The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1890-06-05

agitation uf the Abolition party hA4 driven
many strong minds ia ia- south lie regarded
slavery a. an evil wairl the south had i'm
hrritod aud must DE lett 20 talus gate. and. ID
possible. cxf-rpa:- L. WIS. ana -raduN.
measures He IL any man %. taAr tana. was
capable of weighing Win r4.ulaa,~ tile duty
Of the hour Wit him the only quest lsu
then, A. at every mosurat 81 his ~pntir~- lEte,
was IL IND out which WAY duty pointed
Against the urgent solicitations OF Gen.
Scott. in defiance of tn, tempting, ar am
bitlou-tnr the evidence is complete that Jh'
command of the United states army was uf
fered tn hiu-in manifest sacrifice of ali hl
recunia-y Interests, hc determined that duty
bade him side with bis beloved Virginia. lie
laii down hi- commission and -n4emnly dc.
clared ni~ purpose never u draw his sword
save in behalf uf his native state. The orator
then carried his audience with him through
the battles OF the late war ia which Gen
Lees army participated. In the attaCA or
Cheat Mountain he laid his plan, with ski
ana visur, but the attack ended with fsftur,
and modification. The verdict of tar gen.
eral public on him at this time, the winter oi
let2, might have fsoen summed 4p IL the his
torian's Judgment OF G1lha, who by com
mon consent would have been deemed tit to
command hal b, never commanded"
After Gen. Jounston's retirement from Sc
we're wounds, Lee assumed command of the
Army Of Northern Virginia. The loss oi
Richmond At any time would probably have
been fatal to the COufedoracy. ana this fact
VIII explain and justify ia Lees conduct
many apparent violations Of sound principles
of war. Ehe Earious movements and the re
sultAns battles by which lac sought TO effect
this ohject-thc protection OF Richmond
were sllctched with a bold hand. His cam
pagns against Mcclellan and Mcdowell
raised HIM IL the minds ot iriend and lpr K
the full stature of u great and daring leader.
The advance to the RarIdan, the invasion OF
Maryland ana NE Datt!e "i S"AFpabuFE were
lined Here Loo said f},t ftt "a he
supreme I'3.- "l greatness "I 7pul II lluct
above depression under reFcrse- a. eIatlOn in
success
In such moments the army ietl the loitN
genius OF their leaders. They acknowledge
his royal right to command. They recognize
their proud privilege TO follow anu obey. IL
such leaders only Is it given to form heroic
soldiers. SGCA were the ragged, half starVcc
men in gray who stood with Lee at SLarps
burg II j. tho vision of some such moment
perhaps, that our sculptor, Mercich has caught
with his eve of genius ani fixed in impcrIsh
able bronze. The general has ridden up. +,
liIj ~ ,, l'.I 80 - e.t }, "a G
VI Ii - -
~" VI ~ a. ~ ga i'.it -
hcefl CApC'''".? Luz ul' 'i'It| q - ''''
sFt'.O 1e3HVt 7Iicht "h'' ''IVhe MN ~. ~ e''
- VIA -. @ a'G
I 3I't,i, e,,3 ''''7 '''
u >"iiiiii"''i"' iS"1''
Such is the commanding figure which viii
presently be unveiled 10 your view; duh indeed
must be the imagination that does not hence
forth people this plain Wit Il invisible hosts and
compass Lee about. now and forever, with
the love and devotion Of cmbattlcd ranks u'
heroic men in gray. The campaign Of 1865
with the battles OF ChancCilursNilIc-w which
IN the orators opinion, VIII rank with blch
helm, Austcrlilz and Jena as model batth
and trCderiCke eburg, resulting in forcing
the Union army behind The Rappahannock, l.
next reviewed. Gettysburg and Grants cam
pagn in 1864, III which he steadily beat back
Lee, who crossed his path ami confronted hin
III every lurl, bflhg the orator up TO tht
evacuation of Richmond. when nothing re
manned TO the Army OF Noithern irgIhla,b
It's stainless hohpr. It's phfi"-ch courage.
IN Lhc last solemn scels'' tpiii!huel 'oi.
Anderson, when strong men, losing all sell
coh'foI, broke do"h ana 7pbool nAn chlld-
ren, Lee stood torth As great as IN the days oi
victory ana tfluinPh' 40 disaster Crusne.i
ms SpIlti' no eNlICiH.Il ol ut'iNtf IthiSi NJ
caiimIy in tie fiG!e. aha When II ! Military re-
source. rr,naiDrf when he recn sniZal the
ironossibilItv of making another march or
frhtin,, anotfer battle ht, bowed his head in
Submission 10 that power which makes and
unlnakcs nations. The surrender Of the frag.
nents of the Army OF Northern Virginia
closed the impurishabie record Of his military
life. What catastrophe. What moving
Our belief in it rest, Gr"n the unanimous
testimony of the meu who lived and acted
with him, among whom nothing Is more COM
mon th;tn the declaration that Lee was the
purc>t and best man OF action whose career
history has recorded. Ia MS whole NE, lald
bare to the gaze of the world, the least friend.
" criticism has never discovered one SINGLE
deviation from the narrow path Of rectitude
and honor. What was strained euloGy when
Montesquicu said Of another great soldier
Turenne. that His life was 4 hymn in pralst
| If humanity" is, if applied to Lee, the Ian.
| Zuage of sober truth. No man can consider
! ais life without a feeling of renewed hope anc
! trust in mankind
On the one side, complete and dazzling tr
| 1opl aftcra long succession Of humiliatul
disasters; on the other, ABSOLUTE ruin and de.
| feat-a crown of thoyns for that peerless
army which hitherto had known only the
! vctors laurel. But tie lmAGnanimity o. tn,
| ~onouer0r. not less than the fortitude of the
vanquished. shone out on the solemn scene
| and softened its tragic outlines Of fate anc
! DOOM The moderation and good sense Of III,
| mort hern people brealAiu., the large and gen
erous air of our western world, quickly re
spondei to Grants cXHuIti", and though thu
| north was afterward betrayed into fauatica
and ba }eful excess oa more than one grca
| s,,io. OIL +1a e.rcor r,os.fo.,. ,f a t,l,od,
civil war were rauidIv extinrItsIel.
There was to be no Poland. no Ireland il
| America. When the HolIvy.oo pyramid wa.
| rising over the Confederate dead soon after
the close Of the contest some one suggested
| for the Insertion for a classic verse whici
may be rendered. They died for theil
county-.heir country perished with thcm.'
Thus would have spoken the voice of despair
| Far different were the thou.hts % Lee. IL
had drawn his sword in obedirucc only to the
| dictates of ducy ana honor. But facing The
| duty of the hour, Lee saw u0w that the ques
ton submitted to the great arbitrameat Of
war had been finally answered Il rcoog
! nized that the unity Of the American peDp'
! had been irrevOcably established. tie fel
that it would be impetT and crime to dis
| honor by petty strife of factions that p1r" an
| unselfish struggle for constitutional right
| which. while a single hope rcIG !; ]. ha'
been Loyalty fought out by great armies. Ic
| by heroic captains and sustained Dy tn
! patriotic sacrIices OF noble ana Feso'ut
| people.
The Reunited country.
He therefore promptly Co.a---lel lis oil
soldiers to look upon the great coEntry thu
| d. s,.- -,