The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-11-12

Military Memoirs of a Confederate"
that may provoke some discussion. l
nave not seen it or read any paper
upon it, but | have seen it mentioned
that he discusses the military plumbers
OF Generals Lee and Jackson, and goes
SO far as to charge that but for Gen
eral Robert f Lees want of general
ship the south would have won.
English NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., biogra-
piers, critics, politicians, editors OF
newspapers and others have essayed
through the last ten decades to show
UP the mistakes and shortcomings of
the greatest military genius of the last
twenty centuries-Napoleon. Of
course that supreme master of
war was guilty Of errors, Sc
rlous plumbers, and he knew
it. But who else could have
fought his battles and won as many !?
General Lee was human, peaceable,
imperfect He failed no doubt some
times, but he remains the greatest
military commander born in the
United States. General Winfield Scott
said that Lee when but a captain did
the greatest work of any man who
figured in the Mexican war. General
Lord Wolsley, who fought in five diff
ferent wars, and was commander-in-
chief Of the British army up to "a few
years ago, says in one of his enter
tanning military books. that General
Lee was a greater soldier than the
Duke of Wellington. Colonel
Chasnay, the highest military au-
thority in the English army, thirty
five or forty years ago, wrote in
"Blackmore's Magazine" that Lee was
one of the three greatest generals of
the English speaking race. But Lee
"blundered," and but for him the
Southern C~onfederacy would have
triumphed. Bah. 1t is so very
easy to criticise. Bill Arp, the
Georgian, wrote that if only our fore
sight was as good as our hi~ndsight, it
would from many blunder free US"
Just SO. All recall the we'll known
stanza of the inimitable Robert
Burns:
"Oh wad some power the giftie gle us
To see oursel's as others see us!
It wad frae monte a Iunde free US,
And foolish notion
In studying the records of wars and
the faults of commanders, we may
we'll remember another Saying-a
couplet-of the same famous Scotch
poet:
whats lone we partly may compute
But know not hat resisted"
As have mentioned | have not seen
the book-the criticism upon the two
great NirginianS, and the author may
| not nave QcDGeCld ISd Lee Vi loDDtu
him in the least of his we'll won fame
believe the aureole hat surrounds
his name is of unfading SplendOr,
Read DR.. Henry E. shepherds superb
book on Lee, a very graceful, elegant
celebration Of the great genius of the
South's greatest commander rich
North Carolina tribute. Since Writing
this, | lave seen that what is known
as the Burnside Post of the Grand
Army"-the very army that Lees
army thrashed 50 tremendously or
many hard fought fields" was in
decent and s~candalous enough re
Gently to assault General Lees char
acter as a soldier. and in most shame
full, slanderous style. But what car
you expect, even after forty-two years
since the great war closed. from yul-
gar grained fellows of the baSer sort
who were of the army that conducted
war as b~arbarianS and Vandals, an6
who pillaged n outraged n burned
as they have. Savages would have
done no more. See Sherman's cam.
paign in Georgia. The cause of thu
b~rainless, bullying, yillainous attacl
on the most peerless of Americans
and the purest, most merciful. mos
knightly Of all commanders in history
was what a young minister of tht
Gospel, Rev. John Van Schaik, Jr.
said in an address before one of tat
high schools in the beautiful Washing
ton City last February, in which tn
exalted merits of the Incompatible Lee
were ably recognized 1t is refined
and just, and ! am grateful to cop,
here what he said SO Well:
Not long ago l attended the 100tf
anniversary of the birth Of Genera
Robert E. Lee. heard brilliant ad
dresses by a Senator of the United
States. a justice of the Supreme court
a eader of one of the great partie:
in the House. But one thing. aboyt
all others in the addresses, was mad
nIain: that. great as We're hi:
achievements as a general, splendlt
his victories on the field of battle, tn
creates thing about Lee was hi
Spirit. When defeat came upon him
he was a man. He refused to ex
natrfate himself; he took up life
among his people and labored t.
make the Union real. strong and per
manent. Thus it was with Abraham
lincoln. His greatest gift to hi:
country wa his spirit"
Wilmington, N. G.. Nov. 8.
When anybody agrees with you n
has opinions: when he doesn't deiu
SiOnS.