The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-06-29


and when the great captain Is un.
horsed and his trappings disappear no|
often do we find that the soldier was SOL
der only. and nothing more. But when
Lee the soldier stepped forth in civil dress
il was soon evident TO all. a. il had been
previously TO those who knew him best,
that here was one full panopIied to dignity
and adorn any civic station; one who dis-
closed himself IN wide converse and cor
rcspondence, embracing all manner Of pub
lie and social questions, and dealing with
all manner OF delicate and difficult situa-
tions, to possess that quality which is the
flower OF misunderstanding
iudgInent combined Nth eJq,ieit5 taste.
The literature that may be found in the
letters Of the great uniolds the very es-
serce OF the genius OF the men, and Of the
times they lived in; and in my humble
Indictment IL were sufficient TO read the let
ters written by General Lee, and which
ore colloted In the beautiful memorial vol
ume prepared by Rev. DR.. j. William Jones.
In discern that the writer was one who pro-
foundlv comprehended the topics OF the
dav. and welded a pen rs vigorous and
nolisbcd rs his sword. And when We con-
template. in connection with his deeds, the
fair and lofty character that Is mlfrorcd IN
them. we behold one whose strong. cq lltl-
bic. and wide-reaching mind was such that
had ne devoted it to jurisprudence had
made the name OF Justice as venerable and
august a. when a Marshall enunciated The
law who. had he been statesman, had
moulded the institutions OF MS country
and guided rs political currents WIN q,
wise. firm, and temperate hand as that 81
Washington: who, had he headed any OF the
greai corporate enterprises OF transp0rtA-
ton. commerce. or development IN which
aggregated capital relies on scientific saga
city for great works, had greatly aided the
solution OF many pcrpleNing problems
that now aeitatc the public mind; who,
had he bent himself 10 literature. had pro-
duccd a page filed with the glory and dig
nifty Of phlosophic inquiry or historic
trrh-0nc. indeed, so perfectly balanced
I'm mind and Will. so n0nly turned IN
moral worth. SO lust in heart. so clear in
thought. and so authoritative I'm direction.
that in any land where the common scn'i-
mcnt can have spontaneous play, would.
as inevitably as the sparks ily upV ri, aud
bya law scarcely less fixed than chat which
move. the planet, in their course. have
been Tie LEADING IMAM iu whatever lc un-
der;ook. and would have been call Jed Iy
ore voice to become the Chief Magistrate
OF tie people.
TRUE IIER0ISM-IHE HERoI~M or LEE.
4, little thing, make mp the Ian OF life.
80 they reveal the inward nature OF men,
and furnish kew, 10 history. il is i'm the
office. the street. the field. the workshop.
and bv tie hre,idc, t,.t men show Whll
stun thew are made OF. not less than in
those cvcntiu, actions which write theme
selves I'm lightning, across the skies, ana
mark the rise aud iai al nations. Nay,
morc--thc highest attributes of human MT
fure are no, disclosed M action, hut I'm -ci!-
restraint and rcpO-c. ~cll-rc>tiuint,' o.,
has been truly said by Thomas llu2he...
81, the highcs, form III sDl-a- oftiom
Il il harder. as ever, soldier knows, io A'
down and take thc Gre 10 batteries without
returning II than 90 rise and charge 60 the
canu0n'- mouth. II Is harder % give the
soft answer that iurnoih away wrath tdau
to rotort word witha blow. DEE Long. lar
,he frozcn Arctic wastes. dying alone inch
ly inch OF cold and starvation. YET intent
ON HIS work and Nrifin- line, for tHc ben
eli ~ others, deserved a- wei rs the Mar
,hll Of France, WHO received the name ol
"lrayo.t 81 the brave The artlc>> itilc
alabama girl who vs., guiding Genera
Forrest along a dang rou, path when thc
enemy fred % yol!ey upon him. and who
ius.inctiycly spread hcr skirts and cried,
"Gct behind me-" had spirit as nigh as
that which filed ihc bosom Of Joan OF Arc
or Charlotte C0rday. The little Holland
boy who. seeing the water OOzlng through
the dyke. and the town near bv about 10
be dclu.cd and destroyed, neither cried
nor ran, hut stopped, and all alone
s'ifled the opening zap with earth. i'm
constant peril OF being swept 10 death
mhonorcd and unknown. showed finer
and noblcr fibre than that oi Ccmhronne
when hc shouted 10 TIE c0nqucring Brl-
fish: The Guard die. but never surren-
dcr~." The soldier Of Pomie'i. buried at
hi, p0,t-,.anding there and llying not
from the hot waves OF lava that rolled over
him-tCls the Roman story in graudcr IAN
guagc than the ruins OF the Coliseum.
And IlcrndOn, ON the deck of his ship.
doing an TO save his crew. making dclibe-
rate choice OF death before d.>honor. and
going down into the great deep with brow
calm and mruillcd. /, q grandcr picture OF
true. heroic temper than that OF CTsar
leading hi, legions, or OF the y0un. Cor,i-
can at the Bridge Of Lodi.
Amongst the quiet. namelcss workers OF
the World-in the ,tubblc field, and 10y the
forge. bending over a sick child's bed or
smoothing an outcast, pillows many a
hero and heroine. trucr. nOhlcr than th0>"
over whose brow, hang plumc- and laurol,.
In action there i the stimulus OF excited
physical and mental faculties and OF the
moving passions: but In the cOmposurc 81
the calm mind that quietly deyote~ itself
To hard hic Work-putting aside tcmpta-
tons, contemplating and rising superior
To- all surroundings of adversely, suffering
dlnccr and dcaIh-man j. revealed I'M his
highest manifestation. Then. and then
alone. he seems to- have redeemed his fallen
state. and 10 be rccrcatcd in Gods image.
81 the bottom oi all true hcrolsm Is un-
scih>hncss. II, crOwning expression Is
,elf-slcriiicc. The world is suspicious VI
vaunted heroes. They are 50 easily manu-
featured. 80 many feet are cut and trim
med TO I'll Cinderella, slipper, that We
hesitate long before we hail the princess.
But when the true hero has come. and we
know that here he is, in verify. an , how
the hearts Of men leap forth to greet him,
how worshipfully we welcome Gods no.
bIc,t work-thc strong, honest, fearless,
upright man.
In Robert Lee was such hero youch-
>afed 10 Us, and to mankind, and whether
we behold HIM declining command OF the
Federal army to fight the battles and share
the miscries Of his own pcopIe-prociam-
Ing on the heights in front OF Gettysburg
that the fault OF the disaster was his own
leading charges in the crisis Of combat
walking under the yoke OF conquest with
out a murmur Of complaint, or refusing
fortunes to come here and train the youth Of
bis country in the path Of duty, he i, ever the
same meek, grand, self-sacriiicng spirit.
Here he exhibited qualities not less worthy
and heroic than those displayed on the broad
and open theatre Of conflict, when the ewes
Of nations watched his every action. Here