Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-11-21
GEN. LEES NAME IN
THE HALL OF FAME.
Come Down. Gen.. Come Down"
Is the Plea Of a Writer In
North Carolina

10 De USED In erecting haii Oh raine,
to be connected with the Columbia
University, in which the names of
100 most illustrious Americans are
to be inscribed and perpetnated. The
men, whose names were to adorn this
Halt, were to be chosen by jury of
eminent Americans, aud among those
selected by this jury was the name
OF Gen. Robert Edward Lee, the
South's immortal chieftain. The
selection of Gen. Lees uame aroused
u storm of bitter protests from the
partisan Northern press, which at
once opened u warfare of vitupers-
ton and criticism upon the South
and her chieftain. Very few of the
Southern papers stopped to answer
the slanderous articles that appeared
IN some of the Northern papers, and
little notice WAS given the matter in
the South. a writer in the Raleigh
Post takes up the matter and pens
the following article:
"Come down, general; for Gods
sake, come down" was the piteous
appeal of Gracie's Brigade, when "the
Great Captain" mounted the earth
work, field glass in hand, to make
personal observation of the lines be-
youd, looking to a great projected
strike that he had III contemplation.
Turning deaf ear to the loving calls
from below, there he stood poised in
solitary grandeur until the object in
view should be accomplished. 1t
Was sublime daring, but mighty bad
Judgment. for much | doubt whether
an Insurance expert ia the world,
coguizant of the risk, would have Is
sued him ten minute policy on a
90 per cent. premium. Then II was
that young brigadicr IF kindred
heroic mold. bounced uP the parapet
and placed himself between the be-
loved commander aud the shnrpshoot-
ers. Back to the trench. Gen. Ora
Gle" came the sharp command, aud
The equally curt reply: After you,
Gan. Lee; can catch bali AS well
as you, sir. | never expected to dis
obey al order of yours, but damn if
| DO this one, until yon first obey an
order of mine. Down into the ditch
and I'll follow.
Tradition says it was NIP and
Tuck" which got to the bottom first,
when Gen. Lee realized that he had
an insu coordinate to deal with. This
was in the closing days of Petersburg
aud the COnfaderscy. his is the
hero of heroes, the man of men that
1 ehurls and snHrling ours and pen
/ stoned patriots would Danish from
their so-called Temple of Fame,
where he wonld never have gone by
his own vote or volitiOn. This is the
almost faultless specimen of human
ity, who, according to high English
authority on completing his biogra-
pher of Marcus Aurelius prof. Long,
/ belieVe), he assumes to have been
the purest and most perfect of all
men that have lived, is ranked next
or side by side with his chosen hero.
This is the captain, who, by cOnsen-
Gus of the worlds greatest war crit
ice, is entitled to place with the
worlds recognized give greatest cap
tains of all time"
This was the professlo nal soldier
whom the chief commaL d of an army
of millions could not swerve from his
settled con victions of right and duty,
but who chose that of al i'll oe un
organized State militia in pref renee
and in obedience to the dictates of
conscience; and little later on took
without cavil or complaint u subor-
dinate command (third from top in
the army of the unfledged govern
ment, just struggling into existence.
If there ever was public reputation
absolutely free from faint. tarnish or
blemish, and replete with glory, sure
" here it was. Whet your fangs on
the file, viper. Bay the fulgent
moon, cur, you will make the same
impression on either as on the name
and fame of this man.
Does it not pass belief that such
an one as this should be deemed ever
by the class referred to as undeserv-
ing admission into the sacred portals
of this new tangled, patent hero fac
tory, in which nonentities can becon-
verified into the bogus, make believe
articles by a few turns of cranks, and
the verdict of packed jury of sec
tional federalistic selection? AS one
of the modest, unpretentious follow
ers of this more than princely gentle
man, / raise my voice with that of
Gracie's men, and cry in all fervor:
"Come down, Gen. Lee, for Gods
sake, come down." from that coterie
of immaculate "Immortals." And
try to induce two other old "arch
traitors" and maligned "rebels, y
George Washington and Thomas
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