The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-11-21
Ices Claim 10 Fame.

y tNCii tIhIi's. Eul Iitlic INtCl
est In the discussion now in progress
concerning the list Of names of famous
men Of this country to be enrolled in
the proposed Hall of Fame They
were necessary to our fame, not we
to theirs. as has been said, and the
scheme does not, therefore, appeal to
| me as especially deserving of conimcn-
dation. y bit Of enlightenment, how
ever, on point Of history involved
will perhaps be appropriate with re-
gard to the name Of Lee.
The memory Of Robert Il. Lee will
ever be cherished and rcvcrcd through
out the earth abroad, if not without
some demur in his own land Whcth-
CIR or not, therefore, his name will ap.
pear upon the list in question is Of but
slight Importance. That the matter
was seriously discussed at all may
perhaps hereafter afford our children
some amuscmcnts. For in their day
the war may really be over at last.
But feel that the attention Of those
who still dcnouncc Gen. Lee as q trail
tor and one who fought for four years
to destroy the Union should be called
to the cruel situation which he found
himself at the opening Of the war.
Three courses Of conduct lay before
him; one Of them he must choose. In
either event he was certain to be bit
tcrly condemned and branded as trai-
tor-by the South if he deserted his
native State, which claimed his allie
glance at q time when the question
was still undecided, to which the great
er loyalty was duc-to one 8 own SOW
ereign State, or to the general group Of
States, which the civil war was about
to weld into nation. BY the North
if he felt that he had done Gas is we'll
known fact) all that he could to keep
his State from seeding, with all the
attachment lie unqucstionably felt for
the flag under which he had served so
many years especially as superinten-
dent Of West Point and with great
distinction in the war with Mexico
and yet, now that his State called on
him to serve her. i1adc his reluctant
choice in her favor.
by both North and South, he de-
cidcd to remain neutral, retiring to
some foreign land, when the fate Of
his country was in question, and
either the one side or the other was
| entitled to receive his services.
That his education ut West Point
constituted an obligation to tender
his services in return to the Northern
Statcs-rathcr than to the Southern
States who had an equal share in that
obligation-is hardly worth consider
ing, and his years Of service prior to
the civil war had certainly cancelled
/ any obligation in that regard. He
had then already made full return.
And it must also DC remembered that
tho only war contemplated was one of
defense alone-not Of attack unon the
Northern States, but to maintain tho
existing limits Of the seeding States
inviolatc. The withdrawing partners
merely resisted the effort to force
them back into partnership which
they had never formally agreed should
not be dissolved.
At that solemn moment of decision
what right has any man to criticise
this noble man choicc-cf such we'll
nigh equally distressing alternatives?
To no citizen of Northern State
was any such question presented.
His State had no idea of seeding He
simply continued as he was. But by
each Southerner m actual choice was
inevitable-in any event traitor
whether he would be traitor to his
State, to which he was bound by all
traditions Of loyalty, to his nearest
and dearest friends and relatives, or
else traitor to the united body of
States, his allegiance to which was by
no means SO clearly defined.
Do we not sympath;zc with tho
starving mother who steals food foi
her famishcd children? DO we brand
her as an outcast and a thief? Do We
not rather pray that We may never
ourselves suffer n like agony and dis
trcss?
lostcrity will do full Justice to the
noble character Of Lee. History will
yet admit that his attitude in the civil
war was forced on him by circumstan.
ccs he could not control; that he needs
no apologist for his career. His life
ended with no feelings of disappoint
ment, with no bitterness toward those
who were successful in that. great
struggle, with the respect alike OF