The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-02-20
ARLINGTON ESTATE.
To he Editor Of the State Journal.


1t seems you misunderstood the tenor of what
wrote about Mrs. Lee and Arlington, and con-
sequently placed me in partially false position
You have recently spoken fayorably of woman
suffrage, and the case of Mrs. Lee seemed to fur
nish an illustration in point 1t appeared to me
that Congress was about to take such action in
this case as it would not have taken had the petit
toner been of the other sex; hence, that these
circumstances furnished n strong example of the
ACCESSIBILITY of giving women the right to exer-
else their opinions men do and then they
would be held to the same accountability.
But you overlook my deduction and take me
up for opposing the claim of Mrs. Lee. Since
you have done this, and speaking with more
knowledge than had, seem TO correct me, de-
sire to ask few questions on the topic you have
brought into prominence partly for my own en-
lightment and partly because / have no doubt
some of your readers much in the dark as
am and would like well to be enlightened.
Has the government valid title to the pro-
perty / have understood that it has. Now, in
the discussion of the question of the return of
the property to Mrs. Lee, this is pertinent
question. know that a large part of your read
ers think that the government satisfied itself on
| this point beiorethe nations dead We're buried
| there. Sensible men would hardly do other
| wise.
Is this $s00,o0 a fair price for the property
| There are those who know something about real
| estate values, who not members of the Re-
publican party nor generally counted among the
| ''loyal" either, but who help pay the income tax
notwithstanding, who think this sum is more
| than the property is worth. We are not rich
enough Just now to be generous. You know the
| maxim Generosity iniiiots injury on some one.
| Did this property belong 10 her, or did it, by
| the laws of Virginia, belong to her husband +?
| You speak of making her an exception to tho
| general lue. Is Davis Mississippi plantation
returned to him, and If not, has he ever de-
| manded its return or petitioned for pay7 No. ]
| would not make an exception, either for or
| against Mrs. Lee. / would let her stand just
| as others stand. 1 do not remember that 9TH
| ers of her class have petitioned to the Senate
| of the United States for their property. l do
remember that another woman did ask Con-
gress for pay for her property and was refused.
| / do know that Congress has made special pro-
visions for reimbursing loyalists of the South for
| the property taken from them during the war
| loyaists, to the exclusion of those of opposite
| opinion--;lnd Congress has bound up
with conditions these provisions that a suspicion
of laid and comfort to the Conf ederacy will
defeat all claim The hunted and exiled loyalst
who, at midnight, was taken from his bed by the
home-guard and forced into the Confederate
ranks sent to Castle Thunder, and who, to es-
cape bearing arms against the old flag, put sub
stitute in his place, would find it very difficult tc
conyice that Commission sitting in Washington
on the question of his reimbursement, that he
had not SO far given aid and comfort TO the enc
mics of the government as TO deprive him OF thu
right TO receive pay for his property. He is ne
titled aristocrat, and his petition to Congress
| would bear little weight beside that of the widow
| of the commander of the Confederate armies
man who whatever he was or hao
in 1860, either in education, wealth, Oh
position, he owed to the government of the Uni
ted States, which had lavished favors on him and
his ancestry, educated him in her military
school, and given him a high place in her army
1t will be difficult to convince the loyasts Of the
Valley, who had their barns burned and proper
ty destroyed by Hunter and Sheridan, that
special exception is not being made against then
and in favor of those less deserving, if Mrs. Lee
is paid for Arlington and they refused pay
for their property and there are ten Thousand
others, all through the South, holding the same
will see clearly that by right and equal justice
they must be paid also.
/ am not in favor of Draconian law for the
poor and untitled, and in favor of special knight
errantry for another because, perchance, she is
woman and a widow of a man who stood high II
the annals of rebellion A. nj. @.
1t may be possible that we overlooked ,
deduction in our brief note to "a. M
CPS" former communication. In the clea
sky of newspaper fame, the EDITORS QUAR-.
are the birds that fly, not the feathers tina
may accidentally slip from their wings
Our habit is to hunt for .facts, not to fisl
for deductions and this habit, grow
. upon us, must be our apology for the over
sight to which our attention is called.
But we offer no apology for departing
as we do in this instance, from uniform
and, at the same time, wholesome journal
istic rule, which is, not to engage in an
discussion of facts or principles outside c
our immediate contemporaries of the press
unless the subject be one Of paramount in
terest to our readers generally, and not
mere passing item of news, in reference t
which we may have expressed an opinio
as it fitted through our columns. We pre-
| sumo our correspondent desires no other Q
greater information on this subject tina
2 what his several interrogatories call fol
and, presuming this, we answer him az
cordingly.
: And, first, has the government vail
title to the Arlington property ? Our an
swer is, we have no doubt it has a vail
tar title, although we have never examine
the record to see. We only know the fact
t II TACT it be, from general newspaper state
ment and rumor. But tax-title AWAY
has an ugly looking tail to it in the shap
of an equity Of redemption, which, as "
} understand it, expired in Mrs. Lees cas-
t while the action Of the government mad
! her, or at least treated her, as a
} alien enemy,-as one not entitle
t to such equity. For, if our recollectio