Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-05-05
TeIophene IN office connects With all City
and County Lines.
Entered ut the Postoffice al StauntOn, Va,
as second class mall matter.
Friday, May 5, 1905.
GEN. FITZHUGH LEE.

probably the most picturesque charac-
ter in the nation, especially may this
be said when we speak of those who
became famous in the civil war. Others
have gone before, but Gen. Fitz Lee is
among the last of that great line upon
whom the nation looked with pride,
even though they espoused a cause
which was lost. He was the represen.
tative of people long held in con-
tempt, but whom the nation has found
it can trust when the necessity arises
to the fullest extent. The people Of
Virginia and the South had once been
forced into great conflict. They be
lieved that their constitutional rights
were being invaded. So sincere
were they in this belief. that they sub
mitted the question to an arbitrament
of arms. In that tribunal they lost,
and Gen. Lee was upon the side of de.
feat. It was the natural result of that
war that the purity of his motives and
those of his people should be impugn-
ed, but the wiser knew that nothing
but the highest ideas of patriotism
could have sustained such trials and
sufferings as were then borne by the
people of the South, patriotism diff
fering only in point of view, but as
sincere as that which sent forth a
Spartan son, Or inspired Spartan
mother. The national respect for the
purity Of motive in Southern leaders
soon restored such men as Gen. Lee to
national confidence. Gen. Grant be-
gan to show his confidence in them by
the appointment of Col. John 8. Mosby
to position, but the time was not then
ripe for this apparent show of conf
dence. The feeling which was kept
rampant by much of the press, and
the non combatants. made it almost
impossible for long time for the
Chief Executive Of the Government to
offer, and as difficult for a Confederate
soldier to accept place if rendered.
Some did accept position, not however
with the high hope and with a patriotic
effort to obliterate the bitterness OF
the period, but for sordid reasons,
usually forfeitlng some principle in
the acceptance.
But the day at last came when the
highest patriotism was needed, the
nation found itself face to face with g
condition the outcome of which could
not be told, nor the sacrifice estimated
A war with Spain became inevitable,
At this critical period, the calm, wise
patriotic and unselfish glance Of Pres.
ident VIM. Mckinley swept the hOri-
zon. He was just succeeding Demo.
cratic administration which had trust
ed Southern men, he found Gen. Fit2
Lee in the very center of the ap
preaching storm, there not by bis
appointment, but by that of his pre-.
dicessor and political adversary. Yet
surveying the field, wishing in all
respects to strengthen his country s
position, he resolutely ordered Lee to
remain at his post, thereby reposing
in him the absolute aud unqualified
confidence of the nation. The echo of
applause for this act, rang from shore
to shore, throughout the nation,
North, South, East and West, the
acclaim was deafening. No other ap-
pointment could have received such
commentator and none could have
been fraught with more wisdom, il
was an inspiration. The inevitable
came to pass, the dogs of war were
unleashed, the youth of the South
sprang to arms, inspired by the exam.
pie of the man who had led their
fathers. the youth of the North came
headlong South joyful in the hope that
they might be permitted to follow the
lead Of such an intrepid soldier. The
fact that Gen. Lee was not then sol.
dier prevented his commanding any of
the first troops to enter Cuba. but Mr..
Mckinley began at once to change this
condition, and had the war lasted a
little longer and had there been an
invasion of Cuba from the Northern
side, Gen. Lee would have led this, land
given the youth Of the whole country
an opportunity for which they yearned
with the deepest anxiety.
Thus did VIM. Mckinley using Fitz-
hugh Lee as the means, do more in
one hour to heal the wounds of the
civil war than all other agencies COM
binsd. Without the forfeiture of a
single principle Gen. Lee obeyed the
command, seized the flag of his coun-
try and waved it defiantly in the face
OF monarchical tyrrany; supported by
the unanimous voice of the Amer lean
people William Mckinley W isely and
periodically through Fitzhugh Lee
lifted the long suffering South to the
plane Of their fellow countrymen, i'm.
posing in them his fullest confidence,
rejoicing that if the approaching con.
fllct brought nothing more, it had
wrought this long desired and glorious
contamination. 1t is indeed a day OF
mourning in the South, and especially
in Virginia, when she consigns to
earth a son of whom she has so much
reason to be proud.
A HARD BUMP FOR NATIONAL BANKS,
National Banks have gotten black
eye recently in the defalcation of Frank
G. Bigelow of Milwaukee, Wis.,, presi.