The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-04-18
General Lee Aspersed.

General Lee Aspersed.
The northern people have yet to learn a
rood MANY lessons from the southern. Ihat
kind OF patriotism which Mr.. BAaEHor nap
pily designated as territorial sectaraah,
ssn" prevails throughout New England
and In Pennsylvania. The stupid pFe!"-
diees imbibed from ignorant associates are
d;saraceful to our Yankee cousins. the So
called "libcral'' journals are rs blind rs Inc
rest whenever the subject OF the ia'e wa,
comes up. Read as specimen OF Iuo'cr"
/, blindness what journal which sehef"'''
takes wide view OF public ques''ohs n'''
degraded itself by saying OF General iHf''
We mean the Philadelphia Telegraph.
ufArlinrton) did belong to the wlie OF
co,araI Robert l.. Lee. the worst because
~. ,,,nSt formidable rebel Of them all. lie
mas moi only rebel, but he was taltot,
for he was educated in the mliltar! service
=. West Point. and at the expense OF the
country: he was educated, fed, ana c'oInGo
nv his country, and by the solemnest oaths
of fealty and by every sense OF nonor ne
was bound to loyalty 10 her, but oisrega[o-
inc gratitude, honor. and oaths alike. ne
hrow his sword to destroy her-labored
with all the knowledge and skill she had
given him 10 destroy her. lie was living
With his wife at Arlington when the
wor broke out, and il was there ne put
nm his sword when he went out TO help IN
her destruction. The property was IN every
sense, except n technical one, his own, anu
II became subsequently technically ms son :.
This son C. w. Gusts Leel. VINO also WAS
rebel. serving under high rank in the reDel
army. doing what he could TO destroy tue
nation, now comes in and claims TINS es'"ee
OF Arlington
Now it is the duty of the southern press
to enlightea the minds OF northern men
whose silly preiudices lead them INTO the
EXPRESSION of such language as the above.
First, General LEE was "educated' leo'
and clothed" at the expense OF virginia
not OF the United States. His state haa
always paid more than her due snare TO-
wards the support of the West Point Acao-
emy. He honesty, conscientlousiy, reh-
eiously held that his allegiance was due 10
her rather than to the Government "hlch
would never have existed but for her Sacrl-
fees. He did his duty as Christian ana
as patriot when he chose rather TO Suher
affection with his people than 10 initiate
THOMAS, SCOTT. and other "traitorS.' Ii
he had been mercenary, or seif-sceklng, or
a traitor" he would have remained on the
strong side. II he had been governed Dv
any other motive than sense OF duty ne
would never have LETT the old army nor Ar
lincton. General SCoTT knew him as the
ablest soldier in the country, and he had
only TO accept the post to have had the
command OF all the armies OF the United
States. The pretence that his education
was not fully paid for BY his State could
only originate in 4 contracted mind.
The "oaths of fealty" spoken OF were
inst such oaths as every officer takes. When
he took them, it was with the understands
ing that they meant nothing inconsistent
with the duty he owed to bis native State.
Mr.. HAYES years ago took the oath to sup
port the Constitution OF the United States =
meaning, OF course, Just as it stood when
he took the oath. Yet he has seen it altered;
and recently, disregarding his solemn
oath" of 1860 to support the then Constitu-
ton, he took another oath to support an
other and different instrument. Every
officer in Pennsylvania some years ago
took a "solemn oath" to support the
Constitution OF that State. 4 few years
later every one Of the same officers took
an oath to support an entirely different
Constitution. They forswore themselves,
accordiug to the logic Of the Telegraph,
and are .sperjured traitors" because they
thus swore one year to support certain
Constitution, and the next year that they
wouldn't. 1t is baby-talk" to charge men
with perjury under such circumstances.
There is not man in the United States
who held Office both before and after the
war who has not been guilty OF perjury il
the Tetegraph's idea Of it be the true one.
But it is not the true one. Mr.. HAYES
swore in 1860 to support the Constitution
of the United States, but he well under
stood that it might be changed, or that he
might afterwards conclude to transfer his
allegiance to another country, or that new
Constitution might be adopted. General
LEE did likewise. His oaths were all taken
with the full understanding OH his part that
bis first allegiance was due to Virginia.
If the northern people wish to know
what their own grandchildren will think OF
this twaddle about perjury, &c. let them
ascertain what the people, OF France, Ger
many, and England now think Of it-peo-
; pie who are separated from them by dis.
lance as their grandchildren will be by
time. -,