Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1907-01-23
GENERAL LEE A
NATIONAL HERITAGE
GLOWING TRIBUTE TO THE
GREAT SOLDIER BY NORTH
ERN EDITOR.

If any man had predicted forty
years ago that the one hundred an
niversary OF the birth Of General Lee
would be observed in all sections of
the country he would have been re-
garded as an unpatriotic lunatic.
There has come a great and benefi-
cial change of attitude toward the
Southern leader because Che North
has come to understand the cause
and the man. The mists OF ignor-
ance and Misunderstanding have dis
solved in air. and the fundamental is
sue 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 YER
sions or interpretations OF the ideal
of liberty held in common by the
North and the South one acceuted
the Federal Union and the other the
State as the unit OF government A
strong feeling Of loyalty to the State
had been developed before the Union
was called into being There is very
little doubt that the majority OF the
men who drew mp the Declaration Of
Independence, OF the men who franz
ed the Articles OF Confederation. and
OF the mez. who adopted the Consti-
tuition held more or less strongly the
view that they were organizing a
confederacy OF States rather than n
nation. The formal logic of this po-
sition is unanswerable: II was the
logic of national development. OF ir-
resistible historical tendencies. that
prevailed against 1t. The passion for
liberty was alike in all parts OF the
country: In the North that passion
found expression in devotion to the
State. The war between the States
was a conflict between these opposing
Ideas OF the nature OF the Govern
ment; 1t was fought by men who
were equally sincere. devoted. self
sacrificing, passionately loyal to their
ideals Of State and OF liberty.
Out OF the clouds and darkness
General Lee emerges victorious; as
Marcus Aurelius had said, "misfor-
tune nobly borne is good fortune. ."
His genius for war puts him among
the foremost soldiers Of his age
his purity, his courtesy, forgetfulness
OF self. devotion to duty. place him
in the front rank of great Americans.
The bitterness of the conflict between
irreconcilible duties through which
he passed will be one OF the nobIest
American traditions. "If owned the
four million slaves In the South, :
would sacrifice them all to the IN
ion," he said to Mr. Blair; but how
can ! draw my sword on Virginia.
my native state?"
The time is not distant when In
every place where the stautes Of he
roes are placed for remembrance and
for inspiration tn figure Of Robert e.
Lee will stand among the peers;
when the cities of the North will
set HIS efigy in public places, and
tell his story TO the children in the
schools The time is not distant
when the image Of Lincoln will touch
the heart Of every man Of Southern
birth with a sense OF his human great
ness, his human tenderness his hu-
man wisdom, and monuments OF his
noble memory will rise on Southern
soil; for he was the truest friend the
South had In IT'S darkest days. In
such interchanges OF sacrifices, noblI-
ity and greatness the tragedies Of
conflicting convictions are finally
reconciled and the world is moved
forward into the light Of a hanpler
day.