The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-07
FEBRUARY

Tint section than tho unreconstructed
arc representative OF the truo sentiment
OF tho South ana therefore believe
that tho great lonrt OF tho North beats
IN unison with that of tho South In
honoring the memory OF tho grent OK.
tho truo manhood OF tho Bouth, Just as
know that tho South delights TO honor
tho memory OF bis great adversary who
was too chivnlrous to accept his sword ut
Appomntto1, and whose Words Lot us
have peace, fell ike benodiction upon
her sore and wounded spirit In tho hour
OF her grcat trlbulatlon and dist, ess.
1410F1's CHARACTER.
ut Is not as q representative OF che
spirit OF secession that Virginia will offer
tho statue Of Leo, nor az insisting that
the right OF secession now exists. Lee
was neYor q aecesaionlat, but, on tho con-
trary, hc called secession ''anarchy" and
snid that IL he owned 100000 slaves In
the South would give them all to save
the Union. It Ia only as her superbest
cxsample Of manhood that his statue will
DO chosen by her, believing that In pur-
lection OF character, aa tested by strug-
gle, victory and defeat, he Is uneQualled
In history. and that therefore he. and
no other. should BIO placed by the side
OF her majestic Washington, that together
they may stand through tho centuries
as chiefs OF our grand army OF immor.
tails.
Neither do we offer Leo because we
have not others worthy to stand In that
congregation OF tho nations great. It Is
rather from such q wealth OF material
that we must draw that 1t constitutes
an embarrassment of riches Our JEFF
fcrson. our Mason. our Henry. our Mad
ison. our Monroe ana our Marshall-all OF
these and many others are worthy Of that
great company, but as the statue OF Wash
ington is already In place as our repre-
sentative Of the Revolutionary time, It
seems that the most fitting selection we
cum now make Is to take the other from
q Ia ter time. and that the most stirring
period Of our history and surely none can
be found moro worthy OF this national
ccmmemoratlon' than the stainless chief
tain, Robert Edward Lee.
"Of the absolute legal right Of Virginia
to choose whom she will to represent her
In statue In this National Pantheon there
con BIO no doubt whatever The law gives
pnlpable expression to this right In terms
80 clear and explicit that no room IS left
for any possible adverse construction. It
Is positively and Enthusiastically to the effect
that every State shall have the right to
select such two Of Its illustrious dead for
this purpose az each State shall deter
niinc to be worthy of this national COM
memoration.' It then goes on to provide
that these statues, when so furnished by
the several States, shall be placed in the
Old hall Of the House OF Representatives
In the Capitol OF the United States, which
is hereby set apart. or so much thereof
as may be necessary, as National Stat
uary Hall There Is no provision in the
law giving the authority to the President
or anyone else to either accept or reject
these statues. and passing by the ques-
ton of whether Virginia was In or out OF
the Union at the time that the law was
passed and the invitation extended. will
only say that there is no question about
her being in the Union now and having
the same rights under the laws Of the
Union as every other State.