The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-06-06
MONTAGUE AND LEE

Bedford Monday afternoon, delivered an
eloquent culogy upon Gen. Fizhugh Le'
100 connection with an expression OF mys
tiiicatiou how the famous Confederate
cayaIrymnu could have been defeated fol
the Sruutc ln lNH3 hy an obscure coun
try lawyer like Thomas ;. Martin.
This was iu common parlancc Al play
10 the galleries lts purpose was t'
awaken % feeling ol resentment against
Senator Martin among old Confederate
soldiers uud Others who rver the nam,
ui l.,,. ln connection with the Civil War
II i-uut campaigning on the highest line
perhaps hut 10 h. fair enough a. the gam,
ui politics i- playrd-and nobody accuse'
the Governor of not playing the gam'
Tor AN that is in sight.
lu view of Mr. Montaguc's hld for th'
odd soldiers vote iu his senatorial cam
puigu and his almost r'yrr'ntial uS' o
thc name oi lee. IL il lair Ia inquln
whether hr has nt all times h's.n H. loya
% tlnr old Confederate sentiment and as
careful to pay deserved homage to th,
gu'atrSt of NirginianS who ever bon
that historic name.
A. i~ we'll known. the federal govern
mrut permits each State of the Union to
plucr boo Staiuurv Hall IN the capitol at
Washington. statues ui Two distinguish
cd citizens There j. mo- restriction ~ In
~eN. creed color. or field of distinction
aud tine result Is that Statuary Hall is
rapidly filling with figures of pioneers
soldiers. statesmen and publicists who
have added mstcr To American history
each freely chosen 10y the respectiy,
States which they npn'scnt
During thr SESSION OF the Virginia beg
i-aure of l9O2-3, acting under the led
rral law inst cited. % Till passed both
Houses iur thr erection Of statue oi
Cen Roher; T.. lcr in Statunry Hall
lu thr Senate the vote stood ~ 10 ,; IN
ihr HOUSE il WAS IL tu Z. Between th,
Introduction of the hill and its final pas
Sap,. several more Or less Ob~cun, Grand
ARMY Posts IN the North adopted rpso.
miion~ irrrly drnouncing the proposed
action Oi the State of Nirgluia, on the
familiar thnadhan ground that Robert
T.. l.,,. was traitor To the Republic
and that thr national capitol should not
h, permitted % shelter statue ep'cted
. IfI III~ IlIf'lIifNl iftANN'Al NliNAlA W
made Odiuu~. etc.. etc.-a sentiment. su
mr u~ applying tu the stainless character
and military greatness OF tins noblest oi
Virginia patriots. Is not entertained 10y
one man In thousand who actually
confronted Robert T.. L'e ON the field Oi
battle
Under fire of this sort the Legislature of
Virginia did the only thing which State
pride and ~clin'-pcrt permitted. II passed
the hin with practical unanimlty and
sent 10 90 the Governor for his approval
or di~approva But Notwithstanding
thare We're only dissenting votes in the
senate and in the House of Delegates.
Governor Montague saw tt 10 withhold
his -ignatun-niu~ed to sign the bill
but allowed il 10 become law without
bis signature Ills reasons. as given in
20 newspaper interview. were that Gen.
l,e did not need any such monument
and that IL ought not 10 b. forced
against any -uchconsiderahle opposition
aS had developed. H. said no man had
greater admiration for Gen. Lee than he,
but he regarded this effort 10 honor him
a~ unnecessary. unwise, and ineXpe-
dicnt
Holding such view. in all candor and
manlines- GOV. Montague should have
vetoed the bin and let the legislature
pass it over his veto. The result would
have enabled the Governor To 90 on
record in an official way and il would
have permitted the General Assembly TO
have emphasized its loyalty to Gen. lee =
.,..f.t.I Yin
ginia~ prcrogative 10 select her own
son. for national houors. the same as
other States. without interference or
dictatiOn from the outside.
But the Governors course OF proce-
dure - which was equivalent 10 a
"straddle' put Virginia in the humilia-
ting attitude ol attempting 10 honor
the memory of Robert T.. Lee in halting.
hali-hearted fashion - the Legislature
pulling one way and the Governor
another.
About the time the Iee statue bill was
bciorc the Virginia Legislature the early
moves in the Presidential game Of 1904
were being played on the democratic
checkerbOard IN New York. The reOrgan-
izcrs Werrat work for the 'recrudescence
of the democracy. as they called il, after
thedisasterand debauch of Organism. 1t
was part Oi the game To capture the
South by an appeal TO sectional pride.
n was agreed that the time had not yet
arrived for an px-COniederate soldier TO
be- put on Presidential ticket but it was
thought good politics 10 name a South
pruer for vice -president-One identified
with the South by birth and residence,
but not carrying the handicap OF actual
service in the Confederate Aruy. COnse-
0npntly. he must be young man. de
should be occupying a position OF prOmi-
npnce at home and be gifted with elo-
auence and striking personality that
would attract attention in the North. In
short. Governor Montague filled all the
reuuirpments. He was given social and
noiitical attentions in New York and in
n tentative way was grOOmed az a
nrospective nominee for vice-presldent in
a campaign for reorganized Democracy.
At this stage of the game the young
Governor of Virginia would have ceased
lo comply with the agreed plans and
spocifcati0ns the moment he signed bill
tn perpetuate the fame OF the great mill
torv genius of the Southern Confederacy.
He might as we'll have borne arms
against the flag in the Judgment OF
the self-appointed wet nurses OF regen=
Grated Democracy, as to have signed a
bill to honor an "arch-traitor" like Gen.
Lee.
The Governors situation was natural
" embarrassing. To veto the bill would
raise n clamor in the South. To sign it
would disqualify him politically with
certain democratic managers in the
North.
So he neither signed nor vetoed. He
let the bin become law by default, and
explained his attitude on theground that
the bill was unnecessary, unwise and
inexpedient.' .' in the face OF the opposl-
tion of n few fre-eaters, who were de-
scribed by Fitz Lee at the time as 'prac-
ticallv invisible in war and are trying to
make up for such deficiency byappearing
10 be invincible in peace.
Whether all this had anything to DO
with influencing his action or not, Gov.
Montague owes it to the people OF Vir-
oinia 10 explain why it is any more nee
N 1 f,r him = "A