San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1890-06-12

I.ncCln 70 ask whether any inluct'
ment that he car offer viii prevail
on yoa 10 TIE command Of the
Union armYi'
'Iy I OwSED, REPLIED COLONEL LIE,
the 100000 slaves / would cheer.
fully sacrifice them 20 the preserya.
ton Of the Union. but b lift ny hand
agains. my own State and people is
Impossible
This conversation was repeated BY
Mr.. Blair 10 we.l.known resident
OF this city, who made memorandum
u i. The most valuable testimony,
however, is that Of General Lee him.
self, as given in a letter addressed
to the Hon. Reyerdy johnson on
Feb %, 1868. In this letter he used
the following language.
II never intimated 10 any one that
! desired the command Of the United
States army, nor did / ever have o
conversation with bat one gentleman,
Mr.. Francis Preston Blair, on the
subject, which was at his invitation,
aud as ! understood, at the instance
Of President Lincoln. After listen
ing to his remarks l declined the
offer he made 70 take command OF
the army that Was 70 be broughtinto
the field, stating, ss candidiy and
courteously as conld, that, though
opposed 10 secession and deprecatlng
war, l conld take no part in an IN
vlsion Of the Southern States.
IL went directly from the inter.
view with Mr.. Blair 10 General Scott
told him OF tue proposition that
had been made 10 rae and my dec:s-
ion. Upon reflection after returning
home I concluded that l ought no
longer to retain any commission l
held in the United States army, and
on the second morning there after l
forwarded my resignation to General
/ Scott.
AT the time I hoped that peace
would have been preseryed-that
some way would be found to save
the country from the calamities OF
war; and l then had no other inten.
ton than to pass the remainder OF
my life as O private citizen.
1.-Two days afterward, on the invi.
tation of the Governor Of Virginia, l
repaired to Richmond, found that the
convention then in session had passed
the ordinance Withdrawing the State
from the Union and accepted the
commission of commander OF its
forces, which was rendered me. These
are the simple facts Of the case.
THE LITTER OF RESIGNATION,
to which General Lee refers, was
dated ct Arlington on the goth OF
April, 1861, and WIS as follows:
General: Since my interview with
you on the 18th instant, I have felt
that I ought rot longer to retain my
commission in the army. 1 there
fore tender my resignation, which l
request you will recommend for ac-
ceptance. 1t would have been pre-,
, scented at once but for the struggle
| 10 has cost me to separate myself
from d service to which have de-
voted all the best years OF my life
and all the ability ! possess.
During the whole ct that time
moro than a quarter of a century
I have experienced nothing but kind
ness from my superiors and the most
cordial friendship from my comrades.
To no one, General, have I been as
much indebted as to yourself for
uniform kindness and consideration,
aud it has always been my ardent
desire to merit your appreciation. l
shall carry to the grave the most
grateful recollections Of your kind
consideration, and your name and
fame will always be dear to me.
"Save in defense of my native
State, I never desire again to draw
my sword. Be pleased to accept my
most earnest wisheg for the con-
tinuance your happiness and pros
pority, and believe me, most truly
yours. II. Il. LEE
"Lieutcnant General Winfield Scott,
Commanding tho United States
army"
The struggle to which General Lee
here referred was bitter but brief.
my husband has wept tears Of
blood" wrote Mrs. Lee to friend.
But having turned his face to the
plow he did not look backwards. A
few days later he stood before the
convention in Richmond, and in a
fow simple expressive words accepted
the trust reposed in him by the peo-
nle of his Stnte,