The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-06-15

the token of the undiminishea affection of
bis beloved State. And employment was
not the less grateful to one who had never
known idleness during long lifetime, ex-
cept in the enjoyment of q hard. earned
holiday. He took up his post at Lexington,
therefore, on October 1st, and devoted him
self to his new studies with not the less as
them somewhat a physical trial to man
OF his active habits. The appointment was
just one in all respects, as we'll as Gre
ditable one. From far over the Southern
States parents sent their sons to be trained
under the once renowned commander,
known as his military greatness. And the
College, which had sunk into nothingness
during the war, and re-cpened in 1865 with
but few of its old inmates, boosted i've
hundred students before his death i've
years later. Some of these, too, came from
far Northern States, where very early In
the days of recooquered peace, there was
not wanting men DESTROYS to do all that in
them Lay to bury the remembrance of civil
strife in oblivion.
Here then, engrossed chiefly by the stea-
dy performance of his daily duties, and in
no society but that of his pupils and his
neighbors in the country town, the rest of
that great life was spent, varied sometimes
by visits to Washington, where he was sever
al times summoned to give evidence on the
state and feeling of the South, over the hard
fate of which he never outwardiy COM
planned, though it's sorrows were wearing
his heart away. Public cares never pre-
vented his attention to his Callege labors,
nor to the local municipal affairs in which
every American citizen of mark is expected
to take an interest He became scarcely
less popular henceforward with the students
than with his soldiers in the days OF fame;
whilst the residents around reverenced his
laos for ont han in, IN
States adversity than for his heroic defence
of her independence. The very children
learnt to recognise as friend the general
who had led their fathers to victory, and
went out of their way to seek the grave,
kindly smile which had won their simple
hearts.
Two objects only Lee seemed to have left
during these years of retirement the one,
to lead his countrymen back to the Union.
against which he had fought with such terri
BILE effect; the other, to make of those under
his charge men who would grow up to
offered us by Mr.. Cooke and other Virgin
ian writer's, one or two will suffice to illus
trate the spirit of his lite.
"This is one of our old soldiers who is il
necessity were his words to a friend who
discovered him in the act of relieving
broken-down WAGERING me5 III, and sin adding
the other side, }" he added in whisper; 'but
we must not think of that" To lady
one of the many widowed in the war-who
ON bringing her sons to the college, burst
out into a strain of bitterness against the
North, he said, with gentleness which
gave the more force to his rebuke: "Ma-
tility to the Government of the United
States. Remember we are one country
now. Pray dismiss from your mind all Sec
tional feeling, and bring them up to be, above
all, Americans" And all this was whilst
his own feelings as to the original acs by
which he broke with the Union remained
unaltered. For when asked directly by
the Reconstruction Committee, what are
your own personal views ON the question
of tile original Act of Secession Z" he
replied unhesitatingly -" 1t was my view
that the act of Virginia in withdrawing
along with it as n citizen of Virginia, and
| that her laws and acts were binding on
me-" The past tense here being plainly
employed to signify, what he constantly
| expressed in private, that the arbitrament
! of the sword to which the seeding States
rights claimed by them before the war,
without affecting their original legitimacy.
Pages of anecdotes might here be gath
cred to illustrate his care for his other
main object, the welfare of his students.
| That this took a deeply religion form will
surprise no one who knows that during the
war he had never ceased the regular use of
the well-worn pocket bible which had
been his constant companion before it,,
and which still bore the name "R. E. Lee,
| Lt-Colonel, U. 5. Army" In his compar
alive retirement, and meditating constant
ly over the sorrows of his country, which
he had little power to heal, it was most ma
tural that this spiritual side of his charac-
ter should become more plainly developed.
He held to the Episcopal Church in which
he had been brought up, but never showed
any trace of that sectarian feeling which
is almost as much a reproach to American
Christianity as to that of our own country {:
and when once pressed by forward in
quirer for his opinion upon Apostolical
Succession, he expressed his simple faith in
the words: az have not cared to think of
these things; have aimed to be Christ
ian. " OF his limited income large part
was regularly devoted privately to charity.
And his feelings for his students were ex-
pressed to one who congratulated hin, on
the high state the College had attained uu-
der him, in words expressed with all the
ea,nestness of the hearts nearest wish " 1
| -