The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1905-01-01
ROBEET E. LEE.
Characterized az the Greatest Man OF
the Modern Age.


| Der 80: There is no man of the Modern
Age who has soimpressed his real char
Iacter upon the PEOPLE of every civilized
icountry as has Robert E. Lee.
i He was the hader in cause which
failed; the most conspicuous actor in
the drama Of great national revolution
which came to raught; the commanding
general in a tremendous and terrible
war who led an invincible army against
vastly superior odds through an almost
unbroken succession of victories, to a
final defeat, and yet he stands SO high in
the judgment of the world as a grand
patriot, an Incompatible field marshal,
and a citizen of such devotion to duty
and a man so heroic in deed, so noble in
nature, and so lofty and splendid in
character that he has become an object
of almost universal admiration, with
| none to offer word of depreciation.
These articles were suggested by an
article on General Lee in the December
issue of Gunten's Magazine. 1t is a
Northern publication, and the article in
question is in connection with a review
of the recently published volume by his
son, Captain r. E. Lee, containing a
great number lof personal letters written
by the general to friends and members
of his family. In these letters one sees
the inner life iof the man, so that it is
possible BY their aid to obtain an init
mate knowledge of the personality of
one whom history has recorded as one
of the most iiiustrious of any period in
the annals OIL public men. The follow
ing is from Qunton's:
Every day that has passed since APP
pomattox has SERVED to sweep away the
clouds of detraction that at first OBJ
seured the namd of Robert E. Lee, until
the chief military leader of the Southern
Confederacy now stands out before the
world forever ash the greatest command
er, not only OF the civil war, but since
Napoleon. This lis now willingly adj
mitted even by hiA enemies, as it has al
ways been admitted by competent and
impartial foreign critics. Only one thing
more was needed to complete the po-
trait of the man himself. outside of his
great abilities as military chieftian.
Nothing could nsossiby have done this
better than fine publication of his private
h.f3tS of fi,o3
admirable volume before us. We have
had appreciation of Lee as soldier,
from countless sources; and the world
had already formed its judgment Of him
as the greatest general that this country
has produced; but it was still necessary
for the world to see this simple and
beautiful character, as it is unconsciously
|unfolded in his domestic letters, to APP
Ipreciate fully the simplicity and the no.
|bility Of the min.
1T is, indeed, a remarkable thing that
a man who generation ago led the
armies Of a section Of the country then
in revolt--or rebellion, as the reader
may prefer-should so soon, by mere
force Of his n1atchless ability in the field
and his unspotted character as a man,
be recognized, even by the portion of the
country he opposed in arms, as the
greatest example Of American ability
and civic virtue. This alone is fame
enough for any parsonage in history
For years it was the natural impulse of
Northern writers to place Grant, by rea-
son OF the success Of overwhelming
numbers and resources, as the greatest
military 1eades produced by the civil
war. But in tl1k cooler and clearer light
of long peac4 il has been inevitable
that Lee should lake the first rank. How
different would 4 have beer, and how
great indeed would Lee have lowered in
American history if Gettysburg had
been Southern lketory! And Lee him.
self has said, and against his Judgment
there can be no APPEAL, that had Jackson
been at GettysbSrg the Federal army
would have been dictated
The principal value Of this book con-
sists, therefore, not in its treatment Of
Robert Z. Lee as 4 commander, but in
is dealing with him as a man and as a
citizen. For the first time we have here
an adequate presentation ef Lee in his
private life Other books have been
published that are necessary in forming
an estimate Of Lee as a soldier, such as
the invaluable work by the Rev. j. WI
Jones, chaplain IN Lees army, and the
work BY General a. &. Long, his secre-
tary in the field; but this book must be
read for full knowledge and under
standing Of Lee private life. Il is by
far, therefore, the most valuable book on
General Lee that has yet been published.
The ai1ti,or, 81 u rather the compiler.
lapfain Robert 6. Lee, sen Of the great
general. acted wisely in giving up the
bulk OF the space at his command to the
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