The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-01-28
C~HIVALRoUS WORDS
Jefferson Davis Tribute to General Lee
in the Americaq Revtea0 a Fit
ting CapstQae 1e MOnU-
me1f of Edc&
ment of Edc6

E.E-@Ea
FAYETTEVILLE, II. Jan IA
ESPECIAL. lin the january number
of the North american ReVieU lis found
the simple but eloquent tribute Of the
ex.President Of the Confederate States
to his peerless Lieutenant Lee.
Written on the confines of eternity
as it probably was, it is a fitting cap
stone TO the monument of each
There's no attempt at self praise by
.undervalue of the great captain, as
might have been expected in a writer
filing the first place, if he were not
himself "supremely great" In it you
see no glimpse of petty jealousy for
victories won, no rincture of blame
for battles drawn. A smaller might,
as smaller .men have done, have
claimed concert of glory for the first,
and shielded himself by saddling re,
sponsibility for the last. Not 50 does
he, even by inuendo. What a lesson
to would.be heroes!
Self poised, but free from unseemly
assertion, he gracefully accords due
need of praise to n who cast IN kin
dred mould did never claim it. Be.
tween those two massive men no
pigmy rivalry could enter. In the
consciousness of Duty we'll performed
each was well content with as respec-
tive share. of accruing fame. And by
such spirit imbued they ever pulled
together, actuated by mutual conf,
1000 1oxyo ord roCnoof
And so it is with peculiar pathos we
read the dying words of the incom'
parable Chieftain anent the incompar-
able soldier, written at the ford as he
was about to "cross the river and
rest with him in the shade which he
had already reached. The eye swims
In contemplating their meeting afar
and from the other shore. Sight
worthy not of the Olympian gods, but
of surrounding angels and "blest spir-
Its in Celestial lands" I would not
tread forbidden ground; but me-
thinks that since the song of Cheru-
bin and Seraphim first did sound
there's been no such reunion ofallied
patriots as when Lee and Sidney
johnson and Jackson and their kim
dred followers met the old man at
the bank.
Historical epochs may be searched
In vain for counterpart of quartet
named. Nor should dear oil Cooper,
grandest of adjutants, be omitted in
the enumeration. Rome had her
Aurelius, best and wisest of the Rul-
ers of Men, but legionary supporter
had he one Great soldiers come
and go or linger. Such was Belisarius
and Wallenstein, Churchill and Tur-
enne and SAKE and Condi, but what
base motives for action, and what
puppets for employers. Commend us,
I repeat, to the age or Cause that had
in dual combination such a civil and
soldier head, upheld by such col
leagues, and I for one will dof cap
and admit that others have had as
worthy cause, Be that as it may, can
any Cause by such supported be long
attained2 For one I say you may,
If a people are to be judged by its
heroes, or cause gagged by its chief
supporters, as God be praised, the
standard is who that cast their lot
with such or who from them shall
ever spring, need ever blush that
theirs was the losing side?
If success was what was aimedAat,
most lucky were we in the choice Of
chief. Had we not had that most rare
combination of patriot, Christian, gen,
tleman, statesman and soldier in the
Executive chair, who will say that the
combat would have been so long pro-
tracted? Who can name another who
could have filed his place or contin-
ued the unequal struggle to half it's
length? Hlne lilac lachrymae of our
friends the foemen.
A single illustration in conclusion
by way of proof, and it is susceptible
OF living proof, and myself imposed
task is done.
By military critics it is admitted
that the most God,like conception of
this Titanic struggle was the unex-
pected hurting of Jackson's column
upon McClellan's right as opening
prelude to the seven days fight. We
hold that it originated with him
with whom it should have started, he
who has written, and him whom
amidst a peoples lamentations we
have just buried. W. J. g..
- Wilmington Messenger.
49,