The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1890-06-05

effect this 0blect-the protection OF
Richmond-were sketched with bold
hand. His campaign against McClel.
Ian and Mcdowell raised him in the
midst of friend and foe to the full stat.
ure Of great and daring leader. The
advance to the Rapidan, the invasion
of Maryland and the battle of sharps-
burg were outlined. Here Lee gave
the supreme proof of a greatness Of
soul, as much above depression in re.
verses as elation in success.
In such moments the army feel the
lofty genius Of their leader. They ao.
knowledge his royal right to com.
mand. They recognize their proud
privilege to follow and obey. To such
leaders only is it given to form heroic
soldiers. Such were the ragged, half
starved men in gray who stood with
Lee at SharpIburg.
1t is the vision of some such mo.
ment, perhaps, that our sculptor,
Mercie, has caught with the eye Of ge-
Mus and fixed it in imperishable
bronze. The General has ridden up,
it seems to me, in some pause Of bat.
tie to the swelling crest Of the front
line, and while the eyes Of his soldiers
are fastened on him in keen expectan.
cy, but unwavering trust, the great
leader, silent and alsne with his dread
responsibility, is scanning with calm
and penetrating glance the shifting
phases and chances of the stricken
field.
Such is the commanding figure
which will presently be unveiled to
your view, and dull indeed must be
the Imagination that does not hence
forth people this plain with invisible
hosts and compass Lee now and for
ever with the love and devotion OF en-
battled ranks o, heroic men in gray.
The campaign OF 1868, with the bat
tie OF Charlottesville, which, in the
orators opinion, will rank with Blen'
helm, Austerlitz and jena as a model
battle and fredericksburg resulting in
forcing the Union army behind the
Rappahannock, is now reviewed. Get
tysburg and Grants campaign in 1864
in which lie steadily beat back Lee
who crossed his path and confronted
him at every turn, bring the orator up
10 the evacuation Of Richmond, when
nothing remained to the army Of
Northern Virginia but its stainless
honor, its unbroken courage. Col
Anderson continued:
In those last solemn scenes, when
strong men, losing all self-control,
broke down and sobbed like children,
Lee stood forth as great as in the days
Of victory and triumph. No disaster
crushed his spirit; no extremity ol
danger ruffled his bearing. He looked
the stubborn facts in the face and
when no military resources remained
when he recognized the impossibility
OF another march or fighting another
battle, he bowed his head in submis.
sion to that power which makes and
unmakes nations. The surrender OF
the fragments OF The Army OF North
ern Virginia closed the imperishable
record OF his military life. What q
moving and pathetic contrastl
On the one side complete and daz
zling triumph after long succession
of humilating disasters on the Other
absolute ruin and defsat-a crown oI
thorns for that peerless army which
heretofore had kRown only the vic
tors laurels. But the magnanimity
OF the conqueror, not less than the
fortitude Of the vanquished, shone ou
on the solemn scene and sOftened it
tragedic outlines OF fate and doom
The moderation and good sense oI
the Northern people, breathing the
large and generous air OF our Western
world, quickly responded to Grants
example, and, though the North was
afterwards betrayed into fanatical anC
balsiul excess on more than one grea
subject, all the fiercer passions OF {
bloody civil war were rapidly extin
guished.
There WAS to be ne Poland, no Ire
land in America. When the holly
wood pyramid was rising over the con
federate dead soon after the close o
the contest, some one suggested TO
the inscription classic verse whicl
may be rendered: They died for thei
country their country perished will
them. Thus would have spoken tn
voice of despair.
Far different were the thoughts Q
Lee. He had drawn his sword in ODE
dience only TO the dictates OF duty
and honor, and looking back in tina
msment of utter defeat, he Nigh
have exclaimed with Denosthenes
81 say that if the event had beer
manifest to the wh Ne world before
hand, not even then ought Athens t
have forsaken this course II Athen
had any regard for her CORY, or fo
her past, or for the ages to come"
But, facing the duty of the houl
Lee saw now that the question sub
mitted to the great arbitramsnt OF wa
had been finally answered. He recol
nized that the unity OF the America
nannla had haan irrnvoe hlv aatahlisl