The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-11
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES:
E%rAI OF SOUTHERN CITIZENSHIP. $:
4
4
This Ideal Is Reflected in the Character &:
of Robert E. Lee. ::s
........


upon his greatness as a man--as a char
acter, which, when stripped OF all its
ornature OF rank and title, and when
taken down from the high pedestal OF
historic Importance, still towers in all the
! proportions OF personal greatness For
when the evil prejudices and passions
awakened by our great civil war shall b.
completely and forever put TO sleep, when
the North anu the South shall unite In
doing Justice TO each Others best motives,
and when history snail speak 10 a bolder
and clearer voice, then will Robert F.
Lee be no more illustrious for his great
ness as a soldier than for the noble purity
/ ana integrity of his moral character
Duty was the watchword OF his life
the Keynote of his conduct always. Duty"
! ne wrote to his oldest son, lis the sublin-
est word in our language"
Irled by long Lille Of public service,
passing through the yicissitudes OF SOL
dlers fortunes, he fought back every al
lurement TO selfish ends, and brought forth
an honor unsullied by an ignobe deed
When Genera Scott, with whom Lee
mad fought throughout the Mexican war
and at whose hands he refused the SUI
preme command of the United States
army = when General Scott heard from
Robert Lee himself that he had listened
to the call of his mother State, he said,
with heart full Of honor and admiration
for his model SOLDIER Il know that
Robert Lee does this from an imperative
sense of duty And it WAS with the
recognition OF that same high motive that
his fellow officers and old comrades
lagalnst whom he was now about to take
the held) babe him 'godspeed" For they
knew that he was answering he call OF
conscience, and they knew also sometime
OF the struggle it cost him to turn against
the old flag. which he had served for two
and thlrty years. and which he had so often
led to victory
And The world knows now that II was M
balancing OF interests and advantages
by a selfish motive that racked mis- great
soul; that the offer OF the command ot
the United States army and the ASSN.
ance of indemnity against loss had dbso-
lutely nothing in the way of worldly
allurement to weight against It, His sou
was tortured by a conflicting love, anc
by the horror of people divided agalns
Itself in war. His duty to the Union anC
his duty to his mother Stare were care
J fully weighed the one against the othe
before the judgment seat of conscience ant
J the decision there rendered meant not tina
J he loved the Union less, but that he love,
his honor, his people and his Virginli
more. AS one has said of him in th
soul struggle and its issue: Since tn
, son of man stood on the mount and say
all the Kingdoms rof the earth and tn
3 glory OF them stretching before him. an,
turned away from them to the agony an,
bloody sweat OF Gcthsemane, and to tn
: cross of Calvary beyond, no follower o
the meek and lowly Saviour can hav
: undergone more trying ordeal, or me
it with more heroic spirit OF self-sac
rifce
We will not dwell upon the great Do
litical issue upon which his decision rest
ed. Suffice ii 20 say that 1t was prin
I clple held by very many Of the foremos
> statesmen and jurists of our nation anC
one declared Officially by the chief justic
} of the supreme court--a conscientious in
, depreciation of that first resolution Of in
- dependence which Lees father had OF
r fered to the house of burgesses, and hi
o uncle, Richard Henry Lee, was first Il
, offer before congress, in which 1t wa
declared, That these united colonies ar
S and of right ought TO be free and indie
i pendent States"
And let us remember here, my com
I rades and friends, that history shows u
G no great question of public interest oil
d either side of which the wisest and hes
men have not stood as opponents or an
; ! tagcnists, federation Of opinion whicl
e lies at the basis of our National constitu
e ton has long been the exponent of al
4 advancing civilization. And although mel
= are led by conflicting judgments to ar
!, the truest and the best are united by ha
r higher bond Of instructive sympathy whicl
y they and all true men must feel, love o
n personal honor, integrity of purpose, fdel
b ity to conscientious convictions.
5 And remember this, tco for hstor,
5 teaches 1t, that when the smoke of wa
d which has divided a people against itsel
5, is passed away, and that people has agai
become united, then does the nation
S claim its own. Whether found on tn
It side Of royalty or commonwealth, be h
# communist or mperialist-the true, IN
n noble and the brave ara preserved as
d nations heroes.
k Charity OF opinion was conspicuou
e element in the character of Robert L
|: Lee. He would not use his influence |
l sway the judgment of his own son whe
d that sen asked him for advice concernin
the great issue before him. His answe
was that "at a time like this every ma
should form his own judgment and folio
S his own best sense of duty" He wa
: never known to express personal AM
At mostly
? Though schooled by. long LIES eS
- perence as soldier he never learned
: hate. There was no room for bluerne.
IS in that magnanimous soul
: Even when speaking Of the opposin
Is armies his habit was not to call the
5, enemies" but their people" and "ol
! people.
IN Look at him at a moment when
lie might reasonably have given eXpressio
is to the passion of a righteous anger.
10 is not many days after the surrender +
ly is Informed of the fac, that he is abo
10 to be indicted in the United States cour
v for treason. The friend who conveys Il
s tidings gives way to expressions of Yloe
indignation. But Lee, smiling calmt
IS him, and taking him by the hanl,
ct said in his mildest tones: I'VE must 70
I'd give our enemies. l can truly say tn
not day has passed since the war beg
ne that I have not prayed for them"
l. There you have a glimpse Of the pictu
as OF The inner man,
IN That picture Of him, so Vivid in I
nd memories Of his men as he sat upon
ir horse in marble calmness during the be
lus4a@f battle is but the outward eXpressi
at and portraiture Of the poise and sci
on possession which always characterized
inner life.
he Through the ever-changing fortunes
" a soldiers life: under the severest trii
re. and provocations. in triumph in dele.
ng amid the wild shouts OF exultlnt armi
he or the loud calls Of the helpless dying
me throughout all to the end, he was ney
ill kncwn to have betrayed an unchristl
ny passion, or to have let fall from his j
III. 1T raa1N