Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1875-05-04
AN uNpUBL1sHED LETTER.


mortal Association, we copy the following ex-
tracts
AN UNPUBLISHED LETTER.
And here am permitted, by the kindness
of a friend. to read some extracts from let.
ter of the illustrious 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 to be his duty.
doubt not-nay, kuow-that many a gal.
liant gentleman who fought beside him, and
many another in the opposing host, grieved,
with as deep grief as Lee. to draw his sword
The letter that speak of bears the date of
January l6 1861, aud was written from Fort
Mason, near San Antonio, in Texas. It was
addressed to young lady, relative of his,
for whom he had great affection, and the pas,
sages of which | speak were written as mes
sage to her father. Abiding to the homes of
two families of friends he said
''l think of the occupants of both very
often, and hope some day to see them again
may have the opportunity soon, for if the
Union is dissolved shall return to Virginia
to share the fortune of my people. But be-
fore so great calamity befalls the country l
hope all honorable means of maintaining the
constitution aud the equal rights of the people
will be first exhausted. Tell your father he
must not allow Maryland to be tackled on to
South Carolina before the just demands of the
South have been fairly presented TO the North
and rejected Then, ii the rights guaranteed
by the constitution are denied us, and the
citizens of one portion of the country are
granted privileges not extended to the other,
we can, with clear conscience. separate 1
am for maintaining all our rights, not for
abandoning all for the sake of one. Our
rSolk 60 H. i
abroad, our lands, navy, forts, dockyards,
arsenals and institutions of every kind. tt
will result in war know, fierce, bloody war
But so will secession, for it is revolution and
war at last. and cannot be otherwise and we
might as well look at it in its true character
There is a long message, A., for your
father, and grave one, which had not in
tended to put in my letter to YOU, bueit is a
subject on which my serious thoughts often
turn, for as an American citizen prize my
government and country highly. and there is
no sacrifice | am not willing to make for their
preservation, save that of honor trust
there is wisdom and patriotism enough in the
country to save them, for l cannot anticipate
SO great calamity to the nation as the dis
solution of the Uuion."
Alas alas =! that the hand which wrote
those touching, anxious words. was not near
enough to the helm to avert the shipwreck
Alas alas ! that no voice should have been
lifted in the land potent enough TO bid the
whirlwind stay Who lacked the wisdom
who lacked the patriotism-which Lee in
vOked, it is not for me. in this place at least,
to say. II they existed. they were dumb aud
helpless and the whirlwind came. But I
have read enough to you to show the stuff of
which some men were made whom they call
"rebels"-enoush to show tha. they who
fought, at last, against the Union, we're not
always they who loved it least, or would least
willingly have died to save it. CApplausc. I
MARYLAND's LOVE OF LEE
have spoken, ladies aud gentlemen. of our
hero's character and lite as they attract the ad-
miration of mapkind-of the qualities which
enemies and friends may venerate alike. 1t
would be unmanly affection in me to pretend
that, here in Maryland. We loved him aud re-
member him chiefly for these. We are proud
OF the great name-as proud as auy-hrt the
household word is deaser far to us. Ap>
plause His story and his memory are linked
with all the hopes and triumphs. the exulta>
ton aud despair which made a century of
those -four bitter, bloody. torturing years. He
was to US the incarnation of his cause-of
what was noblest in it, and knightlicst, and
best. TApplause
Whatever of perplexity beset his path be-
fore he chose it, he knew no doubts when it
was chosen. He followed where it led him,
knowing no step backward. Along it, through
victory and defeat, our sympathies aud prayers
went with him. Around him gathered the
fresh, valiant manhood of our State, and many
brave young heart that ceased to beat beside
him, drew him but closer to the bleeding
hearts in all our saddened homes These are
the ties that bind him to US. Applsuse l.
These are the memories that troop around us
here toni ght-not of the far off hero, be-
longing to the world aud history-but memo
ries Of our hero-ours-the man that wore
the gray. Not in the valley where he sleeps,
not among the fields he made immortal. lives
he or will he live, in fonder recollection
than where Calvert planted freedom.
''ADd far and near, through vale and hill,
Are faces that attest tile same
The proud heart flashing through the eyes
At sound of his loved name"
And when they tell us, as they do, those
wiser, better brethren of ours-and tell the
world, to make it history-that this, our
Southern civilization, is half barbarism, We
may be pardoned If we answer: Behold its
product and its representative "Of thorns
men do not gather figs, nor of bramble- bush
gather they grapes" Here is Robert Lee
show us his fellow! lGreat and prolonged
applause
TIE OLD suowMEN The following tel>
egrams are published in the Northern papers
Bridgeport. Conn April Z, 1875.
To John Robinson. Cincinnati. Ohio: We
have met the enemy, and they are ours.
P. T. BARNUM,