The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-04-12

IL no more dangerous experimer
4 than that Of undertaking to be on
thing before q mans face and anothe
behind his back. We should live S
as to say and do nothing to the injur
of any one. 1t is not only best as
matter of principle, but it is the pat
to peace and honor.
4 "In regard to duty, let me, in con
clusion Of this hasty letter, inform
you that nearly 100 years ago ther
twas day of remarkable gloom an
darkness-still known as "the darl
day"-a day when the light of tn
sun was slowly. extinguished, as if b,
an eclipse. The Legislature Of Con
necticut was in session, and its mem
bers saw the. unexpected and unac
cOuntable darkness coming on, the,
shared in the general awe and terror
1t was supposed by many that th'
last day-the day Of judgment-ha,
come. Some one, in the consterna
! ton Of the hour moved an adjourn
ment. Then there arose an old Puri
tan legislator, Davenport of Stamford
| and said that, ifthe last day had come
he desired to be found at his plac'
doing his duty, and therefore movet
| that candles be brought in, so tina
the House could proceed with it
duty. There was quietness in tha
mans mind, the quietness ofheaven
ly wisdom and infiexible willingness
to obey present duty. DUTY, then, 1,
the s,sb1fnsest Word IN our language
Do your duty in all things like the
oil IL,
y0u should never wish to do less,
Never let me or your mother wear
one grey hair for any lack of duty on
your part" ei's ss.H 80
It il always pleasant to know that
good seed has not fallen upon barren
places. The young man to whom
this beautiful letter was addressed,
and who has succeeded his father as
President of Washington College at
Lexington, is, consensu On,aiuRa, one
Ofthe most promising and exemplary
men that Virginia now contains.
Within the limits at our command,
It would be impossible to rehearse
the leading passages of Lees military
career, or to review aualytically the
constituent elements and character
istics oflhis genius as soldier. That
he possessed many of the natural
aptitudes which go to make up the
sum OF great captain, became abun-
dainty evident during the Mexican
War of 1916. Many of his comrades
in the only two wars wherein Lee
ever took part. were of opinion that
If he had held supreme command
when in his fortieth year, he would
have exhibited greater qualities than
he possessed when called upon at the
age of fifty-four to guide the military
destinies of the Southern States.
Those who believe that in every field
ally supplies what are called "heaven-
born" prodigies, cannot pretend that
General Lee belonged to this rare, if
not hypothetical, class of beings. He
was above all things a painstaking,
and scientific soldier.
By constitution he was rigid causa-
ZIONIST, and knew as well as NapO-
leon that great ends are unattainab!e
until the means which produce them
have been summoned into existence.
Mr.. Cooke tells us that his hero hav-
ing thrown up his commission in the
United States army, found, upon
to Richmond in April 1861,
that the South was utterly destitute
of the munitions of war essential to
her protection: Tia -rrea-F rtf !
"AIl," he says, chad to be organized
and put at once into operatiOn--the
,cOmmissary, ordnance,
and other departments. Transporta-
ton, supplies, arms, ammunition
all had to be collected Immediately.
The material existed, or could be
supplied, as the sequel clearly show
ed; but as yet there was almost
And it was chiefly to the
work Oforganizing these departments
that General Lee and the Military
addressed themselves with
the utmost energy. The result was,
that Virginia found herself very soon
in condition to offer a determined
The troops at various
camps of instruction were sent to the
field, others took their places, and
the work of drilling the raw material
into soldiers went rapidly on; sup
plies were collected, transportation
found, workshops for the construction
of arms and ammunition sprung up;
small arms, cannon, cartridges, fixed
and other ammunition were pro.
duced and i'm a time which now
seems Inadequate for such a result,
the Commonwealth of Virginia was
ready to take the field against the
Federal Government"
We hazard little in saying that to
this end no one contributed SO power
fully as General Lee. He was the
first to laugh his cOuntrymen out of
their QuixOtic notion that discipline
was of little or no value, and To teach
them that an armed mob full of
courage 4nd enthusiasm was not an
army. He induced many hundreds
of men whom the South poured into
Virginia to submit patiently to daily
drill, and TO put their faith in the
camps of instruction, which owed
their existence to him. His resource,
and inventiveness were
and while inspiring
other men, he allowed them to Ie-
ceive all the credit which they claim
ed for their activity. If MIR. Jefferson
Davis had not found in 1861 such a
right hand in Virginia AS General
Lee, it is more than doubtful whether
the battle of Bull Run could ever
have been fought. .y
General Joe Johnston was severely
at the battle of SevenPines.
Upon the 9Th of June, Lee assumed
command of the Confederate Army
of Northern Virginia. From that
day forward until the 9th of April,
1865, his life became a term conyerti-
BILE or synonymous with the history
for thirly-four months of the North
American Continent. Upon both
sides, armies of immense magnitude
fill the eye of the reader, while gem
erals succeed to generals, strut their
hour upon the stage, and then are
seen no more. But the American
War, as it recedes further and further
into the distance, is seen to have de-
rived its shape and form from Gener-
al Lee more than from any other in
iiyidual who fought tupon either side.
1t would be difficult to speak or
think of the history of Europe be-
tween 1900 and 1915 without having the
tongue and brain occupied exclusive
ly BY Napoleon. Similarly, the name
Of General Lee has blotted out in
North America all recollection of
those by whom he was supported or
opposed. 1t is very possible that II,
at the end of 1862, StOnewall Jack
SON had been transferred to the. COM
mand of that Western Confederate
Army which, under Bragg, Joe
Johnston, or Hood, became familiar
with nothing but disaster, Lees fame
might have been shared or diminish-
ed by that of another Virginia Iu-
minary. But impartial history will
Drnnollnce that il is more