Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-16
THE R. E. LEE STATUE
AN EX-NoRTHERN SOLDIER AP-
PROVES THE PROJECT.
A Virginian Denounces It and the
Comparison Between Wash
ington and Lee.
A Federal Veteran Approves.

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
l believe the war has been over long
enough to enable me to read my own heart
regarding such matters as the proposed
Lee statue free from rancor and ill-consid-
cred warmth. l was not in sympathy with
the cause to which Robert E. Lee devoted
his great abilities, and for many Of the
earlier days of my life l have felt the re-
verse of kindliness for those who strove all
they could to destrop the government as
founded by the fathers" But the after
noon of life brings with it more disposition
to reason calmly, to judge fairly, to let
passion have no part in summing up the
verdict. At least that has been the process
time has worked In me, and l have con-
cluded here and now to express views that,
honest and candid as you know them to be.
may not please some of my comrades of the
Grand Army of the Republic. That they
will please still less the fierce non-com-
batants with whom the term traitor
comes so readily, is a fact that l take for
granted. and one that disturbs me not at
all
If there Is a class of men for whom
feel the most sincere admiration 1t Is the
survivors of the legions who gathered un-
der the stars and bars" That they were
honest in their belief that duty called them
to arms under the southern banner, | be-
lieve as implicitly as l know that l cham
pioned the Union cause in 1861, boy OF
sixteen, without the inducement of the high
bounties paid later on. and the man who
calls these hundreds of thousands "trai-
tors resort to cheap claptrap that no
thinking man should indulge in. The ma
ture OF the tie that bound the states to-
gether was mooted question right up to
the day when Lee determined to lay down
his United States commission, to relieve
himself from the obligation his oath i'm
posed and to jeopardize every dollars
worth Of property he owned In the world
by offering his sword to the state that he
thought had the first right to his alleg-
lance. That man was no traitor, and
want to go record right here as express
ing that opinion.
I have no word of defense, certainly not
OF praise nor even respect, for those men,
bers of Buchanan's cabinet. who. having
taken a solemn oath to protect and defend
the United States. schemed and planned
and executed SO as to leave the govern
ment from whose service they had not the
honor to retire, ss defenseess as possible.
Those men-let history supply their dis
honored names-were traitors. They de-
served death by hanging. But Robert e.
Lee was incapable of the crimes that lie
at their door. He did no plotting When
he had arrived at the parting of the ways,
he chose his course before all the world,
and having determined on 1t, he gave the
best that was in him to a cause that years
before its end must have been by him re-
garded as devoid of hope.
Nearly forty years have passed since the
surrender at Appomattox proclaimed that
this was Il nation, that no more qubbling
should keep asunder the different portions
of the land. 1t Is knitted together by
oceans of blood, by rivers of womens
tears. The boy soldier of sixteen is seeing
the wisdom of putting his house in order,
the second genera tOn has passed the meri-
dian of life. Already once since brother
was slain by brother. call to patriots has
gone forth. And how did the south re-
spond? Where stood the man who bears
~ - I or he rg n
these queries all that need be said on the
topic that has called forth so many angry
words? The soldiers of the south gave
proof in 1898 that they were full-fedged
Americans. Their sons followed with en-
thusiasm the glorious flag that Is theirs
forevermore. The men who sacrificed all
In their devotion 10 the cause that was lost
would not today rend the Union If they
could. They do not repent in sackcloth nor
in ashes, but they recognize that 1t was
well for their childrens children that they
lost in the great struggle. And II they
want to show that they remember in honor
the great captain of that vanquished host,
who will blame them for it? In the words
of our great captain, then, Let up have
peace" AUGUST DONAIH.