Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1875-04-16
Gen. Robert Z. Lee.

| A brilliant assemblage Of citizens Of Balu-
more assisted Saturday night last al the
| Academy Of Music in aid OF the fund of the
Lee Memorial Association, and it is under
stood over two thousand dollars were re-
allied. Mr. Valentine, the sculptor Of Rich
mond, Va, has completed the design for the
memorial statue which is a recumbent sleep
ing figure Of General Lee on camp couch,
over marble sarcophagus. The memorial
and the remains of General Lee are to be
placed in suitable building to be erected on
ground given by The Washington and Lee
University at Lexington, Va, near the spot
where he died.
The great event of the evening was The adj
mrable and thoughtful address Of Mr.. S.
Tackle Wallis, whose eloquence on the sub
iect this evening has never been surpassed by
any previous effort.
We regret that our limited space precludes
the publication Of the able and eloquent adj
dress, and we must content ourselves with The
following extract which will be read with in
terest:
| And here / am permitted, by the kindness
of a friend, to read some extracts from letter
of the illustrous soldier, which has never seen
the light before, and which will show through
what sad struggles Of both heart and mind he
| passed to what he felt 10 be his duty. doubt
rnot--nay, know-that many gallant gen
tleman who fought beside him, and many
another in the opposing host, grieyed, with
as deep a grief as Lee, 10 draw his sword.
The letter that | speak of bears the date of
| January l6, 1861, and was written from Fort
| Mason, near San Antonio, Texas. 1t was ad
dressed 10 young lady, relative Of his, for
whom he had great affection, and the passages
Of which speak were written as a message to
her father Abiding to the homes OF two
families Of friends he said
~ think of the c1pants Of both very often,
and hope some day TO see them again. ! may
have the opportunity soon, for il the Union is
dissolved | shall return to Virginia to share
| the fortune of my people. But before so great
IA calamity befalls the country hope all hon
| orabe means of maintaining the constitution
and the equal rights Of the people will be first
exhausted. Tell your father he must not al
| low Maryland TO be tackled on to South Caro-
lima before the just demands OF the South have
been fairly presented 10 the North, and reject
ed. Then, if the rights guaranteed by the
constitution are denied us, aud the citizens of
one portion Of the country granted privi-
/ leges not extended to the other we can, with
clear conscience, separate. ! AIN for main
i tanning all our rights not for abandoning all
| for the sake Of one. Our national righ,s, lib-
| erty at home and security abroad, our lands,
1 navy, forts, dockyards. arsenals and institu-
! tons of every kind. 1t will result in war
! know, fierce bloody. war. But so will seces-
sion, for it is revolution and war at last and
cannot be otherwise, and we might as well
! look at il in its true character. There is a
/ long message, A.. for your father, and a
| very grave one, which ! bad not intended 10
/ put in my letter TO you, but it is subject on
which my serious thoughts often turn, for rs
an American citizen ! prize my government
and country highly, and there is no sacrifice
/ am not willing to make for their preserva-
ton, save that ofhonor. trust there is wis
dom and patriotism enough in the country 10
| save them, for cannot anticipate so great a
calamity to the nation as the dissolution OF
the Union"
las alas that the hand which wrote
those touching, anxious words was not near
enough 10 the helm TO avert the shipwreck !
Alas alas that no voice should have been
lifted 10 the land potent enough to bid the
whirlwind stav Who lacked the wisdom
who lacked the patriotism--which Lee in
| voked, il is not for me, in this place at least
to say. If they existed, they were dumb aud
helpless, and the whirlwtnd came. But |
have read enough to you to show the stuff OF
which some men were made whom they call
"rebels enough to show that they who
fought, at last, against the Union, were not
always they who loved il least or would least
willingly have died TO save it. [Applause. ]