Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-01-19
T,ExANDRIA. "
7rEsDAY EveNINe, JANUARY 10.

a IL e - Il ~ l
TuEsDky EVENING. JANUARY 10.
EpRE AND in many other cities OF the
South ez-Confsierates mst to-day OF VIA
meet tonight, not to peFpetuste the memory
O. Gsnersl Robert Edward Lse. out 70 oe,0
h,a.s tbe sr niyersary OF his birthday. h's
,nerno,v Ia safe. !t will endure forever anu
thonub time will reduce to dust ana rus'
Tho marble ard broy 70 monumeuts that nave
han ~ NAV be- erected to 1t, his name ana
his fame will live sm7pg Gil the natiou' "
the earth as long az they stall continue 70
regard honor aud esteem true mahnoou.
TO celebrate bis birthday ID the OIL 500 u
tho ueetinQs referred to. And surely there
oould be no better reason, 1or no "h'1ei
Chat ideas msy exist on the subject OF the
war between the Safes, the indisputaoie
Sactis. that General Lee did more toward rec
oocll,uu his ."peopie," as he was ~onS 10
call aad as they were proud to be Called 10
their northern countgymen, ana TO make
shem conformlto their changed oono'tlon'
so that the Union sh Guild in fact, as we'll ss
IN name. be ore end indiv!sible, than apy
other manlwithin Its reunited broad domain
when he sheatbed his sword at Appomat'
tox thssoruel ws7" was over WITH hlm' anu
like the wise and good man ne Was.ne mace
IL 40 With all who had trusted him So enelr
leede-. and he generated In them the feeling
which. should the cou ntry now become ia-
volysd in foreign war, Tou'G ioducs tnS's
children to be among the trs, /, take up
anna In tia defence. Human natureis weaE
and prone to error, and but for h.s advice,
and his iphaence to enforce its ADOPTION tne
reoine, robbery and disregard for le" ano
order which up to that time had always fol-
loved the close OF disastrous war, woa!d
have surely troubled this equity also, acd
DELAYED the payment Of the enormous debt
that had been incurred. But his WORD was
stilI the Law to his people, and oy it they
turned their swords into plowshareB, and at
once the land which countless hostile troops
had recently been rsvaglng became 30 quiet
and orderly tina. woman With her oaoe
m;oht have walked scathelees from the Po-
tonac to the Gnli. Especially appropriate
ISL taet General Lees birthday should be
celebrated la Alexandra, where he want TO
school, whoae church he attended whenever
he wss al home, end With whose people be
was familiar up TO the day of his death.
They knew hin better than those OF any
other town, and such was his worth
that he vas an exception to the
rule that prophet is rot with
ont honor save in his eva countrg.
When all mau's neignbors speak we'll OF
him. no facls can be foucd With him by
strangers. 70 A,e1sudsians, from Sis birth
at st .tfora, on the banks OF !heir own river,
/ his death at Lexington. III .hs Beautiful
Valley, his history ia as femilisr as house.
hold words, and {, repeat 1t would be like
a thrice told tails, but it may not &c trite TO
say, that as boy and man, and In every re-
ietion and circumstance OF bis life, "he stood
four SQUARE TO all re wilds that blow" No
man among those agsinat whom he fought
has ever charged him with exceeding to the
extentofone Let the bolnds cfcivil!zsd war
fare. Though tbs ack ofthe enemy iuhis own
St,tswas made dcsolation and waste,shat
ofhis army In sheir country was oh!iertt 10 IL
a weeks timc, and though his soldiers wsrs
asresooto6 aa6 hungry, his crders were that
no private property 10 the enemys country
should be- taken without due compensation,
and these orders we're enforced, thus afford
lug a striking contrast to the previously
prsecriptiye custom, aud setting an example
which at least 1t nay BIS hoped will be fol-
aowed In fusurs wars.
He not onIy won sufels, but bs msritee
them, and unlike eli other great warriors,
ne ven them In defeat 'as we'll as In VIC
tory. and the restrained tesr that s!istened
An his eve when he saw tbs banner that had
proudly foated over SO many successful bat
tie fislds fur!ed forever, evoked the sym.
psthy and admiration eveu OF the vicsors.
His final dsisst ct the end OF 90 rlsny bril-
alsnt victories completely related the old
out false idea that success IL the measure OF
merit. He may have lacked some OF the
elements OF other of the worlds greet cap
tains, but he possessed mott of the sdmlra-
ole qualities of every ons;of them, snS, IN.
like all the others, he always assumed the
responsibility Of failure. though 1t resulted
from dsobedience OF delay in thu execution
of hls commands By bis subordinate officers.
The most conspicuous quality Of General
Less character vas his devotion to his con-
yio!ions of duly. In the general orders is-
sued to bis army just before the battle OF
Waterloo, Napoleon used the word glory
seven t!mes, and by remarkable ooinci
deuoe iu thosa Issued by Lord Wellingt N,
on the same oocasoO, tle word duty sp
pesred jaas as o O. Tbs result was no |
surprising. But t lat tine, t1ss fOsle god.