Middletown transcript., 1873-08-30

No one can sec this much. suffering lady
and hear her accounts Of her old home and
not feel convinced that on the day our
Government shall have rcmunerated the
mistress Of Arlington for its loss and made
that settlement with her which is esteemed
just AMI legal by all who fully understand
the circumstances Of her absolute owner
ship Of the estate, it will add TO its repu,e
for just aud honorable dealing
From Mrs. Lee herself il was definitely
ascortaired tha, not only was Arlington
her unqualified b-qucst from her father.
but that General Lee nercr participated in
any way in its ownership or control, always
refusing (from scrup'c. no, uufrequcn,
with gentlemen in regard to wives estai.s)
to arb.trate IN important matters relating
to il, and from the termination Of the war
TO the date Of his death he constantly
avoided nny authority, control. right. or
Independence relative TO the estate. and re.
fused to act concerning il in any way.
When Mrs. Lees father died he made
in his will nm obligation that all the slaves
belonging to the estate should bc set free
after the expiration Of fvo years. The
time Of their manumission came on in 1863
and right in the very height Of the war.
General Robert h Lee, as the executor Of
the will. summoned these slaves together
at convenient point within his lines, and
gave them free papers and passes through
the Confederate lines TO 20 whittier they
would.
Concerning these two great aud impor-
tant facts we have reason 10 thitk the
community generally have not been quite
familiar. They certainly have mn impor-
tant bearing upon the case Mrs Ice
does not ask to have the estate restored IA
her. II has become n national cemetery
aud as such she prcsumes. with other cit
liens, it will ever remain but she does
expect n reasonable remuneration for the
ground
There are eleven hundred acres in all
and some two hundred acres Of the estate
are occupied as soldiers cemetery The
land at the time Of is literal occupation hy
tho Government could not have been worth
less than two hundred dollars per acre
Since that time its value, for various rca.
sons. has rapidly appreciated. At the time
Of its nominal purchase by the Govern.
mcnt for the faint-st sort Of song. under
the operation Of tax sale, there were
several Of Mrs. Lees friends ready to maxi
purchase for her nr to pay the taxes They
were not allowed nh opportunity 10 do
either. aud more serious in calling in qucs-
tion the validity OF the prcscu, title Of the
Government TO the land than even high
legal authority within the lines of the Gov
crnmeut itself.
Neither does Mrs Leo regard questions
as to the validity Of the title Mt MI settled
tn her mind her property had simply been
seized. coniiseatei in short. and without
the slightest remuneration being granted
to her. Injustice has been done. and She
believes a just and generous Government
sustained by an enlightened public opinion,
will repair the wrong.
The pure aud lofty womanhooi and the
true nature Of Mrs Lees character was
revealed in shc farther fact tha, she con
versed upon the whole matter without one
single expression or shade Of bitterness
Of tho President and bis administration
she spoke in the sinccrcs, terms Of respect,
and seemed entirely calm and pa,irn, in
the reflection that at the proper time the
right would prevail Like her great hns-
band. she recognizes no necessity for the
state Of things" tha, existed when the late
war commenced. and now she recognizes
no necessity for any other state Of thing.
than that Of profound peace. ami,y. aud
concord between the North aud the South