New-York tribune., 1902-06-18
ADAMS ON LEE.

4 high ideal of national unity is held up to
public contemplation in an impressive manner
when the title of Robert E. Lee OF Virginia to
a monument at Washington IS proclaimed by
Charles Francis Adams, Of Massachusetts. That
is the theme Of the Grafton which Mr. Adams
delivered yesterday before the Phi Beta Kappa
Society Of the University Of Chicago and which
will now take its place among the valuable
monographs recently contributed by him to
American history. Mr.. Adams does not expect
his proposition to be accepted Immediately. He
admits that the time has probably not yet
arrived for such memorial Of the great Con-
federate leader, but he believes that as to-day
the bronze effigy Of Oliver Cromwell-massive
in size rugged in feature, characteristic in
'attitude-stands defantly in the yard Of that
Westminster Hall from pole the top
..of which, twelvescore years ago, the flesh
4.crumbled from his skull so in the not distant
future "the bronze effigy of Robert E. Lee,
mounted on his charger and with the insignia
.'of his Confederate rank, will from its pedestal
''in the nations capital look across the Potomac
"at his old home at Arlington
Mr.. Adams's argument inevitably involves
the question, What is treason?' If he does not
give an explicit answer, he makes much of the
assertion that there are traitors and traitors,
and effectively quotes Cobden's penetrating OBJ
seryation that I'VE generally sympathize with
everybody's rebels but our own" Lee levied
war against the United States and gave aid and
comfort TO its enemies Technically the in
dic-nent holds firm But in what did Wash
inCton's position with respect to the English
crown differ from that of Lee eighty-fve years
later? That there were differences is true but
logically Mr. Adams would seem to think that
thev do seriously affect the situation. More
over though Washington did not hold the
Kings commission, he ardently desired to hold
it prior to the Revolution. Suppose then, that
his wish had been gratifed; would anybody at
the present time Mr.. Adams asks, have had
him do otherwise than he actually did and
as unquestionably he would have done in any
case?
Again, was the constitutional union Of the
States dissouble compact? We know now
that it was indissoluble. or at least that the
Civil War made il so. But in general those by
whom it was ratified did not doubt that it
might be dissolved, though the amazing sagacity
of Washington and perhaps of a few others en-
abled him TO discern that the withdrawal of
State would not be unaccompanied by practi-
cal difficulty" Lee loved the Union, but other
great Virginians loved it with different result.
Mr. Adams thus cites General Scott and Cen
eral Thomas, but only to point out that Scott
had not lived in his native State for forty years,
was not q planter. owned slaves, and was
essentially soldier and citizen of the United
States while Thomas was not of the old Vir-
ginia stock had lived almost everywhere but in
Virginia during the twenty-one years in which
he had held his commission had York
woman for a wife, and was more at home on the
Hudson than on the Nottoway. In the case OF
Lee heredity and environment exercised STU