The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-19

Should Lee be in the Hall of Fame? Thi
| question, asked by an old soldier of tn
Union, must have occurred, and shout
have occurred, to many minds since tn
selection OF the names to be honored in tn
Hall OF Fame as the most illustrious ii
American history and most deserving O
celebration by future generations of Amer
leans.
ITO the Editor Of the Sun-SI: Can you ir
form me VIII! Robert E. Lee should have his nam
| in the Hall of Fame? -.
| what did he ever do to make his name ia
| nous, outside of being traitor to his country
| Did he not leave his Government in the hour Q
| need? He resigned his commission and while
| was being delivered lie took command Of an arm
| In rebellion against it, thus making himself
! descrtcr from his flag.
Are the American people to understand tina
| Lee. the Commander Of the Confederatsc'arccs,
| TO be named with such men WasiffS.; IN an,
Lincoln? AN OLD SOLDIER
Our correspondents summary of tn,
facts regarding Robert z. Lee is correct
They were peculiarly fragrant. Lee wa:
an officer of the Un'i.r States Army ant
had received his training as such at the
West Point Military Academy, at the cos,
of the American people. through their Ma
tional Government, and had taken this
oath accordingly: fsf 7.
II do solemnly swear that will bear true faith
and allegiance to the United States Of America
and that ! will serve them honestly and faith
fully against their enemies or opponents whom
soeyer; and that I win observe and obey the
orders of the President Of the United States and
the orders of the officers appointed over me-. &C;
cording to the rules and articles Of war;
In order to escape from that oath Rob-
ert E. Lee resigned from the army on
April 20. 1861, or eight days after the
firing was opened on Fort Sumter and
six days after its surrender Only about
a month before, or on March 16, he had
been commissioned by President Lincoln
colonel of the First Cavalry, after having
served under the flag throughout his man
hood and received consequent honor and
confidence. General Scott, hims Elf also a
virginian by birth, had. with the APPROX
al of Lincoln, selected Lee for the com
mGnd of the army of his country, and
the Office was offered to him unofficially
on April IS, or the day after secession
ordinance had been secretly passed by
Virginia. The accounts of his attitude
toward the offer are contradictory, but
Lee himself asserted, in letter to
Reverdy Johnson after the war. that he
declined the proposition. because.
though opposed to secession and GepIe
eating war, / could take no part in an
invasion of the Southern States" In
letter to his son, dated January %, 1s61,
he had written: ''The trainers CT the Con-
stitution never exhausted so much labor,
wisdom, and forbearance in it's forma-
ton and surrounded 1t with SO many
guards and securities. il 1t was intended
to be broken by every member of the
Ccnfederacy at will Actually there had
been no invasion of Virginia. Lincoln
having positively disclaimed any such In
ten;ion. and the whole effort of the Gov
eminent simply being TO regain posses
sion of United States property seized by
insurrectionists.
In his proclamation of April 10. 1861.
calling for the "a. 600 militia, Lincoln had
expressly declared that they were to be
used simply to secure the execution of the
laws against obstruction offered and to
"repossess the forts, places, and prof. erty
which have been seized from the Union"
and that 1.-The utmost care will be observ
ed to avoid any devastation or ANY dis
turbance of peaceful citizens in any Tart
of the country" Moreover, the platform
on which Lincoln had been elected de-
the lawless invasion by any
armed force of the soil of any State or
ard demanded the main
tenance inyiolate OF the rights of the
States and especially the right of each
State to order and control its own domes-
tic institutions according to ils judg-
only denying and protesting
against 1.-The new dogma that the Consti-
tuition by its own force carries slavery
into any and all OF the Territories" No
menace was offered to any State by his
election. The States of the old secession
confederacy had no more justification fer