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

their belief that they could not rebs
against King George without breakin
their oaths of allegiance and perjurn
themselves. But the mass of American
then held strongly to the theory that act
which they regarded as infringing thei
rights absolved them ipso facto from al
ieGiance to the Crown of England.
They believed that the cause of the colo
MES was the cause of every citizen o
those colonies, and that when the voice
OF the people, through the Declaration O.
independence, pronounced for separation
1t was the duty of every American to joir
with his fellows to accomplish that object
| irrespective of what previously might have
been his individual views or scruples con.
| corning the movement In this our fore.
fathers no doubt were right. There is
such thing as a public mind, judgment
| and conscience. considered as the sun
OF individual thought -mindedness
craftsmanship. and patriotism in the COM
munity. To this principle and force a
single man may we'll think that he ough,
to make his personal opinions subservi-
ent, when his kith and kin and neighbors
over an unbroken area of thousands of
miles. and in numbers amounting to mil
lions. have decided to invoke the sword
and revolution against what they regard
as an invasion of their liberties.
1t was to such universal public opin-
ion that Robert E. Lee subordinated his
solemn conviction that the war was IN
necessary, and his undoubtedly deep and
sincere love for the Union. But he only
did what his sire of glorious memory had
done before him, in taking up arms
against his King. We will not admit the
necessity for discussion of the differences
between the causes which led to the re
beilion" of the father and the sen.
Neither before the high court of honor,
nor at the bar of God, can anyone justly
accuse either of being traitor.
1t is high time that the passions, the
partisan blindness. and the uncharity of
the civil war period should be forgotten
forever. Grant the contention that the
people of the South were wrong in their
construction OF the Constitution. They
thoroughly believed In 1t, and how many
thousands of them sealed their faith with
their blood, One cannot indict a whole
people of treason, and the Southerners of
separate and distinct from their neighbors
across Mason and Dixon's line. Their
unique and in some respects archaic civ
ilization was their own. Their traditions,
habits of thought, and their ethical and
social standards were sui generis. When
destruction threatened the whole fabric
they may have been right or wrong in
the abstract in offering battle to the
death to preserve ii to their children
but in the concrete it must be admitted
by every candid man. that their right OF
appeal to revolution was undoubted 1t is
merely borrowing gall and NORWOOD
from dead past to call them, or any
of them. traitors.
What is more, the greatness In the camp,
field, and council of splendid Americans
like Robert E. Lee, who fought like
Christian soldier and gentleman for what
he felt in the sight of God to be right
eous cause, is glory to our country and
race. They who cannot give him credit
for the same conscientiousness that i'm
buee Grant, Sherman, Sheridan. and
Thomas, who were on the other side,
should learn a lesson from the respect in
which the name, character, and achieve
ments of George Washington is. and for |
three generations or more has been held |
In Great Britain. From the British point !
Of view he, too, was rebel" AS a |
colonel of provincial troops he had taken |
the oath of allegiance to the King. II he |
had been captured early in the war lie |
would have been hanged. Yet this rebel |
and traitor" as he was called by most |
oyal Englishmen while the struggle last
ed, was soon forgiven and his life and ac-
held up as an example |
worthy of emulation by the youth of all |
ages. But we are afraid that |
he Sun" is not prepared to agree with
Is in this view, for it says:
eat this time there has come up a false and
nushy seniimentality which would have the
american people forget the outrage against the
Republic committed by the rebellious forces nm
her. the command OF Robert +. Lee; forget the
earful struggle by means Ct which, after awful
ef-sacrifce and fearful expenditure OF life and
reasure. this great nation preserved 10 he
ONE one OF the foremost powers of civilization.
IS that weak and mawkish sentimentaty which
'uts the name of Lee among the great command
rs entitled 10 the yeneraticn Of posterity.'
II honor TO the memory Of noble and
mawkish sentimentality," then we are
onvinced that majority of the American
eople today are open TO the charge of
eing full of it; but ii does not lie in the
louths of party and an Administration
hitch fed an army of Northerners and
outherners, fighting shoulder to shoulder
4 the Spanish war. on rotten beef, which
robbed the brave Admiral
chley of the laurels of his victory over
ervera, and which violated and defed the
constitution to set up carpetbag des-
otism in Porto Rico, to say much on the
inject. The Republican house is too
uch structure of trust manufactured
lass for that.
Is II, indeed, weak and mawkish senti-
lentality which puts the name of Lee
lie generation of posterity?'' Ask the I
ficers and soldiers who fought against t
i'm in battle! Obtain the opinion of the |
vilized world, The answer inevitably
ill be that the man and his personal !;
nd professional grandeur have added i
ndying glory to the name 'American!" L
nd should he, one Of the greatest SOL il
ers of modern times, one OF the purest I
men, and the soul of honor and chiv-
ry be excluded from the American Hall
Fame? 1t is impossible to conceive of :.
uything SO pitiably unworthy of our :,