The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-04-18

Iuat lno uSilSH-SpoahiuS peoplcS
have brought forth-and this although
the last and chief of his antagonists
may himself claim to stand as the full
equal of Marlborough and Yelling
ton
Colonel Henderson, Of the British
army, the head of the great military
college, declares that the five greatest
generals OF the English-speaking race
are Wellington, Marlborough, Wash
ington, Leo and Stonewall Jackson.
I do not know that give. the names
in the order in which he has placed
them, but do remember that he ex-
pressed astonishment that three Of
these men were born in old Virginia.
'But our captain is not worthy,
says great newspaper of New York
City, to have place in the American
Westminster Abbey, the American
Temple OF Honor. Washington and
Jefferson, the Virginia rebels, would
be, it is claimed, offended by the
coming to their side OF Lee, their
countryman. Beyond all doubt, they
were rebels against the best Govern
ment the world had ever seen-up to
that time. Shall he be excluded be-
cause, forsooth, the same charge may
be made against him, with surely by
no means universal consent IS to
its being his accurate designation?
The sound judgment OF the electors
has been proof even against the dia-
tribes OF this thunderer of the press.
and our chieftain's name will stand
by those of his great fors-runners.
but l turn away for q few mo-
ments that we may think OF Lee the
citizen, the college president. the
humble minded Christian gentleman.
l love to think of him, the great Cap
tain, as he refused the offer which
came from New York in the days i'm
mediately after he surrendered and
the establishment Of peace, that he
should 90 there with enormous salary
to be the head OF an insurance COM
pany.
..'No,' is his response i will
tarry here in poverty, that | may, if
possible, help to build up the State
and the people in which and among
whom | was born
.'In the month Of June, 1875, re-
turned to Baltimore after my first
visit to my new home in Kentucky.
My family were still in the old homo
in Baltimore, and thither came one
afternoon, soon after my return, an
English clergyman, bringing to me a
letter of introduction. He tarried
and had his tea with US, and there
after, by my invitation, accompanied
me to the Academy of Music, where
the ladies of the city were to give a
great entertainment in aid OF the Leo
monument fund. On our arrival At
the Academy We found it crowded to
the doors, and with difficulty secured
standing-room in the uppermost gal
lery. I remarked to my guest that
he must not be surprised by the exhi-
ton of the most noisy enthusiasm,
because in the audience were many
men who had followed Lees flag, and
because all there had been in hearty
sympathy with the Confederate cause;
but I did not expect that the Bishop
was to have personal part in such
| clamorous demonstration OF admira-
ton and affection for the dead chief
tain The exercises we're begun by
an oration from MIR. S. Teackle Wallis,
the great Maryland orator, and in
concluding his splendid utterance he
spoke these words:
"'Our neighbors across the border
have been accustomed to taunt us
with the peculiarities Of our civiliza-
ton; we point them to Robert Lee al
the fruit OF that civilization and bid
them show US his follow!
"And a moment thereafter the
Bishop found himself with his hat
gone into the air. yelling like . ragged
REBEL and the Englishman looking
in amazement upon this most un.
episcopal behavior. The words have
lodged in my memory and tonight
proudly make them my own. Yes,
we point the English-speaking world
to Robert Lee as the fruit OF the civil
ization of our homeland, a civiliza.
tion now dead and gone-and for it,
departure we can now give thanks
we point the men of tho world to
Robert Lee as the fruit of that civili'
zation and bid them show us his fel'
low