Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1898-11-23

civic traveller. White used to say that
the Lee on the college campus and the
Lee as lie rode through the gorge oil
the mountains in Allegheny county,
with the Wild glory of war in voice,
eye, and brow, wero two distinct per-
sons.
The pictures give Lees noble face.
The back OF his head beftted the grand
forehead. There was bulge, as if q
twin brain was in that box of bone.
HIS head seemed to carry a caisson of
reserve mental ammunition.
He saw full twenty years ahead Of
ofall the statesmen. We recall how
he amazed all who heard Of his opinion
when the Democrats nominated Sew
mour. Colonel Baldwin, of Stanton,
and Hon. John Randolph Tucker were
much pleased with the choice. Cen
eral Lee seldom alluded to political
parties. He shook his head. He held
that the Democrats ought to have
chosen Mr.. Chase. Chase was Re-
publican, but moderate, wise, patriotic,
leaning towards the Democrats. We
now know, from the two biographies Of
him, how much. we lost in not having
such statesman at that time at the
helm. Seymour favored the South till
after Gettysburg, then he turned
against us. Lee loathed such a charac-
ter. North and South had a grievance
against him. 1t was Lees opinion
that the surrender gave the North the
right to reap the fruits of victory, and
that the Democrats were not dealing
fairly in pressing partisan for the
Presidency, but ought to select the
purest and ablest Republican without
extreme views. Such was Chase. He
would have been elected. The hideous
reign of the "carpet-bagger" and the
reconstruction villainies would have
been avoided. The support of Chase
by Confederates could not have failed
to disabuse the North of any fear Of
lurking secession aid revenge in the
South. This suspicion has fingered
long in the breast of she North. Spain,
in the Virginius affah in 1873, was a
hundred times more provoking to war
than in 1898. Why did the country |
pass over that insult? The North |
doubted how the South might act so
so on after Appomattox. Aud even in
1898 Mr.. Mckinley was in trouble on
hat score. Spain certainly reskoned
IN the sullenness OF the South. When
he Southern Governors began to en-
oil regiments the Northern papers
'roke out in glad surprise. See what
oresight Lee had, Not Seymour, but
,hase. And so it was when, in 1862, !
e wrote that slavery was impossible,
neither we won or lost. Slavery, with
be hostile North encircling the South,
'ould be Improbable. How much
etter to have Independence, aided by
egroes, made freemen with their
lmilles and the 100 acres as soon as
ley became soldiers, than lose our
luse, with the negroes made free by
II enemiesi The South could have
,ntrolled the NEGRO problem" il
Glorious. Lee only was wise. Great
Tucker and Baldwin were, they did
1t see the future.
Lee was a Christian, dev0ut without !;
lsterity, whose life was planned on I
e career of Jesus, and not on ''books \
devotion" or catholic saints Con-
let counted with him. He had no
tentatious HASTINGS or exhibitions of
mself in prayer or CALCULATIONS. He
ted Confederate by significant .
ntence: "He behaved well in The
ar. Behaved" 1t was not patriotic
.lAN er, but gallant bearing, at the call
duty. Ii