The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-02-27
Gen. IL. T., Lee,

0~t- he A<SCs
DR.. Thos. Nelson Page has written
this fall a book, Life of Gen. Robert
K. Lee" This book was recently re-
viewed In the New York Times Book
Review. The author Of the review
stated that DIR. Pages work will hard
ly be accepted universally as present.
ing a fair and Just estimate Of Lees
performances as a commanding gen.
eral and intimates that DR.. Page has
written unqualified eulogy rather
than cold and Impartial history.
Issue was taken at once by many.
The best answer to this criticism is
made by Mr.. r. H. T. Adams. Of
Lynchburg, Va. His letter was print
ed by the Times last Saturday. Cut
1t out for your children's sake. Here
Is what he says:
Southerners do claim that Lee
was the greatest soldier the war pro-
duced on either side, and that he Is
the greatest soldier who ever spoke
the English tongue. I am not much
Of controversialist.: especially where
engaging in a dispute IL not likely
to change opinions already most en-
phatically announced. but would
like to invite attention to the follow
ing authorities:
President Theodore Roosevelt says,
life Of Thomas H. Benton. Twenty
three American Statesmen. page s4)
The world has never seen better
soldiers than those who followed Lee,
and their leader will undoubtedly
rank as. without any exception. the
very greatest OF all the great captains
that the English peoples have brought
forth; and this. although the last
and chief of his antagonists may
himself claim to stand as the full
equal Of Marlborough and yelling
ton.
Lieut.. Col. Henderson. of the Brit
ish Army. states In his Science OF
War" (page 314). in discussing the
Wilderness campaign. that
At the head of the Confederate ar
my was Gen. Robert K. Lee, undoubt-
edly one of the greatest. II not the
greatest. soldier who ever spoke the
English tongue.
1t Is further stated by your reviewer
that the result of the war was inevi-
table. This statement is merely a
case Of hindsight being better than
foresight. In August, before the sur
render of Lees army at Appomattox
che Union army In the trenches be-
fore Petersburg was sick Of the strug-
gle and ready to give 1t up and but
Tor one man. Abraham Lincoln. they
would have done SO. He is the one
man who preserved the Union.
AS obit er dicta. let me say that
Senator Lodge. Of Massachusetts,, con-
cedes that the South was right in the
struggle In the civil war. and the
Hon. James Bryce. In his American
Commonwealth" has stated that II
the controversy between the North
and South could have been determined
judicially the South would have been
entitled to Judgment
suppose the North and South will
continue to view this war from their
respective points Of view for at least
one generation more. and It may bs
that both sides take too partial q
view Of the great struggle.
I will state In closing a very anus
Ing thing related to me recently by
a gentleman who has lived In the
West since the war closed, and 1t 1.
that In the schools Of the West the
children are taught that the only
reason the war lasted four years was
that the Southerners hid In the wood.
and were afraid to show themselves
Another erroneous view OF the
great struggle very generally held ir
the North Is that the South waged
the war to perpetuate slavery. Moth.
ing could be further from the truth
The war was fought for constitutions
rights. and slavery was only an Incl
dent In the great question.
/