The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-28
The6Le,ee, Statue.H1

! "
The lee Statue.
Editor OF The N Times = Dispatch:
s3ir,-I have read with very great inter!
est the various articles in your paper,
and others, too. for and asainst the pro-
position TO place a statue Of the iinIIlor-
tale Lee In the Capitol at Washington.
Strong and vigorous and logical views
have been expressed In brilliant and CON
vircing style. and knowing myself 10 %
incapable Of measuring up 70 the s "a,
dard these writer's have set, | hesl tate
10 ruslr5into print However. my feelings
on tho subject are as intense and as
genuine as theirs, and craving q small
space in your up-to date paper, shall
attempt to give them voice.
Since this matter was hrst mentioned
I have made It d point TO interview q
number 81 old soldiers in4sth.s section,
and they, without ono single exception,
ars bitterly opposed to the measure.
| These men, as a rule, are farmers VINO
read the papers closey, and have de-
cided opinions on most Of the leading
| questions OF the day though they rarely,
II ever give them public expression SOL
diers Of Lee" they were following blind
~ wherever he led, and worshipdng
,'Marse Bob" as only the common people
Eknow how to worship the man who, by
an honest devotion to duty and an ut
ter disregard OF danger, has stirred their.
hearts to love and admire. Those men
woro all on the field OF Appomattox.
ready to do whatever their General told
them 10 do. When hes ordered them TO
lay down their arms, they did 80 with
| out a word, but II he had said the word.
they would have followed him Into the
Businesses OF tho Blue Ridge Mountains.
fighting every inch Of their way, and
| lives. Receiving from his hand, his last
order to the soldiers Of the army Of
| Northern Virginia, they turned their
| faces southA ard, towards the places
! where their homes had been, yet know
ling not whether their loved ones mad q
| shelter about them Broken In health.
| many OF them with empty sleeves, rag
j ged and foot-sore and weary, they still
i believed that General Robert E. Lee was
| tho greatest soldier and truest gentleman
i this country ever produced, greater IN do
feat than was Napoleon In all his VIC
4 tories. Vi gl3s III s g g ss Is isa
/. They had surrendered, not because they
] were whipped or had lost faith In the
Righteousness OF their cause. but because
| Leo had hidden them stack arms and
sit was their duty to obey. They came to
DEVASTATED homes and empty larders. but
bringing with them the consciousness OF
duty nobly done; aye done to tho very
| best Of their ability. And further. tney
i brought the remembrance OF leader
1 whose record as a soldier and a man was
without spot or wrinkle, and that
i memory they will treasure to their dy-i
| ing day handing it down to their sons
| as their most priceless heritage. In their
i hands, the honor Of tho peerless Lee IS
i absolutely safe, for they guard It with
i fhe same Jealous care they do tho vir-5
tue and the chastity OF their daughters
i and their wives. Knowing all this. q
sought their views concerning the mat,
1 ter in question. feeling assured Fhey
would give them in sincerity and IN truth
i and am sure they did @
The newspapers OF the land, North.
East South and West had told the world
what the great men Of the land thought
4 the columns of the press had 1t literally
4 teamed with the views OF the mighty.
i and OF course, those Views carried, and
1 deserved, an immeasurable influence, but
l somehow, I wanted to know what these
4 old soldiers thought and felt on me SUD-
4 1ect, and SO, as met them casuaily
i here and there, asked their opln-
A lens, and got, too, straight from the
shoulder. direct and to the point. I'm
i hesita ttngly,t without a dissenting voice,
i they, expressed themselves us being I'M
4 alterably opposed to the plan.
need not state that this opposition
i doea not arise from any lukeWarmness
i In the matter OF honoring Lce-they stand
1 ready to confer upon him the highest
degree attalnable for the memory Of NOR
! TAI man., bit they do not think their
! great commander or the South would
4 be honored by placing IN the Federal
i Capitol the statue of the grand old Con-
i federate cheftain. And are they not
r light? Wherein lies the honor! Ihey
scout the idea ..at Lee. belonged to the
entire country-they are selfish, wanting
4 him for their very own. Il Il,
They say his courage as a soldier; his
i patriotism, his high sense OF right and
1 duty, and honor; his dignity In the hour
i Of defeat. and his NOBLE, unself1sh life
! as private citizen and public officer,
i Justly entitle him to place beside the
noblest and best the world has ever
| known In washington as Rebel, and
i known In Washington at Rebel, and
4 they viii not give their consent 10 the
i plan OF placing his statue there now.
They are satisfied with the outcome OF
i the war, have the highest regard for
/ every man who wore tho blue In honesty.
and seek not to keep alive even the faint
est spark of sectional strife. but they
| can see no honor for Lee, and none Tor
! the South In this proposed step.
These mon may be wrong, though
do not think So, but at least all VII! ac-
| cord them the virtue OF being Intensely
| honest and In earnest IN their views.
! A great many Of them had all to lose
| by the war and nothing to gain, sneak
| ing from purely monetary standpoint,
end yet their motives We're above re-
| nroach, and no truer soldiers eyer shout
| .dcred their musket. They believed in
the Justice and the Righteousness Of their
H.. t,<al,.