The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1873-06-18

lilly every pledge given at every staca
If the war, on which virtually the Con.
'ederates had surrendered, has bean
readers know. Thu
Republican party clamored for a Viz.
alton Of the military capitulations, 70,
the general who had spared in war fl
punish murder by reprisals and deyas.
tation by acquisitions. General Grant
It is his one title to honor, put down
this demand with a high hand. Bnt
he allowed the Southern people to bs
wronged, oppressed, insulted, pillaged
by negro voters and Northern advep.
turers, as never nation was oppressed
and pillaged before. Perhaps tillzaa
became President he had little powe,
to prevent it; at all events, he did not
try. Lee saw all this, and yet, witha
breaking heart, exerted himself to keen
his people quiet. He had lost fortune
and home in the war, by pillage and
wanton destruction; he was prescribed.
he declined to draw vengeance on his
State by taking open part in her poI.
tics; tue commander in chief of ma.
tional army condescended to the con.
troll of a military school, and to a lih
of silence and obscurity. Bnt all South.
ern eyes were fixed on him, and his in.
fuence was used to keep them calm
and patient, and to re-attach them to
the Union which had conquered and
was crushing them. Even while their
wrongs and miseries were wearing on,
his life he checked every utterance Of
resentment, every expression Of bona
for a future delivanee, "We are all
Americans now" He would allow no
toasts to the Lost Cause, no honors to
the Fallen Banner. He bore his bur
den with simple, unaffected, patient
heroism. Other men may have an.
preached him in war and in achieve.
ment; none capable of deeds like his
ever rivaled him in endurance and sub.
mission under hopeless defeat. A Cato
would have fallen or. his sword; Bru.
tus might have conspired; Hannibal
endured only infthe hope Of revenge
and retrieval. But General Lee not
only endured, but submitted, and that
without suffering his country to enter.
tain even the wish to renew the strur.
gle. He had to endure for some weary
years, and then the release came. The
overwrought nerves suddenly gave
way; he sank at once from perfect self.
possession and apparent health into
collapse and speechlessness, and died
as literally "of a broken heart" as ever
did despairing or defeated soldier
more truely far than most "broken
hearted" victims OF private grief. 50
he passed away from the countryhs
could neither save by his sword NOT
restore to happiness by bis counseh,
! but which he had crowned with gloy
IN war, and rescued in defeat from use.
less struggles and deeper misery. Hs
has left behind him no rival in hst
love, no object Of equal pride and rev.
erence. Nor is his fame confined to
the South. Wherever the English
tongue is spoken his name is revered
and honored, name to which history
furnishes few equals in military re.
nown, none in moral grandeur; The
name of one who realized in actual Life
tire dreams Of ideal chivalry; SO great
in victory that none ever surpassed, 50
much greater in defeat that none ever
{ approached him; the patriot withouta
l thought of self, the hero without
l shade of affectation or display; the man
! who would neither despair Of his coun'
t try nor conspire against her conquer
ers; ideal soldier and perfect citizen
Christian without pretertion, and 8
gentleman without flaw.
Hollow HoRN.-There rs no such
u disease "a tthnllnw hnrnn or Mtail all