The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1872-02-08
Robert E. Lee.

4 wane1ons felt among the admirers O.
the lameated leader of the Confederate ar
mics has lust been supplied by a "Populal
life of Gen. Robert. Z. Lee" by Emily '
Mason, of Virginia. Of his life in the field
his noblenIodesty in victory, and his calm
unmurmhring conduct in defeat, the world
knows, ySo much Of his Roman virtues as
lifted him above all the men of the age in
nublic life the world knows by heart. Con.
sequently cold history of his campaigns
was not wsatsd., Were were already supplied
wartet Stories Of his inner life, Of his
domestic Writes. This VIC have in the little
volume before US.
Gone such example is worth more to me
Than the stained triumphs Of ten thousand
Caesars"
His Social life is grand Sermon
Though Henry Ward Beecher may hold up
his hands in holy awe of the great rebel,
exclaiming, II am heller than thou" yet
all the sermons he ever preached arc dust
compared Elth ,thevalue of Lees example to
the ,oung men of the country!
Whep he was eleven years ofagc his father
-:.Lighthorse Harry'-died. From one OF
his fan,lY who knew him best, we are told
tiat from his excellent mother, he learned.
ut this,ea4ay age, to practice self-denial, self
control. a,YsllI as the strictest economy IN
all financial concerns-virtucs which he re-
tained throughout his life. This mother
was a great invalid; one of his sister was deli
cite, and many years absent in Philadelphia
under care of physicians; the oldest son, Car
ter wss arC Canibride; Sidney Smith in the
navy; and the other sister too young to be
oemuch aid in household matters. So Rob
crt was the housckcepcr, carried thc keys
attended to the marketing, managed all the
out, door business, and took care of his moth
c-'s horses. At the hour when the other
.hool .hdysswcut to play. he hurried home
to order his mpther's drive, and would then
be seen CARRYING her in his arms to the car
riasc aud arranging her cushions with the
n.lcness Of an experienced nurse. One
OF his relatives still lives who was often the
c,mpanior bf these drives. She tells Of the
exertions he would make on these occasions
entertain and amusc his mother; assuring
her. with thegrarity of an old man, that
unless she was cheerful the drives would MT
bcncfit,her. When she complained OF cold
or drafts" he would pull from his pocket
great jack-knife and newspaper and make
her laugh atIhis efforts to improvise curtains
and shut out the intrusive wind which
whstled through the crcviccs Of the old
f.n,ily coaahE t.irl
When .hcdeit to 90 to West Point, his
mother was heard to say, "l[ow can-l live
without Robert? lie is both son and daugh-
ter to mc..tss.I
Years after, when he came home from
West Point, lie found one Of the chief ac-
tors in his childhood's drama-his mother
old coachman, "Nat,"-ill and threatened
with consumption. He immediately took
him tS the; rnilder climate of Georgia,
nursed him with the tenderness of a son, and
secured him tue best medical advice. But
the spring time saw the faithful old servant
laid in the grave, by the hands Of his kind
young nlasteS
We find in this book a complete presen-
tation of his inner life. in tent aud the field.
We learn from his character in >lcXico how
well.foundcd Vas Gen. Scots opinion that
"Lec is the greatest military genius of the
age" And what a volume is contained in |
the treatment he received at the hands Of
friend and foe after the fatal day of Apo
matox 2 Indeed, it seems that he. not Grant.
WAS the victor Confederate and Federal
soldiers alike pressed around him, saying,
God bless you! God bless you We think
none the less you for surrendering! God
bless you, for great and good man."
Homes were offered him in this country
and Europe. All these he refused, prefer
ring to remain, and set an example of sub
lime c5hAge ia defeat to his countrymen.
Mr. George Hong; of England in note to
tn, secopls edition of his translation of the
"rhoughes Of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius
Antoninus;" after aisclaiming a dedication
inserted without his knowledge in the
Americans reprint, says: II have never
dedicated a,book to any man, and if dcdi-
Gated Ei,1eshoald choose the man whose
name seemed to me most worthy to be join
ell to that of the Roman soldier aid philoso-
pier Iimght dedicate the book to the
slccessfulg general who is now President ofthe
United State. with the hope that his integ
rity and justice. will restore peace and happi-
hess, so hsSas he can, to those unhappy
States which have suffered so much from
the war, and the unrelenting hostility of
wicked mi bnt ps the Roman poet said,
.yictrix cssss ais placuit, sed victa Cation
eff I aeaieated this little volume to any
one. I w91ld dedicate to him who led the
Confedera aafmies against the powerful in
rader, an gsdeed from the unequal contest
defeated H not dishonored; to the noble
Virginia Soldier, whose talents and virtues
place hin bys stheside Of the best and wisest
man whosatupon the throne Of the imperial
One of the ministers of Elmira, N. Y, was
having a,denation party the other evening,