The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-20

OF the birth Of General Lee would be
observed IN all sections Of the country.
he would have beeen regarded az an un-
patriotic lunatic It Is only generation
since the passion that famed Into desc
lating war died down into glowing Goals.
and these in turn have grown cold ana
gray. Hatred and bitterness have gone
because knowlsdge and sympathy have
| made them Incredible and Impossible.
It II not strange that men who once
fought ono another have become friends;
that has happened many times IN the
history Of the world. Tho strange thing
Is that It should have happened IN so
short time. Indeed, the time In which
this revolution OF feeling has been accom-
plished has bsen no brief that DR.. Glad
den was we'll within bounds when Nc
called It moral miracle.
Love always works miracles: Is, In
deed, the only power that works mira
oles, because It Is the one supreme
manifestation OF tho Infinite. 1t Is also
the only interpreter Of man TO man.
Hate thrives on Ignorance and bears It's
hideous fruitage in the air OF nisunder-
standing: when tho light Of love breaks
through the murky clouds. the evil thing
dies at the roots. General Lee has long
been the idol Of n section; he WAS never
hated in the North as some Of his con-
temporaries wero hated; his spirit. his
bearing, the evident chivalry OF his
nature. made hatred impossible; but he
was a leader OF an attack on the Govern
ment, and he was far and away tho ablest
servant Of thu Confederacy. There could
be little hatred OF such a man. but there
were deeep and widespread luminosity and
bitterness OF feeling.
There has come great and benefit
cent change Of attitude toward the South
ern leader because the North has como
to understand both tho cause and the
man. The mlsts Of Ignorance and mis-
understanding have dissolved In air, and
the fundamental Issue has become clear.
Intelligent men no longer speak OF the
rebellion; they speak OF the Civil War;
II they wish to be- exact, they speak OF
the War between the states. From the
very beginning there were two versions
Or interpretations OF this ideal OF liberty
held In common by tbs North and the
South; one accepted the Federal Union
and tho other the State as tho unit OF
government A strong feeling of LOYALTY
to the state had been developed before
Is very little doubt that the majority Of
the men who drew up the Declaration Of
Independence. of the men who framed
the Articles OF Confederation, and Of the
men who adopted the Constitution held
more or less strongly the view that they
were organizing confedereacy of States
rather than Nation. The formal logic
OF this position Is uranswerable: It was
the logic OF national development Of
irresistible historical tendencies. that
prevailed against It. Tho passion for
liberty was alike in all parts OF the coun-
try: in the North that passion found
expression In devotion TO the Union, in
tho South In devotion TO the State. The
War between the States was conflict
between these opposing IDEAS OF the
nature OF tho government; 1t was fought
by men who were equally sincere. de-
voted. self-sacrifioing, pass!onately loyal
to their ideals OF state and OF liberty.
The great conflict was not fundamen-
tally economic. though economic con.
dit!ons made the issue more defin!ta; It
was not primarily difference Of convic-
ton about slavery, though slavery
brought 1t on and generated Its bitterest
passions: It was one OF those tragedies,
Of which history Is full. Of conflicting
ideas which cannot be solved except oy
an appeal to force. And. as in the case
Of all great tragedies, after the storm OF
passion there came a great peace; the
bewiIdering clouds dissolved In clear
air, through which the field. lately hidden
by smoke. lay in full view; and tho sequel
is not the obliteratlon OF one or other
OF the two forces. but the REIMBURSEMENT
OF what was true and enduring In both
forces; the birth OF new era OF larger
sympathies and OF broader movement
Of life. After Shakespeare had !, written rite
Lear'-thoss great tragedies in which
the plummet Is dropped into the deeps
OF human e1perience-he wrote "cymbe-
line" the winters Tale" THE Tenn
pese"-those beautiful Romances OF
Reconciliation. in which compa ssion.
sympathy. self-sacrifice, and the divine
insight OF love bridge the chasms tina
hate has opened and heal the wounds OF
war. To the great Tragedy OF the civil
War has succeeded the greater drama OF
Reconciliation and Reunion; the heroes
begin to change places. the victories
cease to be the triumphs OF sections. the
Nation opens its eyes and finds itself
enriched for all time by chapter IN It's
history which 1t may call In the future
''The War OF Ideas and the Birth OF
Heroes"
In this transformation. this acceptance
by all, OF the men who were once heroes
Of sections, there Is nothing strange;
what is strange Is that the heroic on
each side should - can find recognition
nv the other side. 10 hundred and
sixty years ago England was rent asunder
by devastating civil strife; and the coun-
try was ablaza with hatred and anger.
The Puritan thought Prince Rupert a
goddess Royalist enlisted III an unholy
wa against the children vi light: the
Royalist could find no words with which
| to express his adherence OF Cromwell,
the fanatic and traitor who had betrayed
his church, his king, and his country;
and Puritan and Royalist united In their
cond emnation OF Lord Falkland. whose
heart was divided between his love OF
order. dignity, the splendid traditions OF
LOYALTY, ana his English love OF liberty
hatred OF tyranny, and passion for the
rights OF the Individual. To-day. when
| the King goes to Westminster to open
Parliament, he passes the statue OF the
| great Protector set like king amons
kings; every Englishman knows the
story OF Prince Rupert's dashing foray
out Of Oxford on night In June. 164s
! the furious ride through Oxfordshtre and
| the fiery charge on Chalgrove Field where
Hampden fell; men OF all parties honor
the memory OF Lord Falkland. whose
heart broke under the weight OF calami-
| ties which he could not avert. This
| change that took many decades to &C.
complish in England has been wrought
| here In generation.
| Out Of the clouds and darkness Gen.
eral Lee energies victorious; as Marcus
| Aurelius had said, Misfortune noby
borne Is good fortune" His genius FOL
L II -, S~wA ,0ct