Washington sentinel., 1900-11-24
Sen. lee ano tbe
RoIl Of Fame.


Sen. lee ano tbe protests
from news
RoII Of Fame. papers and
new spaper
correspondents has followed a recent
editorial in the New York SIN declaring
that Gen. Robert E. Lee should not be
given a place in the Hall of Fame, on
the ground that he was ga deserter"
from the United States army. It said,
in part:
cat a time when the flag ard the
Government Lee had sworn to defend
honestly and faithfully against their
enemies or opponents whomsoever'
we're in sore need of the most loyal
obedience to their oaths by officers of
the army, he wrote to General Sc oft to
tender my resignation, which | request
you will recommend for acceptance ,
Two days later, without waiting for such
acceptance or receiving dismissal from
the service in which he had been fo- 2
generation, he was appointed BY the
Governor OF Virginia to the chief COM
mand Of its insurrectiouary forces, and
the next day was publicly invested with
that command. He resigned in face of
the enemy, and while still an officer of
the United States army he ioreswore
himself by taking command OF its enc.
mics, and thus became a deserter."
Nov, these are incontrovertible facts
No army can hold together Mess it's
officers and enlisted men are faithful to
such an oath as Robert +. Lee violated.
No nation can be preserved from anarchy
unless its officers obey such an oath in
both spirit and letter. That his was a
capital military crime, a crime against
civilization, can not be denied.
"Are our words hdrsh1 That is not a
question to ask Of them. Are they true
words? At this time there has come
up a false and mushY sentimentaIity
which would have the American people
forget the outrage against the republic
committed by the rebellious forces uutler
the command OF Robert z Lee; forget
the fearful struggle by means Of which
after awful selfsaCrifices and fearful
expenditure of life and treasure, this
great nation was preserved to become
one OF the foremost powers Of ciyiliza
ton. II is that weak and mawkish
sentnentalitY which puts the name Of
Lee among the great commanders en-.
titled to the veneration Of posterity.
II is the name of an accomplish d
soldier, and man Of otherwise exem.
plarY and even beautiful life, Who tailed
TO render the illustrious service in his
country OF which he was capable, because
of the surrender Of his soldierly honor
to sssail the flag be had sworn honestly
and faithfully to serve and defend against
its enemies or opponents whomsOever.'
It was a harsh punishment he received.
but its severity was not greater than the
crime
Hail to the Stars an Stripes For.
ever and always, death and confusion to
its enemiesW
Later, in answer to some of the
protests quoted below the Sun said
Now, the personal character Of Lee
is not involved. The question is, shall
the effort to destroy the American
Republic be celebrated to Ameri IAN
youth in an American Hall OF Fame by
the exaltation ofthe name Of its FORE
most military representative in com
panionship with the heroes who founded
It aud who saved il? Why not glorify
Jefferson Davis also2 AS an enemy IN
arms against the United States Robert
E. LIE is out Of place in that hail. He
was a destroyer, not builder"
The most vigorous replies to the Suns
editorial come, as might be expected,
from the Southern press. The Northern
press, indeed, have commented on the
matter hardly at all Fair specimens OF
the Southern comment are found in the
Memphis Commercial Abbsak which
charges that the SNH deliberately
maligus a man whose name il Is not fit
to utter" and in the Atlanta Journal
which declares that "Lee is as secure
from the assaults OF sectional prejudice
as the fixed stars are from the clouds
that drift and blow about our little
earth "
Mr., w. NJ. Cumming, of Wilmington,
N. C, in a letter to the New York
Times, notes that Englishmen honor
tho names Of Cromwell, who overthrow