Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-06-11
A Temperate View.

The Highland Recordcr says
ssThe Richmond Dispatch has been discussing
with some northern fanatics IS to whether Gen
erai Robert X. Lee was perluror or not The
discussion IL not likely % add TO the raDks OF
the Republicans IN the southern States No
are sorry 20 say that the kepubhcan party IN
this state now numbers sOms as gallant Con-
federate soldiers as ever nred muskct, ana
however much We may diner on governmental
AFFAIRS we agree in our respect and ,enerntion
for our distinguished commander. We beleFe
it IL a. CALLING 20 them as u Is 20 us TO De told
that we followed = perfured villain Tor four
eyentful years The sooner tho Republicans OF
the North recogn,gs he fact that the rebei1on
was "A revolptson AID that grave constitutional
questions were involved the boner II VIII
be for their psrty Whs~ W stood shonl-
der 70 shoulder with these who arc now In the
Repnblicsn party We thought 10 were right aud
have received no new ltght 10 cause us 10 change
our views the mere fact that strong brute hss
the power 70 brui-e aud cripple us does nov Tor
for a moment divert Us from what wo selleVe 70
be right Those who hsve voted with the ne
publicAns have cbange4 their minds, snd II
makes US blush for thOm when We rea1 Vac DIT
Tor speeches OF Foraker, Iogal.. aud other bls-
tant deguagoypes OF that iik. who pAnder 10 the
worst PASSIONS aad preiudices OF their people IN
order 60 foisf themselves into power. The latest
physic offered the Confederate hepuDncan II
that our great Lee was & pOr1urer. Refuse TO
take the medicine comrades and como back
where you properly belong"
We have said msrV than once that We believed
that Mr.. LINCOLN Ind found some Way OF shiisiy-
ing his conscience thai he had a right 70 issue
the emancipation proclamation. He would have
resigned the onico Of President OF the United
states rather than 20 have signed such dccu-
ment Officially II hts constitutional advisers had
not satisfied him Of his right aud power In the
promises
When an army ofIicer takes sn oath Of ONCE
he swears In effect that IS al army oflcer he
will bear true faith and allegiance TO his ooun-
try or to his King. SO when GEORGE WASHING
TON left the British army and becsmsa private
citycn, and King GEORGE undertook 70 deprive
him Of hts rights rs a British clifton OF America,
he was no longer hound by his cath so Gene
raj LsH and other United stAtes army Officers
knew that they must resign their ofices IN that
army or else be true 10 the nsuonal nag
They chose 70 resign their onices-which
wero life of1cc~-apd 70 cast Ia their for
tunes with those OF their friends and neigh
bors IN their respective States. There
was no faint Of perjury in anything they said or
did. Tho stainless soul OF ROBERT L LsE coHes
up in mind whenever this subject ia preached.
His mere name reproves the reckless libellers
who would II they could 30 write history that all
the sons Of Virginia who had ever taken an oath
Of once before they engaged In rebellion"
would be handed down 10 posterity a. oath
breakers.
JOHN HAxPpkS, ALGERSoS SIDNEY, aud OIL
WEB CROMWELL were ell "rebels." SO all the
nobility and clergy Of England we're guilty Of the
same offence charged against LEE when In l6SS
they combined 70 Gethrone JAMES II. and put
WILLIAM and MARY on the throne. But MAcAU-
LAY neglccts 70 charge them with any offence.
They ell took the oath of allegiance to the new
occupants Of the throne not with "bated breath
and whispering humbleness," but amid con-
gratulstions. reloicings, and the firing OF can
non" Was that perjury
Oh, no. There is nothing in the charge We
have been discussing which will enable the
northern malignants 10 stain the reputation Of
our heroes. We may read Poeteritys verdict in
the verdict which England has already pro-
nOunced.