The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1877-12-11
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LINCOLN's OFFER TO LEE,

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LINCOLN's OFFER TO LEE,
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THE Offer to Gen. Lee of the Com
| ,mand Of, the United States, Army,
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Hon. Az MagruderI in the Philadelphia
| ,ergl $50 Times.)
In 1868-several years after the war
la Senator in Congress had the temeri-
ty TO make tie charge that Gen. Lee had
Iapplied to President Lincoln for the
command Of the Federal army destined
to invade and subdue the Southern
States, and that being refused. from pique
land resentment he turned and offered
his sword in aid of the Southern cause,
land thus was raised to the chief COM
|mand OF the rebel forces. On the instant,
Mr.. Reyerdy johnson, of Maryland,
himself q Union man, denounced the
statement as untrue, saying that although
he bad not authority of the accused to de.
lny it, Gen. Lees lofty character and IN
tstained honor alone sufficed to repel the
Icharge This furnished the occasion for
lGen. Lee to give, through Mr.. johnson,
not alone the conclusive proof of the in
correctness of the char ge,butthe clear ev-
idence that he had himself declined, from
a stern sense of duty and honor, the very
|preferment which he was falsely accused
Iof coyeting. g, None can tell the ,extraor-
ldinary story in better terms than Gen.
Lee himself, as contained in the follow
ling modest and characteristic letter adj
dressed by him at the time to the Hon.
Reverdy Johnson, who, not long before
his death, avouched to the contributor
Tits entire authenticity: aal7s7sV.'
= LEXINGTON, Va, February 25, 1868,
Hon. Reyerdy johnson, United States Senate,
M abingdon n snil.nN9 III Ia -1g..s,,r, ..--
Ilo MY DEARiSIR: Ny attention has been
called to the official report of the debate
in the Senate Of the Emitted States Of the
18th instant, in which you did me the
kindness to doubt the correctness of the
statement made by the Hon. Simon Cam
eron in regard to myself / desire that
lyon may feel certain Of my conduct on
the occasion referred TO, so far as my
individual statement can make you soa
| II never intimated toiany one that / de-
sired the command of the United States
army, nor did 4 ever have aconversation
but with one gentleman fME Francis
Preston Blair on the subject, which was
al his Invitation, and, as understood, al
the instance of President Lincoln. After
listening to his remarks, / declined the
lofer he made me to take command Of
the army that was to be brought into the
field, stating as candidly snd courteously
as could that, though opposed to se-
cession and deprecating the war, I could
take no part in an invasion of the South.
fern States
| I;FentaIFsyayf from the interviesssa
| Mr.. Blair 10 the Office Of Gen Scott, and
told him of the proposition that had
been made to me and my decision -
Upon rejection, after returning to my
home, / concluded that ought no Ion
ger to retain, the commission held in
the United States army, and on the sec-
ond morning thereafter / forwarded my
resignation to Gen Scott.
At the time hoped that peace would
have been preserved, that some way
would have been found TO save the coun
try from the calamities of war, and /
then had no other intention than to pass
the remainder OF nv life as a private
citizen. Two days afterward, upon the
invitation Of the Governor of Virginia,
l repaired to Richmond, found the Con-
vention then in session had passed the
ordinance Of withdrawing the State from
the Union, and accepted the icommissisn
Of eon@spder 9 q. q iss forces which which was
rendered me. e.sisaeas nssas, '
These are the simple facts Of the case,
and, they ,shovy;th Mr.. Cameron has
been misihformed. sfUur obedient SER
want, R. e. LEE.
~ ! fHE iNoIDENT coNFfRMED. -,
DR.. WIN. Jones. of the Southern His
torical Society, writes the following let-
ter :aLaB seef iAtnsa5i4sa Us "a sstefqa.
Asccnfrmstory of>the incident given
lby Hon. Allen B Magrnder,, allow me
to say that the letter which he gives
from Gen. Lee to Hon. Reverdy John.
son was found by me not long after
Gen. Lees, death in his private letter.
book, copied IN his ewn weA-kaoSn
|haAd.critins. BY the Kindness of the
family I was allowed to copy the letter
and publish it, in 1874, in my aPersonsl
"reminiscences, Anecdotes ard Letters
of Gen. B. E Lee" Opp. Al-2,) where
also gave the testimony of Mr., Mont
lgomery Blair and other proofs thatathe
lsupreme commasd ofthe EUnited States
army was offered Col Lee before be left
Washington.
| Il once heard Mrs. Lee speak freely ot
this event in the life of her husband and
Ia gentleman Of nigh standing IN New
York hes told me thst-in an interview
he had: With Gen Scott in. April, 1881,
|he spoke in the very highest terms ol
Lees ahilityNas soldier and character
las a man told him that the supreme
command Of the United States army was
offered him, and said that be (Scott,
would have cbeerfully given place tc
"the ablest colder in America," IL b,
! could have induced him to sccept.
The pfp6ff @er reopcl 6siSeE that whe1
Robert E Lee cast bis Tot With his moth
ct State he turned shissbacf onlthe high
est position that an American soldie
could covet, and deliberately chose th
lpath of sacrifice, peril and loss Of thi
worlds goods, because, in mis- judgment
Il it was the path Of duty and of honor.
i In Junea 1858, he said to- his truste'
lieutenant, the gallant and accomplishe,
lGen1W Wade Hampton :is'I did only vhs
! my duty demanded; / could have take
Ino other course withons dishonor. An
Ilif all were TO be. done over again,
, should act in precisely the same mar
Iner.e sso. it4s 4o y,ssis.E 6.ls -. sg,,r
Men will differ as to the course whic
Gen, Lee thought proper to pursue
t siding with Virginia and the South ]
o the grand struggle; hut no fair minae
!, imam can examine the proofs and doul
y for a moment that he acted from the pl
rest motives-from the highest sense I
Jdnty and honor ~. - ' '''it iz.i, ia.i
Y