The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-28

thing to these tributes, 1t is enough
to say that after all these years since
his death in 1870, tne climax has
been reached when q Northern man..
the president of a Northern college,,
has at last voluntarily placed him at
the head of the column and pro-.
nounced him peerless that greatest
general of modern times aud the
best Of men. Furthermore, this DR..
Andrews, who was himself = soldier
in the Northern army, makes bold to
say: "tiis cause was not the lost cause
80 much as is suspected. The doc
trine of States rights, for which he
fought, as now interpreted ..sby our
supreme court, is in exact accord
ance with his claims upon this point" 7"
When Robert, Emmett, the illus
trious Irish patriot, was condemned
to death for treason, he made a NOM
orable address to the judges and
said: "Until Ireland is free, let no
man write my epitaph." And so
when General Lee was on his last
bed and realized that death was near,
he requested that no funeral oration
should be pronounced. His request
was oDser, ed, but since then the
Southern people could not be re-
strained from giving vent to their
love and admiration. Monuments
and statues have been erected, ora
tions have been pronounced and
biographies written too numerous to
be recited. Notable men of all coun-
tries have joined in the tributes and
said Of him as Virgil said Of Aeneas,
"Cano arma ct yirum." It has only
remained for one man to write any
thing that sought to sully his fair.
escutcheon. I remember we'll the
second time I ever saw him. The
Seven Days fight was over. The
last shot and shell had been fired. I
was sent with dispatches to General
Lee, who was resting near tho whiSe
house, on York river. His head,
quarters were in large officers tent,
and as 1 approached strange spec
tacle was presented, for General Lee
and four or five of his staff were par
taking Of a scenty monday meal,
that was served on two camp tables
inside the tent, and stretched upon
the straw and partly underneath tn
table was a man lying upon his side,
with slouched hat covering his
face. His faded uniform and rusty
stars, his sword and his we'll worn
boots indicated an officer of rank,
and I was wondering what it meant,
when the adjutsnt left the table and
met me with wave of his hand for
me to stop where I was. "Make no
TO noise, please" he said, General
jackson has fallen asleep upon the
straw, and we are dining over HIM in
silence. He is exhausted and must
have sleep" 1t was a scene never
to be forgotten-7a scene fit for the
painters highest art, and would be
treasure for the modern camera.
Delivering my dispatches I silently
awaited reply, and when it was
given l rode away, but turned in my
saddle to take one moro view of the
impressive scene.
Bnt this is enough. Let US not
fail to commemorate the eminent vir-
les and noble deeds of this great
man, and to commend them to our
children and to our children's chill
dren. Thousands of good people
have the same birthday and should
feel proud of the coincidence and be
inspired by it to q virtuous life. If
[ was not too modest to speak of it,
l would whisper that l know an un-
reconstructed rebel mother who is
proud that on this 10Th day of JAN
uary she observed not only General
Lees birthday, but that oiiStwo Of
her children. With prophetic IL
spiration she did her best to honor
his coming fame. What mother could
do morer Bill ARP,
sp avr.