Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1903-01-30
The LEE SIAIuE.

Why should tle statue of Robert
Edward Lee be placed in the statua-
ry hall of the capitol at Washington :?
The Nation, with big N, is not the
government of the Federated States
under written constitution which
Lee served as soldier prior to 1851.
This Nation today stands for violated
and spurned constitution; for a CEN
tralized power, that has forgotten, in
its arrogance and pride of vulgar
wealth, the meaning of liberty as
Washington, and Jefferson, and Madi-
son, and the other patriots of the rev.
olutlcn understood it, This Nation,
with big N, represents all that the
men OF 1776 fought against-the power
of taxation without representation,
the irresponsible and contemptuOus
pride of caste, the tyranny of the
wesk over the strong.
The Federal Judiciary. which MI.
Jefferson in 1922 spoke Of in a letter to
VIM. L. Barry, as "a power installed
for life. responsible to no authority,
advancing with noiseless and steady
pace to the great object of consolida-
ton, has long since accomplished
that terrible purpose. 1t assumed to
itself in an early day of it's history the
right to act as ultimate arbiter of
constitutional Interpretation in the
case OF Marbury VS.. Madison, a case
that was violative of all experience.
up to that time, in the knowledge of
men trained under the Anglo Saxon
system of Jurisprudence. 1t enuncia-
ed the doctrine of sovereign power"
in the Legal Tender cases; and it has
in every instance thrown its influence
against popular rights. Its judges
have been impeached for packing
juries, and for delivering political
harangues; and On the income tax
cases it cast its uncertain and waver-
ing voice for the wealthy in the social
struggle that sought to impose on
riches their just share of the burden
of government.
The president of the Nation-him-
self truculent and heated semi bar
barian, whose alleged Southern ances-
tors has not prevented him from defy
ing the decencies that are known of
and respected by all Southerners of
of responsibility is more
om nipotent in bis sphere than the
Kaiser OF the GERMAN Empire, or the
Jzar OF all the Russias. He has the
right to dismiss his subordinates at
will. He has the power of giving ex-
preston to the sovereign Will of the
United States. He can call cut the
militia of the States. He controls the
landing military and naval establish
nents. He can recognize any State
government he sees fit to recognize.
lie can invade foreign country, and
blockade it's forts. He has unlimited
Executive powers in time of war, and
he can appoint his own successor in
lamiDg bis cabinet.
The Congress of the Nation has long
go destroyed the media of commercial
4chaI &c created by the States; it
ontrols the election of it's own men,
ers by the States, and says who are
ual1fied and who are not and with
Is to riff laws it has taxed the many
or the benefit of the few, and has Gre
ted Frankenstein which it is unable
control in the person of the trusts.
The Nation, protesting the Monroe
Doctrine in the Western Hemisphere,
as violated it in the Eastern, and as =
'rting itself to be representative i
overnment based on the consent of
le governed, it is holding down with
le bayonet a conquered and alien
eople in the Philippines. t
Why should General Lee, who was a o
lrginian. and stood for all that Vir-
mans have stood for, be Knocked in
memory with marble statue in
g scene of these calamities! More a
ting for him the monument, where y !.
lies recumbent, under his native :
y at Lexington. More fitting for him s.
IN any monument, the memory of
countrymen and fellow soldiers who y,
" recall in that memory the words F
the Roman poet: tt
Here lie those in peace, at
Who died for their country, and with it," tn
l.,