The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-02-02

have been commemoratins all over the
South. When we old men we're school
boys we used to speak speeches about
Washington and Patrick Henry, and l
remember one from Van Writ begin
ming, "Who was Blenuerhassett?
that was very popular. 1t is time
this younger generation were speak
ing speech beginning, "Who was
Robert e. Lee?" But if they don t
speak it these annual reminders will
cause them to talk aboutit. We cele-
brate the Fourth Of July because it
was the birthday Of nation and the
22d day Of February because it was
the birthday of Washington, the
father Of that nation-a man Of whom
General Lees father said: "First 10
war, first in peace, and first in the
hearts Of his countrymen. What a
wonderful State was the "Old Domin-
ionr' What was in the air that
caused it to produce such galaxy of
great men as Washington and the
Lees and Jefferson, Madison, Monroe,
Randolph, Patrick Henry and others
in revolutionary days, and in later
days such great generals as Lee, John
ston, Longstreet, Jackson, Stuart,
Ashby and Thomas?
There have been many great men.
There have been many more good men,
bat the men who have been both
great and good are few. Greatness
and goodness are not twins. Indeed,
they are seldom of any kin. When
Abner was slain David said: "a great
man has this day fallen in Israel, =
and so might be said Of David and
Solomon and Constantine and Caesar
and Cromwell and Napoleon and many
others who were great, but not alto
gether good. There was some dark
blet upon their name and their fame
that marred les brightness. Lord Ba-
con was one Of the greatest Of men,
but he vas far from being good.
War is perhaps the severest test OF
great mans goodness. 1t tries his
heart as we'll as his mind and makes
protest of all his emotions. No man
in the annals Of history has stood this
test better than Robert f. Lee.
Stonewall jackson was no doubt as
good man, but he was not so great,
so brave, so commanding. Albert
Sidney Johnston was probably as good
and as great as Lee, but his oppor-
tunities to prove it were suddenly ar
rested by his untimely death. Even
Washington was not SO great general
as Lee, for he had but little military
training, while Lee was educated care
fully in the art of war-was the rank
ing graduate in class Of forty-two at
West Point, was for three years in
charge of that institution and had
large and varied experience in the war
with Mexico. In addition to all these
advantages, he inherited a talent for
commanding men, for he was the son
Of Henry Lightfoot Lee Uighthorse
Harry, who was Washington sfavored
friend and military adviser, and
whose bones have honored Georgia
soil on Cumberland Island. 1t is
worthy Of mention that our General
Lees grandmother was Lucy Grymes,
the first love of General Washington.
She was known as the 'lowland beau
ty.'' 1t grieved her to reject his ad-
dresses, but he comforted himself
soon after by marrying the widow Gus
tbs. This widow Custis was the
grandmother Of General Lee wife,
Mary Randolph Gusts. And SO the
Lees and the Washingtons got as
close together as they could.
Ninety-one years ago l66, 600 peo-
pie were born on the same day as Gen
eral Lee. but not one Of them stands
out in such bold and beautiful relief
He gets greater and grandcr as the
years roll on. More biographies have
been written and published Of him
than of any other man. Nine are al
ready before the people and another
now in press. His noble life and pub
lie services have commanded the ad-
miration of the observing world ano
all the commendation that the Eng
lish language could give to Il man has
been given to him. There are nc
more nouns Of praise-no more com
parativss are superlatives left in oul
vocabulary. Thus it does not be-
come me to add anything to these
tributes. It is enough to say that at
ter all :hese years since his death il
1870, the climax has been reached
when Northern man, the presiden