Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-10
LEE AT WEST oPOINT,
His Toast TO the Union-Gen. Scott's Opin.
ion of Lee as q Soldier.

LEE At WEST ePoINr.
His Toast to the Union-Gen. Scott's Opin.
ion of Lee as Soldier.
The following Renaissance was written for
The EVENING STAR by Mr.. E. H. Andrews,
who was member Of the board of visitors to
West Point before the war, when Col. Robert
E. Lee was superintendent of the academy:
Toward the close of the labors Of our boar d
at West Point we invited Gen. Scott and his
staff, whose headquarters were then at the
city of New York. also Col. Lee and the other
members of the faculty at the "Pont," with !,
few others, to dine with US at THE West Point
Hotel then kept by that splendid purveyor
and genial bonface, Capt. Roe The dinner
was oil that could be desired and the occasion
one OF great social enjoyment and Of much in
tellectual interest. Mr.. Henry E. Davies of
New York. the president of our board, presided
at the dinner with an ease and grace and flow Of
genial wit which greatly contributed to the
pleasure of the party. In the course
of tie entertainment the health of
Col. Lee was pledged, to which
! The colonel appropriately and beautifully re-
! sponded. In the course OF his response he re-
ferred to the school which he presided as one
in which the entire republic was directly inter-
ested, having in its membership representatives
! from each OF the states and Thereby binding
/ them all more closely together in that union
which he declared TO be the basis of our national
/ strength and greatness and the security of our
/ individual prosperity and happiness On the
/ subject of THE Union" the colonel's heart
seemed full, and His views in perfect harmony
/ with those OF Washington, with whose family
/ he was connected by marriage and whom he
/ evidently took as his prototype He concluded
his remarks by offering the following sentiment:
The American Cnionl Established By our
/ rcvered and patriotic sires when the state
/ were few and feeble, but ever sacred to their
hearts May its growth IN territory, population.
wealth and power be. accompanied by a CORE
/ spending growth il the affec lions of the whole
! people. That he who had given utterance 20
such sentiments should within ten wears from
/ tina. time be found az the head of armies organ
ICED for the destruction of the American
/ Union seems hardly credible; and yet 1 cannot
DOUBT tina. Col. Lee at that dinner expressed his
real estimate of the value and Importance of the
union OF these states. His history and his
whole character forbid the faintest suspicion of
drpllclty and assimilation in his noble utter
! a;cef. he loved the Union AMI its beautiful
symbol. tha- tag u,Gcr which he had fought
and iuperled his life. His whole career. his
/ protrac.ed. painful mental struggles before he
was willing to decline the position Of authority
and great trus: offered him by the federal gov
eminent rear the opening Of our late civil war,
showed the reality and strength OF hia attach
/ 4---'-' 49, = AiioH- DUt. IkC NasfilEy-
| Ton: he Yves an owner Of slaves,
| with The feelings and preiudices
o. one reared in the belief that such an owner
ship was not only legal. but i'll itself Just and
/ rlgh-. lie was also son Of Ni,giria. w IA all
/ the strong affection. tender yearniiIg and en-
/ thrsia.tlc devotion to his native state Viii. n
/ seem lEseparable frcln such Il sonslip. and
/ when. AMID his doubts and racking aEi.arion
/ on ;he question Of duty, Virginia SPOKE ard ne
! heard the command uttered in that voice of
maternal authority and dignity which to him
Ni' more sacred than Gny other OF earth he
/ cbcyed AID made her interests and destiny his
own. We may pronounce the sentiment weak
and the decision wrong. The decision was
wrong; but thc charge o. hypocrisy in HI. pro-
LESSONS OF attachment TO the Union il ailenccd
/ BY 'he circun: staacej under which that decision
was made.
| GEN. SCOTT IN HIS PRIME.
When Col. Lee had retired carly from the
table, under a lea Of Official dutv. Gen. Scott
arose and desired ito say few words of .he
officer who had just wi .hdrawn." Some OF nv
readers probably never saw Gen. Scott and
. none Of them. Ii may be. when he was in lis
prime. He was a man CT remarkable phvsique,
SIX fee: three and a half in"lle, in height. and
/ SpienGl.liy proFCr;ioned throughout. AT this
TIME ne had grown SO stOu. as 20 a;e lost some
/ thihg or that Greatness, symmetry and grace of
I form which in earlier days distinguished him.
/ l first saw him neariy ventv wears ago. He
WIS passing ~ Lake Cham pl.in. and 1 sa W hir,
from the Vermont shore n, he stood on the hur-
4 Iica'.e d'cA Of a : 'eainbOlt While she stopped a
ilttle distance off 10 send two or 5l~a. ms
/ sc.Sers aShor" il small boat The weather
was cool ard L" stood With h., military cloak
med with "hite, thrown gracefully over Iii
sL2Giders. lie was standing; alone SO that we
h2o. al nnln errGpted view OF HIM His tall
Bfhnl h5nfe and noble bearing ut once raised
/ he inquiry among Us, who IL it?'' As tne
/ li,tic bOst touched She shore his name WIS an.
noanccd as Gen Scott, That name Was then
a. u household word through The land Mere
! boz a' l wa, kne" epoagh of his history 10
! have M soal stirred 10 lis depths bv the an
nOnnccmen' that was looking on that great
solder. Bravery, power, honor grandeur, were
! the Ideas that swept through nv Young
/ thoughts as | gazed on the magnificent figure.
and The phCtograph then impressed on nv bovisb
memory has remained with wonderful distinct
ncss to hi. day.
! GEN SCOTT OPINION OF LEE AS A SOLDIER.
Gen. Scott commenced his remarks by saving:
Il am unwilling to let this occasion pass with
out EXP ressing my opinion of the military char
actcr of Col. Lee and acknowledging the great
/ indebtedness OF the army and country 10 his
invaluable services in the late war with Mexico
I ne campaign. from the taking of Vera Cruz TO
our triumphant entry into the City of Mexico
Is, If mistake not. regarded by military men
as ore OF great success. To Col. Robert T. Lee
/ HiC VIC uoAc IHueOtcU LOT lnaJ success tkan to
any other man. The entire engineering OF that
campaign was under his direction and control.
and upon the science and skill and sound mill
tary judgment employed in that department
depended the results of our most important
| movements and the issue OF the campaign The
scientific knowledge, the keen military foresight
and practical wisdom and skill displayed in
his plans when submitted to nv in
| spection inspired me not only with un-
limited confidence in him rs a military
engineer, but with an admiration for his
military genius which if l were fully to ex-
press would perhaps subject me to the charge
OF extravaganza. This. however, I will say.
| that regard that officer as second to no man
living of his age in the highest qualities of the
true soldier. and l ara glad to have this oppor-
tunity. in the presence Of these distinguished
representatives Of the government from 60
many different states OF the Union to offer this
| slight tribute to his services and character No
worthier officer could be placed at the head of
this military school, and If the young men who
are now in course of training under his super-
intendcnce shall cultivate his spirit and oi,al.
tiles as man and emulate his example as a
soldier their future OF usefulness to the repub-
lie and OF honor to themselves may with safety
be predicted.
Gen. Scott added at some length his views of
the Importance Of the West Point school to our
army and government and the duty of the gov.
eminent literally to sustain it. The bravery.
skill and distinguished success of the pradua tes
OF this school in leading our great sarrnias