The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-11-14
crNrRAL ROBERT E. LEE AS a
DECLINER OF GIFTS.
fr.cy,nston Wal Correspondence Lohis'i'' Wv
fcs-Journal.l


Ir any public man could be )'ls.'neo :" 70
ceiyiug Gifts from his friends oeheia' ''ee
coo,d surely have been. Leaving u. a !l'o-
n,nnf,s notice the splendid estate Ut hthhs
ron 10 become the prey OF ms ehe,.i'cs' IN, an0
nearly all of his property ne,hs Mnnan uu
file lines and beyond h,s reach,-h1s s'''n. NJ
ary in Confederate scrip being 'itteri! inat..
Toto to snpnort i'm proper style his iiNa.id
Nc VIC, and accomplished daughters-itw was the
universal wish Of the people for whom ne
bod sacrificed so much that some proper pro
vision for his family should be made.
Accordingly, in the winter OF 1904, inc
C;tv Council of Richmond UNANIMOUS!
voted 10 present him with handsome hou,s'
ona annn;nted q committee to make the p''i-
chase Seeing notice Of this 10 the paper,
cnno,o, T 20 at once wrote to the president
or ,he Ccuncii expressing his grateful appre-
o;ot;n, of the kindness meant, bit begging
t;,as ,,o further steps should be taken In the
,.,n,,er as he should be compelled to decline
tha offer. 81 shall be bat little in Richmond
mTself,'' wrote the noble man, "ahd ~!
family are rs comfortable as they maze Ilslt
To be these war times. Ii YOU have none!
70 invest in that way beg that you VIII give
il TO the families of our private soldiers. Who
arc more needy and more deserving than my
SELF" .:,:;ou ,o.,re
Various other offers Of similar nature
,,.era rcSrcctf;lllv but firmly declined.
at the close Of the war offers OF assistance
no,lred In upou him from every quarter. An
E.nnlisl nobleman, supposiDg that nc "o'ila
rejoice in q quiet retreat from the scenes OF
his great struggle and the disasters that had
come upou his native South, wrote ham a
fce,;np letter in which he offered him a coun-
crescent and an annuity of four thousand
nS,nils. The General was deeply touched
fy this offer, and wrote u feeling reply, IN
Ihich he made his ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,
nut declined the Offer, saying: 81 cannot
consent 10 desert my native State In the hour
of her extremity. must abide her fortunes
and share her fate
Soon alter he became president Of Wash
inston College large Insurance company
rendered him it's presidency at salary OF
$4,000 PET annum. He told the agent VINO
brought the proposition that lie could not
discharge his duties in the college and accept
these new ones.
nBut. General" said the eager agent, 9 we
do not wish you to have any duties In con-
nection with the place we offer you. The
mere use of your name Is all we ask, ana
shat will amply reimburse us for our out
lay" 49,,
ENcitSe me, sli, WIS 'hc IohiP. "''"
emphatic reply; 81 cannot consent 70 re-
ceive pay for services ] do not render, or 10
accent, under any consideration, gratility."
To q large number of similar offers he al
ways gave the same reply.
Sot long before his fatal Illness he was Of
fered salary of $4,000 per annum to 90 to
New York and be the head Of n certain
wealthy corporation there; but he at once,
and in the most emphatic terms, refused the
offer. saving that nothing could tempt him to
leave. his post, where he was "tltinlnS the
vouur men Of the South to do their duty in
life" Not all the gold OF California could
tenn, him to swerye one inch from the path
Of duty.
The authorities of Washington College
were always anxious to pay General Lee
sucl, salary as their appreciation of his scr
vices and the expectations OF the pubic
seemed TO demand.
But when they saw the college expand
under his able management and wide lniill-
encc until its number OF students had III,
creased from 70 (belore the war; TO All, aud
its utterly PROSTATE finances had so recupcr-
ated that they had been enabled to increase
the corps Of instructors from to -, they
felt that every principle OF common justice
demanded that the presidents salary should
bear some proportion to the Invaluable ser
vices rendered.
But they always met with mn insupcrablc
obstacle in General Lees refusal to receive
more than So, 900 for his services. 1t was III
vain that they argued that they rendered
him no s.1atuity, that the prosperity of the
college was due to him, and that his services
were fully worth all they proposed to give
him. He said that the college was not able
10 pay all OF its professors what they pro-
posed to give him, and he was unwilling TO
receive more than the other members OF the
faculty. Seeing that there was no hope OF
Inducing him to accept direct increase OF
his salary they tried to compass 1t 10y indl-
rect means.
The Board of Trustees made an appropri-
alton without General Lees knowledge for
a very handsome house, which they intended
10 deed to him and his family. When lie
found out that the appropriation had been
made he superintendent the building (beln@
always careful to call it "the presidents
house ~ and made it cost only about half OF
the amount appropriated.
During bis southern tour (Which declining
health lnade necessary in 1869 the Board OF
Trustees donated this house to Mrs. Lee and
voted her ali annuity Of $4,000. 1t was deli
catciy end quietly done; but when the great
chitflan returned and learned Whit had
been done he wrote, in behalf of Mrs. Lee,
letter IN which lie gratefully and courteously
but firmly declined the protfered donation,
SAYING that if he should die before Mrs. Lee,
and be unable to leave her comfortable, her
sons would most cheerfully provide for her;
and that in any event they could not con-
sent to take anything from the college.
The college authorities We're so fully per-
dad pf ;l.t If this 81
they quietly adhered TO their action, had the
deed recorded in the clerks office, and after
the Generals death sent Mrs. Lee check
for the first payment On the annuity.
But this noble Virginia matron, to whom
we can pay no higher tribute than to say
that she was every way worthy to be the
chosen "help meet" of Il. T.. Lee, promptly
returned the check and respectfully de-
clined the donation.
a party Of gentlemen ut the White Sui
pbur Springs, several summers before his
Death, conceived the idea that they could pu!
General Lees family beyond oil fear Of want
by raising $4,000 TO endow the "Presi.
dents Chair Of Washington College," on the
condition that at his death the money should
20 to his flnily.
The General, being apprised of this
scheme, wrote to w. w. Corcoran, ESQ.,,
the great Washington banker, who was the
moving spirit in it, expressing his high gr;l-
tifcat!on at their interest in the college, and
saying that he would be most happy to re-
ceive their donation, only he should "insist
on their dispensing with the condition, and
allowing the money to 60 into the perma-
nent funds of the college"
Your correspondent had the privilege, not
long after the death of this great man, Of