said that she ate first Of the madden
ing apple of Secession, and tempted
him, and he did eat, and so their para.
disc was lost. But this was n mere
niannish hypothesis, which l find no
reason to accept. He acted for and
by himself in breaking his oath of al
legiance, and in turning his sword
against the country that had taught
but wife, and, first of all, accord
ing to prevailing ideas, owed loyalty
to her husband. Surely the coiisrr.
vative gentlemen OF the Senate who
accept the poets lofty idea Of true
womanly devotion,
"iknow not, ask not ifguilt's In thy heart,
know that love thee whatever thou art"
should give Mrs. Mary Custis Lee all
honor, instead of speaking of her
slightly, as "thdt WOmdn." Had
she fed from the Con ederacy, repu-
dated her rebel husband, aud sought
sanctuary aud release In Indiana,
would even Senator Morton have
held her In higher esteem? Or had
she been loyal and long sighted
enough to hoist the old flag over Ar
lingt0n, and stand guard over her ef-
fects, would not gentlemen have said:
Here Is u matron of Roman virtue,
plucky and strOng-minded u wo-
man to be admired, but not loved"
Her name has for me the charm of
great associations, as that of the
daughter Of the beloved, adopted son
of Washington. I respect her love
for the grand old place, the home of
her childhood but, aside from these
things, protest against the Injustice
and harshness of making her suffer
more severely than many of the ring
leaders of the rebellion hnve suffered.
j think Mr.. Patterson il mistaken
In saying that Mrs. Lee "hcd away
into the storm before her husband.
From an old servant Of the family /
have heard that she fingered In her
home till her husband had repeated
~ written To her to join him that
before leaving sle packed up such val
uables M she could not carry, pre-
cious hcirlooms and papers, and left
them to the honorable custody of our
soldiers-(O, woman, great was thy
faith y that, at the last, she went all
about the house and grounds, and to
the grave of her father and mother,
weeping bitterly. | have also heard
that when the time set, by the will
of her father, for the emancipation of
certain slaves arrived, she promptly
and h0norably sent through our lines
such as she had with her In Rich
mond.
A. We are In the forgiving line can
we not forgive this heart-broken wife
and mother, and make her old age
comfortable by generously paying for
the noble inheritance forfeited by no
crime Of hers, unless II he q crime To
stand by beloved husband, whom
In her happy youth she took for
better, for worsc"' May we not he
icve that the august spirit of WASH
, ington himself would approve ofsuch
nm act Of magnanimity toward the
daughter 0f George Washington Gus
tis-the dear little lad whom he SOL
emnly adopted by the dcati-bed of n
brave young father, who died In the
service OF the Republic?
In this matter have simply spoken
my feelings ~ woman and for u
woman.