The Columbus weekly dispatch., 1908-06-18
The National Name of Lee.

Upon the recent death of Gen. Ste
! phen Dill Lee, commander-in-chie of
| the United Confederate Veterans,
and one of the last three surviving
lieutenant generals of the Confeder-
acy, public attention is once more
directed to the illustrious fame OF
the family name of Lee. The late
! Gen. Stephen Lee was a member Of
| the South Carolina family. of prob
able remote connection with the Lee
family of Virginia, but, like those Of
his name in the Old Dominion, he
bore an illustrious character as a sol
der, a citizen and a scholar
1t has been given TO few families
in the history of this nation-or. in
deed, of any other-to furnish so re-
markable a record of honorable pur-
pose and worthy achievement in the
public service, as the family of Lee
has done. The record is one that
makes the family a national name. il
denotes the sort of American aris-
tocracy of which any man may be
proud.
From the later colonial period un-
til now, the Virginia Lees have ever
been in the forefront of national re-
spect. Even in the years of bitter
fratricidal strife, the most eminent
representative of that family in the
national government never failed to
command the esteem of honest and
reasonable men, as one whose fnteg-
rity of purpose was not to be ques-
toned. Marvellous indeed had it been
otherwise. If we group the Lee an
cestry into comprehensive review. we
are convinced it could not be other
wise
There was Robert Henry Lee. born /
in the year of Washington's nativity. I
to be the foremost orator of 4
his time; the author of the famous
petition of remonstrance to the Eng
lish King; long-serving statesman, /
who was president of the continental 4
congress and one of the first senators /
elected from his state There was /
Arthur Lee, diplomatist, born eight /
years later, who served his country
with distinction as the London agent /
of the Massachusetts, colony. and as 4
joint commissioner with Franklin 4
and Dean to secure a treaty OF alIi-
ance with France, when the strug-
Cling, newborn nation must have 4
friends or perish. There was Fran
els Lightfoot Lee, born in 1874.
whose name is among the fifty-four
signed to the Declaration OF Inde-
pendence. There was Charles Lee.
brother of the famous "Light-Horse
Harry" Lee, born in 1853. who +.
served in the legislative councils of 4
his state and nation during that 4
trying formative period, and who 4
ended his official career as attorney Il
general under the Washington and 4
administrations. There was
Henry Lee-sLight-Horse Harry
soldier, scholar, statesman, whose +
record is familiar to every sehoolboy
whose soldierly achievements and 1
luster on Americans arms; the devot- 4
ed friend, admirer and eulogist of +
Washington; who delivered in the +
course of his funeral grafton. before 4
congress, on the father of the repub- 4
lie, that sentiment which has become I
the household property of every 4
American: First in war, first in /
peace and first in the hearts of his 4
Such were the Lees
who comprised the colonial and rev
group.
The later generations. in which /
Robert E. Lee, the son of Light |
Horse Harry" and Fitzhugh Lee, the |
nephew of Robert, were the notable |
figures which showed no decadence
in honor of American manliness.
Their mistakes were those Of honor