The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-28
Ults 8esala and We,us
ARP WRITES OF LEE
EuMINATES ABOUT THE GALLANT
CONEEDERATE CHIEFTAIN.
Recalls Inoldents In Ltfe- General Lee Re.
quested on His Death.bed That No
Funeral Grafton bo Spoken.

beo, Nhooo Uilouuuy dniAfoiooly VIC
have been commemorating all over
the South. When we old mon were
schoolboys we used to make speeches
about Washington and Patrick
Hen-y, and remember one FROM
Van Writ beginning, "Who was
Blennerhassett ?" that was very popu-.
lar. 1t is time this younger genera
tion we're speaking speech begin
ming, "Who was Robert e. Lee? P"
But if they don't speak It these an
nnsl reminders will cause them to
tall it and think about it. We cole.
br,te the Fourth of Jaly because it
was the birthday of a nation and the
22d day of February because it was
the birthday Of Washington, tho fa-
ther Of that nation-a man of whom
General Lees father said: "First in
war, first in peace, and first in the
heats of his countrymen." What a
wonderful State was the "Old Domin-
ionp What was in the air that
caused it to produce such a galaxy
OF great men as Washington and the
Lees and Jefferson, Madison, Monroe,
Randolph, Patrick Henry and others
in Revolutionary days, and - later
days such great generals as Lee,
Johnston, Longstreet, Jackson,
Stuart, Ashby and ThomasH
There have been many great men.
There have been many more good
zaeH, but the men who have been
both greet and good are few. Great
ness and goodness are not twins.
Indeed, they are seldom Of any kin.
When Abner was slain David said:
IA great man has this day fallen in
Israel" and 80 might be said of
David and Solomon and Constantine
and Caesar and Cromwell and Ma
poleon and many others who were
great, but not altogether good. There
was some dark blot upon their name
and their fame that marred it's bright
ness. Lord Bacon was one Of the
greatest of men, but he was far from
being good. .
War is perhaps the severest test
of great mans goodness. 1t tries
his heart as we'll Us his mind and
makes protest of all his emotions
No man in the annals of history has
stood this test better than Robert e.
Lee, Storewall jackson WAS no doubt
as gooi man, but he was not 80
great. 30 brave, so commanding. AL
bert Sidney Johnston was probably
ss good and as great as Lee, but his
opportunities to prove it were sud
denly arrested by his untimely death.
Even Washington wa7 not so great
general as Loe, fox he had but little
military training, while Lee was edu-
Gated carefully in the art of war
was the ranking graduate in a class
OF forty-two at West Point, was for
three years in charge of that institu-
tion and had large and varied ex-
perience in the war with Mexico. In
addition to all these advantages, he
inherited talent for commanding
men, for he was the son of Henry
Lightfoot Lee (Lighthorse Harry,
who was Washington's favored friend
and military advisor, and whose bones
have honored Georgia soil on Cum
berland Island. It is worthy of
mention that our General Lee's
grandmother was Lucy Grymes, the
first love Of General Washington.
She was known as the "lowland
beauty" 1t grieved her to reject
his addresses, but he comforted him
self soon after by marrying the
widow Curtis. This widow Curtis
was the grandmother of General
Lees wife, Mary Randolph Curtis.
And 30 the Lees and the Washing
tons got as close together as they
could.
Ninety .one years ago one hundred
and sixty thousand people were
born on the same day with General
Lee, but not one of them stands out
in such bold and beautiful relief. |
He gets greater and grander as the
years roll on. More Biographies
have been written and published OF |
him than OF any other man. Nine
aro already before the people and |
enother now in press. His noble |
r.. 4