Bismarck tri-weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1875-1881, 1877-11-26
LINCOLN And LIE.

SAO OV-O
nand of the United Etates Army.
L. 3. Msgruder in PhiladsIphis Times.
In 186S-seversl ysars after the war
"a Senator in Congress had the temer-
ity to make the charge fthat Gen. Lee
bad applied to President Lincsln for
the command Of the Fede.sl army des~
tined to invade and suedue tthe South
ern States, and that being refused, from
pious and resentment he turned and
offered bis sword ia aid Of the South
ern cause, snd thus was raised to the
chief command Of the rebsl forces. On
the instant Mr.. Rsverdy Johnson, of
Maryland, himself 4 Union maa, de-
nsuRcei the statement as untrue, say
ing that although he lad not the au-
thoTity of the accused to deny it, Gen.
Lees lofty character AID unstsiaed
hsaor alone sufice5. to repeI the
charges. This furnished the OCCASION
for Gen. Lee to give, through Ir. John
son, not alone the conclusive proof OF
the jncorrectness Of the charge, out
the clear evidence that he had himself
declined, from stern sense OF dCsy
and honor, the very prefsrznent whic:.
he was falsely accused OF coyetiag,
None can tell the extraordinary story
in better terms than Gen. Lee hiz--aIf,
IS contained in the following noa2st
end Characteristic letter addressed ay
him Ct the time to Reverdv Johnson,
who was net long before his death
announced to the contributor its entire
authenticity:
"LEx1SGroH, Va, Feb. 25, 1865
Hon. Reverdy Johnston, United States
Senate, Wsshington,-NY DEAR SIR:
Ny attention has been called to the Of
fetal report Of the debate in the Sssato
Of the United States of the 10th inst,
in which ysu did me the kindBess to
doubt the correctness of the statement
made by Simon Cameron in regard to
syself. l desire that ysu nay feel cer-
tain Of ny conduct on the occasion
referred te, 30 far as ny individual
statement oaa make you so. never
iatimated to any Que that desired the
connand of the United States army,
nor did ever have conversation but
with enc featlsnsn (Hr- Francis Pres
ten Blair) on the subjsct, which was at
his invitation, asd, IS understood, at
the instance Of Preside.t Lincoln.
After listening to his remarks de-
cliasd the sffer he made ms to take
csnsssd Of the army that was to be
brought into the field, stating IS can
diIlT nnd courtsousIJ Is could, that
though opposed to secession and dep
recatins war, csrid take DO part in
a invasion Of tis Southern States
vest directly frsR tho interview with
hr. Blair to the sfios Of Gen. Scott,
sad ted him Of the proposition that
had been made to me aad Ey decision.
Epsn reascties, after returning TO my
home, I Concluded that l ought no long
or to retain the conaission l held IN
the Usited States Army, sHd es the
second moraing thereafter forwarded
nv resignation to Gen. Scott 1t the
time hoped that peace would have
been preserved, that some way would
have been found to savs the couatry
fren the calamities Of war, and | then
had NO other intentioa than to pass
the remainder of my life ss private
citizen. Two days aftcrward upon the
invitation Of the Governor ofVIrginia,
[ repaired to Richmond, found the
then in session ard passed
the ordinance Withdrawing the State
fres, the Union. and accepted tbs COM
mission of comnaude: Of It's fsTces,
which was rendered me. These are the
simple facts Of the case, and they show
that Mr Cameron has been misiaform-
I'd Your obedIen: servant.
r. E, LEE.