The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1907-01-26
Robert 3 Lee, American.

IHeTe was blme WneQ bODerG n
Lee was widely regarded as his coun-
try's arch foe Yesterday the one
bundreth anniversary Of his birth was
observed in the North as well as 10
the South aud the principal address
OF the occasion was delivered by a
soldier 10 the Army OF the Patomac
who father was war minister to
England The change OF feeling lndi-
Gated by the general recognition Of
the character of the great Confed-
crate is one Of the miracles Of history.
This transformation is due partly,
Of course, to the mere aff1ux Of years
But another factor is the growing
recognition Of the fact that Lee was
not in reality disloyal to his govern
ment, but that his loyalty took the
form Of devotion to ideals that had
uncousclously been abandoned by
majority Of his countrymen. He
he sto ID for that earlier theory Of
sovereignty which-Daniel Webster
to the undoubtedly pre-
vailed among the founders Of the
republic Historians are now agree
ing that few men who voted to adopt
the constitution supposed they were
setting up governn ent superior to
that Of the states. "Is it to be
expected. wrote Senator Maclay OF
Pennsylvan in 1870, "that a
federal law passed directly against
the sense of whole state will ever
be executed In that state9"
WebSter's elaborate theory Of
nationality, based on the expression
in the preamble of the constitution,
"we the pe"ple Of the United States, +"
Is disOredted when it is recalled that
the earlier drafts added tho thirteen
states by name and that the change
was maze bee ,use it was not known
which Of the states might ratify the
document In 1925 William Rawle
of Philadelphia, au eminent lawyer,
published his "Vlew OF the Con.
Sttution" which was used as a text
book at West Point until 1870 This
book taught that states might with
draw from the Union at pleasure.
And his was the instruction that
Robert e. Lee received while a
student in the military academy.
TIE fact is that tie constitution
sci up two fo!d authority and left
time TO decide which should become
supreme. For several years the
balance hung nearly even. 1t was a
Massachusetts representative who
threatened secession because OF the
Louisiana Purchase and il was New
England that discussed Withdrawal
in the War OF 1912. Later the
orces OF industry and 20 lmerce die
their Matchmaking work IN the North
The industrial ates depended on tht
national government for tariff hell
aud 'or internal improvements S
Their factories developed town lif,
, on which tradition rested lightly
+ The immigrants 20 the Nortnwes
built states that felt a primarl
e allegiance to the nation which hal
e created them. Thus. by 1860 stean
! and electricity had natlo1alized feel
j Ing in the North.
Meanwhile, the plantation life o
the agricultural South had preserve,
the traditions Of Colonial Americt
. Besides, slavery had fostered th
: doctrine Of state rights and had KEEP
q the Southern states out of some mai
Y tendencies Of the Nineteenth cen
q tury-the movements toward nation
ality and toward Humanitarian
Property rights In the peculiar in
sutton" led men to set up state soy
4 erelgny against possible encroach
ments from the nation and to ignor
the spreading sentiment for liberty
So 1t fell out that under the stress o
! passion the South asserted the olde
s belief in the supremacy Of the stat
! and Lee became Its foremost exponen
In the field.
:, In going with his state Lee wa
!, loyal to ideals that once were suprem
J, in America. The fact that lin
v has proved them impossible does no
;, alter the worth Of his devotion Q
}, detract from the heritage which hi
J, memory has become TO his country