The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-12-18
AS IT SHOULD BE.
Statue of Gen. R. {. Lee at Ma.
tional Capital.

1t Will Be Placed in Statua1y Hall
at an Early Date by the State of
Virginia.
A Washington dispatch to the
Atlanta Journal says the statue of
Gen. Robert E. Lee, which Virginia
is to send to Statuary Hall, with that
of George Washington to represent
her in the gallery of the immortals,
will soon be in position. The sculp-
tor, Edwarl V. Valentine, of Rich
mond, who enjoyed the personal
friendship of General Lee, has about
completed his work and the bronze
will soon be cast by the Gorhams,
of Hartford, Conn. Mr.. Valentine
made several casts of Gen. Lees
features Just year Of two before his
death, and those who have been per-
mitted to see the sculptor's latest
work say he has succeeded in repro
ducing a remarkable likeness of the
great soldier. It is said to equal his
masterpiece, the recumbent figure OF
General Lee, at Washington and Lee
University, over the crypt in which
rest the ashes of the Confederate
chieftain.
When the Virginia legislature
passed the bills some years ago
making appropriations for the stat
ues of Washington and Lee, there
was considerable opposition mani
tested by one or two senator's at hay-
ing General Lee represented in
bronze in the national Vainalla. AS
reply to the Virginia proposition,
Representative Weeks, of Kansas, in
troduced a bill, providing for the
erection of a statue of John Brown
on the government reservation at
| Richmond. He is said also in
tending offering bill for the erec'
ton of statue Of Brown in Statuary
Hall. Some one suggested that 1t
would be appropriate for Virginia
to retaliate by placing the statue OF
General Lee, the man who caught
Brown at Harper's Ferry, on the one
side, and that of Governor Henry A.
Wise, of Virginia, who hanged him,
on the other. Mr.. Weeks thereupon
withdrew his bill for Browns statue
in Statuary hall, but insisted on his
measure to place it at Richmond
The measure has not since been
heard of, and Weeks was not return
ed to Congress by his Kansas con-
stituents.
Since the Weeks incident there
has been little discussion Of placing
Lees stature in the national capitol
and it is not believed that there will
be any opposition to the statue hay
ing a place in Statuary hall. Presl'
dent Roosevelt's admiration of Gen
Lee as a soldier and man, and his
frank epression Of his opinion has
had a great, deal to do with the pass
ing of the sentiment against the
statue Of the Confederate leader haV'
ing a place in the capital.
The statue represents Gen. Lee
standing, his hat and gloves in one
hand, with both hands resting light
lly on the hilt of his sword. The
sword is a copy of the one worn by
the general, now in the possession OF
his son, Capt. Robert e. Lee, Jr. The
figure is clothes in the uniform of
general officer of the Confederate
army.
While no date has been fixed, it is
now proposed that the presentation
of the statue be made by Senator
Jown w. Da7lel, Of Virginia, VIII
was Gen. "Jubal" Early's adjutant
general, and that the speech of ac-
ceptance be delivered by Gen. War
rem Keifer, of Ohio, a veteran OF the
Union army.
Charles Francis Adams predicted a
Few years ago that the time would
come when a statue Of Gen. Lee
would be unveiled in the capitol OF
the United States. 1t is not unlike
ly that the prophesy of Mr.. Adams
suggested the introduction of the bill
in the Virginia Legislature.
Virginia will soon send to the cap
itol a reproduction of the celebrated
Houdon statue of Washington, which
now stands in the state capitol at
Richmond. There is now in Statu-
ary Hall a cheap plaster cast of this
statue, placed there by the federal
government. 1t has recently been
showed to the wall, and the statue
of Frances E. Willard, the founder
of the Christian Temperance Union,
placed in front of it. The way IN
which the Father Of His Country now
peeps out from behind the petticoats