Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-18

regiment the I'd Drag oons, had treach-
erously surrendered to General Ben McCeIl-
| loch his entire command, with all posts,
forts, arms, ammunition, supplies and
| equipment of every kind, while the steamer
Star of the West, laden with supplies for
the frontier troops, went into the harbor
Of 1ndianola and was seized by the "exult-
ant rebels On February o. 1861, the
federate congress, which had been called
into existence at Montgomery, Ala, elected
Jefferson Davis president and Alexander ii.
Stephens vice president for the current
year.
Over thirty millions Of federal property
was seized before President Buchanan had
,, left the White House. which was increased
to forty millions by the seizure of Harpers
Ferry arsenal and the Norfolk navy yard.
Fort Sumter was assaulted on April ~.
Lieut.. Col. Robert E. Lee had been pro-
NOTED from the I'd United States Cavalry
to be colonel of the LIST United States Cav
airy, but did not join his regiment. During
the four months he was ION leave he was
carefully watching the trend of events. He
did not wait till his state had been invaded.
Listening as he had been for some time to
the deep rumbling of the secession move
ment and becoming convinced that it would
Involve the whole south, and thus insure
strong, energetic and probably successful
attempt for a separate government, he on
the 18th day of April. 1861, the day on
which the state of Virginia was coerced into
secession rendered his resignation from the
army to Lieut.. Gen. Winfield Scott the
commanding general. with the request that
its immediate acceptance be recommended.
In letter to his sister, inclosing copy
of his resignation, he said: The whole
south is In a state Of revolution . . and
though 1 recognize no necessity for this
state fittings, had to meet the question
whether should take part against my ma
tive state
Unlike Patrick Henry, who declared, IT
am no longer a Virginia, 1 am an Ameri-
cam Robert E. Lee became a secessionist
and the leader Of armed forces against the
Ia "a To
Lincoln said in a letter to A G. Hodges
of Frankfort. KY, in 1864 that by general
law, life and limb must be protected: yet
often a limb must be amputated to save a
life; but life is never wisely given to save
limb" Lee had no hesitation in sacri-
ficing the body to the limb-he
soldier educated at the expense of the
United States government and raised to
honor in her armies, who had fought for
the flag and whose very being by every sem
timent Of duty and gratitude ought to have
been devoted to its SUCCESSIVE had time
and again sworn to support the Constitution
and defend the government. and .yet his
sacred obligation doubly sacred to him
gentleman and as soldier. was sacrificed
upon the theory that his duty to the state
in which he was born was superior to his
fealty to the nation to which he had pledg
ed his lifelong devotion. After thirty-six
years of service with the United States gov
eminent he cast her aside like a child dis
pleased with toy. Had he remained firm
in his allegiance and eXerted the influence
of himself and family 1t is not at all GER
tain that Virginia would have seeded,
that the war would have been prolonged be-
yond few months. AS If for an example to
him. his warm friend and admirer, Gen.
Scott, then commanding the army, himself
a Virginfan, did not WAIVER in his loyalty to
his country, and as if in contrast with the
weakness of Lee. when the inevitable in
vason of her soil by armed men did come,
1t was another Virginian who led the ad-
vance guard over her borders and had the
first brush with Virginia troops. sent to OPP
pose his progress.
LYMAN p GOODALL