The semi-weekly messenger., 1906-01-23
was with his men. this Christian SOL


dier.
How he welded together the raw
material of his mighty army into one
peaceful harmonious whole. binding ii
together with admiration for the su-
Iperb general and with noye for the no.
BILE man, who gave no thought 10 self.
accorded full justice TO every snbordi-
nate, even assumed the responsibility
for their own mistakes Colonel Hen
lderson-alas, alas. for his untimely
Ideath-in his matchless life of Stone
wall Jackson. makes Lee superior II
Jackson in this respect: 1T is doubt
full said he. whether even Jackson
could have administered a great army
under the most untowarf c.rcum-
stances with the same success: wheth-
Ter he could have assua-ed the jeal-
eusies of the different states, and have
dealt So tactfuily with both officers
and men thar there should have been
no friction between Vircinians and
tGe1rgians, Texans ard Caroliuians."
| lie us stand by sur hero al Apo
mattox. =. that moment0us AID ter
Tili,c hour three possible lines IF con-
duct lay before him. First ard easiest
ito dash his little band upon the thick
est Of the army and die sword in hard.
icIying out the famous words of the
old Guard at Waterloo We die: We do
mot surrender That devoted little
army was TO Il man ready - follow
their general to his historic and pie
turesque death. But Think Of its con-
sequences. This heroic courage
would have swept over the soldiers OF
the south. Taylor. Smi h. Forest,
Johnson would have cried TO their
men, I'VE must follow our General
we must die with our comrades
what waste Of precious life. what
the wrath of the conGueroTs. wha- the
'sn*erings CT tie women aH1 children
benefit of their protectors
| Second, Lee might have selected his
,bravest and strongest, 81 thr- U-ht
the lines of the enemy, retreated t. the
imOuntainS of Virginia AMI Nn-*h Car
,Olina. called to his $: le thg sea tered
armies, and there maintained Il cueril-
Ia warfare for years and years. What
again the probable consequences, Civ
:iliE2tiON sickenS over such & picture
iOur whole land the scene Of constant,
Ipetty fights, our people aTrayed against
iOne another: one side Struggling fOr
jpeace, the other for War:martial law,
ipressing down everywhere with its
iheaVy hand: our women and children,
|harassed and insulted. starved: the
free blacks adding to he horrors of
the situation. untitled neidS. blackened
ruins. desolated homes: No, No
ineither of these alternatives Our
lwise leader put them to one side. and
lchose the third, and at the tim the
Hardest. 'There is nothing let me
but to go and see General Grant"
i''oh. General said one of his staff.
what VIII history say of the s,7rrend der
iof the army in the neld?'' Yes.
Il know he replied. They will say
Ihard things of us. they will not TN
lderstand how we We're overwhelmed
lby numbers: but that is not the oues-
ltlon' Colonel; the question is, is it
right to surrender this army? If it is
Irlght, then | will take all the respon-
lsbility'
He looked the present in the face.
land provided for the future He rec
IoshlZed the stern fact that the object
OF the war had failed: We could not
Win our independence. What then
lean we do to bring back peace as
lqulokly and as thoroughly as possible.
Make terms With the enemy, pIacaie
ihis wrath. surrender as soldiers and
lso back nome to wOrH and live as
iqulet and useful men. He took this
tcOurse. and so showed himself our
tsreat National Deacemaker. This wise
ieXample was quickly followed through
iout our southland: army after army
tsurrendered and disbanded and in a
lteW months after Lees surrender. the
iclash Of arms had ceased and the SOL
nf
tnlechanlcS and farmers. The historian
lof our civil war marvels over the valor
fof our soldiers and their .ong and gall
rant struggle against overwhelming
Iodds: but he marvels yet more over
THAT new thing in history. over the
lrap1d1ty and the ease with which these
igreat armies melted back again into
Tthe ranks of peaceful citizenship and
Iset themselves to build again from
lfhe shattered ruins of home and for
TLune. and to this they were guided and
stimulated by the word and the life
of their peerless commander
What man of peace he was. after
Ihe laid down his arms at Appomattox.
tAe carried out most Scruplously the
Ferms of the surrender No word OF
bitterness. no imDrecation of ven
Igeance on his victorious and often
tcruel foes ever escaped his lips: he
twrcte to the authorities Of the United
Estates expressing his willingness to
comply with all honorable conditions.
asking to be included in the terms of
iamnestv: he earnestly. advised the
lseuthern officers to submit to their
lhard conditions. to remain in their
Iown country and devote themselves to
1.-THE noble work of restoring harmony
land building up prosperity: he refuse /
jail public position. thinking it would
bring np again the questions which
lought to be considered settled and
then, he accepted the presidency OF
tWasEingtOn College. and devoted the
n emaining years of his life to training
1.-THE southern youth to meet the new
conditions which faced his and their
jbeloved land Oh. yes. Fellow Citizens
Lee at AppOmattox and at Lexington
franks no whit behind Lee at Chancei-
Ilorsyille and al Cold Harbor. and so
leommend Lee the peacemaker to YOU.
las our personal example. Let US not
ireVile our enemies. personal. CONNER
t0So laf c;.a