The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-05-30

youth in knowledge ard morals, new con
yiction Of his wisdom and virtue gathered
force and volume and spread abroad into al
| LANDS,
The failsse OF the righteous cause 10
which he fought denied him that e'ninenc'
of civil station in which his great qualities
in their happy mixture might well nav'
sliorded parallel TO the strength ana tn
| moderation of Washington. But what laii
ure could obscure that moral perfection
which places iiihl ss easily by the side o.
the best men that have. ever dyed. as hi'
heroic actions make hiia s0@ peer OF the
GREATEST
There are men whose influence on man
kind neither worldly success nor woriuI!
failure can affect.
"fhe greatest gift Tire hero leaves MS race
| is a. have been hero.".
This mOaa! perfection, breathing the very
spirit of his Christian faith, is no Elusive
legend Of Il succeeding generation
exaggerating the worth OF the pas
Infr belief in IL rests upon the UNANIMOUS
testimony OF the men who lived and acted
With him, among whom nothing Is more
common iEpu tAe declaration, that Lee was
the purest and best man OF action whose
career history has recorded. IN his whole
life, laid bare 10 the gaze the world, Tue
least friendly criticism has never discover
ed one single deviation from the narrow
path Of rectitude and honor. what wa,
strained etilOgy when MOntesquieu SAID OF
another great soldier, Turenne-that ms
life wac a HYMN in praise Of humanity'-is,
if applied To- Zee. the language of sober
truth. No man eau consider his life with
out feeling of renewed iiopS and trust IN
mankind.
There IS about his exhibitions OF moral
excellehta the same quality OF power III
reserve that marks him as a soldier. lie
never failed TO come up 10 the full require
ments of any situation. and hl- c0nduct
communicated the impression That notbing
could arise TO which he would be founh I'M
equal. His every action went straight 10
the mark without aiiectation or display
II cost him no visible effort to be GOOD or
great. He was not consci0us that he was eN-
ceptional in either way. and he died in the
belief that. as he had been sometimes unjust
ly blamed. so ne had rs often been TOO hign-
ly praised. Such is the holy simplicity OF 'hs
nOblest minds. Such was the pure ana
lofty man i'm whom we see the perfect union
of Christian virtue and old Roman manhood.
His goodness makes us love his greatness.
And the fascination. which this matchless
combination eXerts, is itself a symptom and
a source i'm US Of moral health. As long as
our people truly love and yenerate him.
there will remain in them principle OF good
For all the stupendOus wealth and power
which in the last thirty years have lifted
these states to foremost rank among the
nations of the earth. are less subject for
pride than this one heroic man, this human
product of our country and its institutions.
Let this monument, then. teach to genera
tons vet unborn these lessons of his life.
Let il stand. not as a record of civil strife.
but as a perpetual protest against whatever
is low and sOrdid in our private and public
objects. Let il stand as "A memorial OF per-
sOnal honor that never brOOked a stain: OF
knightlv valOr without thought OF self; OF
far-reaching military genius unsoiled by
ambition: Of heroic cOnstancy. from which
no cloud of misfortune could ever hide the
path Of duty.
Let it stand for repro0f and censure, II
our people shall ever sink below the stand
ards of their fathers. Let it stand for pa
triotic hope and cheer, if a day of national
Gloom and disaster shall ever dawn upon
our country. Let it stand as the embodi-
ment Of brave and yirtuous peoples ideal
leader,
Let it stand as a great public act OF
Thanksgiving and praise for that 1t pleased
Almighty God to l"stow upon these South
ern states man so formed 90 reflect His
attributes ofPower, Majesty aud Goodness !.