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

III NoNNoA VI AAlC GAEdAs
Though he failed OF final scenes. 20
the student OF history who weighs OPP
portunities- ana compares resources
this IN no wise mars his fame as a
soldier. Tho Judgment Of eminent
foreign critics has been quoted. and I
am minded 20 cite one nearer home
who some might think would be in
cined TO tip the wavoring scale ratheB
against than for the south. The
world" says his critic has never seen
better soldiers than those who follows
"a Lee: and their leader will undoubt>
eddy rank, without exception. the very
greatest OF all the great captains THAI
tho English speaking peoples have
brough forth and this although thu
Last and chief OF his antagonists may
( himself claim TO stand AZ the full equal
Of Marlborough or Wellington" Thug
wrote Theodore Roosevelt IN his Liz
OF Thomas II. Benton" %. $50
The war had scarcely ceased. and his
condition OF narrow circumstances became
known, when offers of places OF houo1
and profit began TO come to him. Oner4
OF the presidency OF insurance companies
and OF other Industrial enterprises; pro-
posals that be should allow his name to
/ DO used for the highest Office in the gift
| OF the state Even offers from admirers
I r. the old Country Of an asylum on that
side Of the water. where handsome es<
! tate was rendered him
| Ills reply to all these alluremeuts wac
] that which VIC now know was the onlt
! one ne could make: a gracious, but irre<
! vocable refusal.
The General was approached with =
/ tender OF the presidency of an insurance
! company at salary OF $4,000 q year,
| He declined II on the ground that II waa
| work with which he was not familiar
! But General" said the gentleman whd
! represe nted the insurance company. 'yog
VIII not be expected 20 do any workg
| what We wish IS the use Of your name.'
90 DO you not think said General Lee
| that II my narre IS worth $50. 600 a year,
ought 20 be very careful about takinG
care OF it?'
Amid the commercialsm OF the present
age this sounds as refreshing as the oatR
| Of n belted knight
They are Offering my father everyS
thing said one OF his daughters. 'bls
| the only thing he will accept Is a place
20 earn honest bread. while engaged ia
some useful work That speech, made
10 Colonel Bolivar Christian. brought him
| the ofer OF the presidency OF Washing-
| ton College, at salary Of 81 800 a year
and after some hesitation. due 70 his
Tear that HIS association with an insti-
| tuition might prove an injury rather than
/ a heueft 10 II. ne accepted IT,
w nat is the lesson. the plain lesson
or this noble life which we have been
! consideringe It IS all expressed in thai
4 apotnegm OF Lee's that duty IS the
( sublimest word IN the English language
! Moreover. gentlemen. # is that we have
/ plain duty right before us. which is "a
/ be the decision that was made fort,
, years ago. In the Providence Of God. thai
/ TINS country is to be one in fact as well
as one In name. That our duty Is "a
l promote, by every means in our power
complete and absolute reconciliation: moi
only between the sections. but between
[ the people Of this country. so that we
/ may be one In spirit as well as in name
Standing here with you. engaged IN the
/ contemplation OF this lofty life which
was the very fruit Of Virginia's civiliza-
( ton. I challenge YOU 10 put away all
! selushneSs. meanness and petty ambi-
| ton whatsoever. and following the lead
/ of this great Southern commander. who
! is our leader row by his example as
| much as when he walked amid the
/ academic groves Of Washington College
/ placed before US a nobler ambition: that
/ Of preserving In the South the ideal OF
/ duty; Of rebuilding the civilization OF
/ the South; not upon the new and shiftv
/ foundation Of sss<amercialism. but upon
+ that sounder. frmer and more enduring
3 foundation OF devotion q, .llsf,-