Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-20
TELLS OF GREATNESS OF THE
MAN
Sends Letter to Meeting for ceIebra.
ton Of Hundredth Anniversary of
Birth of Famous Confed-
crate General
by Associated Press.

cieties of the District of Columbia. The
ball room of the New Willard hotel was
filled to overlloWing. \ special section
was set apart for Confederate veterans
who marched to the hall, escorted by
Spanish war veterans Although un-
able to attend, President Roosevelt seHt
Il letter in which he eXtoled the vir"
tues of the Confcderacy's great general
His suggestion that the centennial an
niversary be celebrated by the estab-
| lishment of permanent Lee memorial
| with some great representative eduCa-
| tional institution of the south met with
favor. The exercises were presided over
by Hilary Herbert, formerly secretary
OF the navy.
The reading of the presidents letter
was assigned to Mrs. Ralph Walsh
| president of the District of Columbia
division, United Daughters of the Con-
| federaCy.
TO the Hon. Hilary A. Herbert
chairman, and others of the committee
of arrangements for the celebration of
the one hundredth anniversary of Gen.
eral Robert f.. Lee:
"Gentlemen-l regret that it is not
| in my power to be with you at your
celebration. L join with you in honoring
the life and career of that soldier and
high minded citizen whose fame is now
men.
Terrible though the days of the civil
war; awful though it was that a con-
fiict should occur between brothers; it
is yet a matter for gratitude on the
part of all Americans that this alone
among contests of like magnture should
have left both sides as a priceless her
itage the memory of the mignty men
and the glorious deeds which iron days
brought forth. The courage and stead
fastness, the lofty fealty to the right
as it was given to each man to see the
| right whether ne wore the gray or the
blue, now makes the memories of the
| valiant feats, alike of those who served
| under Grant and of those who served
under Lee, precious to all good Ameri-
| cans.
Serene Greatness of Man
General Lee has left us the memory
not merely of his extraordinary skill as
| a general, his dauntless courage and his
| leadership in campaign and battle, but
as also of that serene greatness OF soul
| characteristic of those who most readily
recognize the obligations of civic duty.
Once the war was o~er, he instantly
undertook the task of healing and bind
ing up the wounds of his cOuntrymen in
the true spirit of those who feel malice
toward none and charity toward all, in
that spirit which from the throes of
the civil war brought forth the real and
indissoluble Union of today.
"It was eminently fitting that this
great man. this War~worn veteran of a
mighty struggle. who at it's close simply
and quietly undertook his duty as a
plain, everyday citizen, bent only upon
helping his people in the paths of peace
and tranquility should turn his atten-
tion toward educational work, toward
bringing up in fit fashion the younger
generation-the sons of those who had
proved their faith by their endeavor in
the heroic days.
There is no need to dwell on General
Lees record as a soldier. The son of
Light Horse Harry Lee of the Revolu-
ton, he came naturally by his aptitude
for arms and command. His campaign
put him in the foremost ranks of the
great captains of all time
But his signal valor and prowess in
war are no more remarkable than the
spirit in which he turned to the work of
peace once the war was over. The cir
Cimstances We're such that most men.
even of his high character felt bitter
and VindictiVe or oppressed or spirit
less, but General Lees heroic temper
was not warped nor his great soul cast
down.
"He stood that hardest of all strains,
the strain of bearing himself well
through the gray evening of failure
and therefore out of what seemed fail
ure he helped to build the wonderful
and mighty triumph of our national
life, in which all his countrymen share.
Immediately after the close of hostil-
tiles he announced with a clear-sight-
edness which at that time few, if any
nnGSRSSa1 n Of
the southern states We're the same as
those of the United States, that the
prosperity of the south would rise or
fall with the welfare of the whole
country, and that the duty of the citi-
zens appeared too plain to admit of
doubt.
He urged that all should unite in
honest effort to obliterate the evils of
war and restore the blessings of peace.
To every one who applied to him this
was the advice he gave. Although
absolutely without means he refused
all offers of pecuniary aid and all po-
sitons of emolument although many
were offered him. He declined to go
abroad saying that he sought only
place to earn honest bread while en-
gagged in some useful work
This, statement brought to him the
proffer of the presidency of Washing
ton college, a little institution in Lex
lnEton, Va, which mad grown out of
a modest foundation. known first as
Liberty Hall academy
Washington had endowed this
academy with 100 shares of stock that
had been given to him by the state
of Virginia, which he had accepted
only on condition that he might with
it endow some educational institution.
To the institution which Washington
helped to found in such a spirit Lee.
in the same fine spirit, gave his serv-
ices.
He accepted the position of presl-
dent at the salary of $500 a year. in
order, as he stated, that he might do
some good to the youth of the SOUTH
He applied himself to his new work
with the same singleness of mind
which he had showed i'm leading the
army of northern Virginia.
Worked to Restore Peace
"All the time by word and deed he
was striving for the restoration of real
peace, of real harmony, never uttering
a word of bitterness or allowing a