The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-12-02
PRESIDENT LINCOLN AND GEN. LEE.
The Cffsr to General lee Of tho Command Of the
United States Army.
(HoN. ALLAN II. MAGRUDER, IN PHILADELPHIA.
WEEKLY THINKS

(HoN. ALLAN b. MAGRupER, IN PHILADELPHIA.
WEEKLY THINKS
The" Annals of the War aud the Chap.
ters of Unwritten History" so carefully
garnered up in the Weekly Ii,Ges, would be
incomplete If one of the mest arksble
facts in that history shonld, fail to be en-
rolled in The Times record. l ask leave,
therefore, to supplement The Times admir-
able narrative of historical events con-
nected with the late war by the following |
1t is the well authenticated fact, though |
not generally known. that ON the eve of |
the hostile invasion of the Southern States, |
General Robert Il. Lee, then o colonel of |
cavalry in the United States Army, tpas
offered by President Lincoln the command of
tie army to be brought into the field to put
doWn secession by force of arms. Although
Mr.. Lincoln knew Colonel Lee to be q
native Southerner-a Virginian and q slave
holder-such was the PresideDt's admira-
tion of bis merit as great soldier and
such his confidence in his patriotitm, in
tegrity and honor that he was not willing
merely, but anxious to entrust to his hands
the great task of directing the operations
of the war for the safely and preservation
of the Union, then 30 deeply imperilled.
What an honorable attestation of the Pres
ident's faith and trust in the fidelity and
| tribute to the great qualities and high fame
of the great Southern captain
The modesty and self abnegation of Gen
eral Lee were conspicuous among his great
qualities, and are all well known to his
country men. 1t is quite probable that this
high distinction rendered him by President
lincoln would have remained a secret in
the breast of General Lee, and by himself,
certainly, would not have beenipub blicly d g.
closed. B ut the indiscretiOn alone of his
| ILL advised assailants provoked its publica-
tion in self defense against an unworthy
i -. Nhn In
years after the war-a Senator in Congress
had the temerity to make the charge that
General Lee had applied to President Lin
| coin for the command of the Federal army
destined to invade and snbdue the South
ern States, and that, being refused, from
pique aud resentment he turned and offered
his sword in aid ofsthe Southern cause, and
thus was raised to the chief command of
the rebel forces. On the instant, Mr.. Rev
erdy johnson, of Maryland, himself
Union man, denounced the statement es
untrue, saying that although he had not
the authority of the accused to deny it,
General Lees lofty character and unstained
honor alone suficed to repel the charge.
This furnished the occasion for General
Lee to give, through Mr.. johnson, not
alone the conducive proof of the incorrect
7 ness of the charge but the clear evidence
that he had himself declined from a stern
sense of duty and honor, the very prefer
ment which he was falsely accused of COW
. citing. None can tell the extraordinary
story in better terms than General Lee
! himself, as contained in the following
, modest and characteristic letter addressed
/ by him at the time to the Hon. Reverdy
johnson, who not long before bis death
: avouched to the contributor its entire au
thenticity:
Q LEXINGTON, Va. February 25, 1868.
Hon. Reuerdy johnson. United States Senate, Haah
iRgton:
MY DEAR S1R-My attention has been callei
/ to the official report of the debate in the Sen
| ate of the United States of the 18Th instant.
+ in which you did me the kindness to doubt th
correctness of the statement made by the Hon
SimOn Cameron in regard to myself. desir
that you may feel certain OF my conduct OF
the occasion referred to, 80 far "a my individ
usl statement can make you so
Inever intimated to any one that desire'
the command of the United States Army, no
did ever have conversation bot with on
9 gentleman (Mr. Francis Preston Btair) on th
o subject which was at bis invitation and, as
J, understood, at the instance of President Lin
d ooln After listening to his remarks, 1 dc
i clined the offer he made me to take command
u of the army that was to be brought into tn
. could that though opposed to secession an
u deprecating war could take no part In an In
>. vasion of the Southern States.
1 went directly from the interview with MI
n Blair to the office of General Scott end toll
y him of tho proposition that had been made
a me and my decision. Upon reflection afte
10 returning to my home, concluded that
o ought no longer to retain the commission
" held in the United States Army, aud on th
!; second morning thereafter forwarded my re
q signaton to General Scott.
It At the time hoped that peace would hsV
81 been preserved, that some way would hAv
's been found TO save the country from the CO
4. amities of war, and then had no other inter
IT ton than to pass the remainder of my life 9
10 a private citizen. Two days afterward, npO
70 the in vitatlon of the Governor of Virginia,
d, repaired TO Richmond, found the conVentio
?, then in session had passed the ordinance wit!
D. drawing the State from the Union, and al
10 cepted the commission of commander of i
forces which VAS rendered me.
N These are the simple facts of the case, an
D. thew sbow that Mr.. Cameron has been misil
is formed Your obedient servant,
g. r. Z. LEE.