The National tribune., 1909-12-16
PRESIDENT IN HALL OF HORRORS.
First Visit to Capitol ON Sunday Paid by
President in Over 80 Years.


Just now there is az whole lot O
rcminiscing going on oJhr incidents O
2 the period between 1861 to 1865, an
, the more conservative people. who ar
being reminded of that somewha
troubled period in the. history of tn
!, United States. are wondering if it ma
, not be that the South has oversteppe.
all bounds in the Reconciliation Act
in desiring to place in what is designat
ed by law as "Statuary Hall" but wha
is more commonly known thruout th
country as the Hall Of Horrors" tn,
statue of Gen. Robt. e. Lee in full Con
federate uniform. In placing one o
her most loved men there. Virgini;
ldeclared that she did so because he wa.
a gentleman and scholar. and a true
representative of the chivalry of the
lSouth. Also that he had been a great
General
All the time that Virginia was talk.
ing about the statue of Robert f
Lee, it was expected that his gentle.
manly qualities and his mental acumer
were what they desired to accentuate
in connection with their State repre-
lSentatiOn in the Hall of Horrors" but
well on the way to completion thai
| Virginia had the bad taste to represent
this gentlemanly educator and son OF
Virginia in the full uniform of the re-
bellious States.
The bronze statue of Lee as it stands
in the old Hall of Representatives, is
without doubt a fine piece of work
but unfortunately in clothing Gen. Lee
in the Confederate uniform, this statue
VIII always and forever remind the
loyal people of the country that Lee
deserted the Flag in the hour of its
greatest peril and awfullest need. II
reminds them that he and his fore
bears were clothed, fed and aducated
at the expense of the United States
Government in its splendid military
school at West Point, and that all the
honors that Gen. Lee obtained, which,
by the way, were not so many up to
the time that he deserted the Union,
were given to him under the Flag of
the United States.
He was not boy, nor was he a tu-
multous young man, when he deliber-
ately cut himself loose from the Gov
ernment that had fostered and fed him.
He had passed his 54th milestone, hav-
ing lived for half a century and four
years over. his judgment matured, his
purposes well settled, and the history
OF his country from long before the
days of Light Horse Harry Lee, his
rather, craven upon his heart He
said that he left the Union because he
must follow the fortunes of his State.
AS matter of fact, his State did not
leave the Union until three days after
Robert h. Lee had resigned his COM
mission in the Army of the United
States.
1t is pretty late in the day for the
patriotic societies of the country to
begin to protest against this Confed-
crate uniform in the Hall of Fame in
the National Capitol, which Gen. Rob
ert E. Lee tried to destroy, but the
protests are now filing in pretty rapid
~ The State of Virginia has been
making plans for magnificent cere-
monies at the time it was expected
Congress would accept the statue. but
the storm of protests has been so
strong that all arrangements and plans
have had a ouietus put on them, and
Virginia has declared the ceremonies
off until the protests and talk about
the statue have died down.
Sunday President Taft, accompanied
by his brother, made an unexpected
visit to the Capitol. Not in some 33
years, or since Gen. Grant was Presi-
dent of the United States, has a Pfesi-
dent invaded the sacred precincts of
the Capitol on Sunday. President Taft
evidently had method in rhis visit. The
President and his brother spent most
of their time in the Hall of Horrors"
Ihey went from one static to another,
passing comments upon them, but Just
what they said will probably never be
known. 1t is known, however, that
President Taft stood for some time be-
fore the statue of Gen. Lee, and it is
not conceivable that the President of
the Union as it is was pleased to see
before him this effigy. fine tho it be, of
a man who spent four of the soberest
years of his middle-aged manhood in
trying to set up 35 or 40 little presi-
dents of wrangling, warning little
ftfn
Union under the leadership of one
man, and that man the President of
the United States. There is very
strong feeling abroad that President
Taft's visit to the Capitol was for the
purpose, and the sole purpose, of see
ing this statue Of Gen. Lee and de-
Gliding in his presidential mind whether
It is wise to have 1t in that hall.
The fact that Virginia has called
off all her arrangements for the dedi-
cation and acceptance of the statue
would go to show that the authorities
have been quietly but perhaps forci-
bly, reminded that the acceptance of
his statue by the United States Con-
sress, clad as 1t is in the uniform of
l section Of the country that would
have destroyed the Union, is not posi-
Die or practicable. Virginia says that
4 Congress does not accept this statue
Of Lee she will also withdraw her
other statues, which is the bronze
replica of Houdon's bust of Washing
ON. which now stands in the Capitol
at Richmond. Virginia makes this
threat believing that to withdraw the
bust Of Washington would so insult
mis- memory that the loyal people of
he country would make great howl. |
As there are already two or three
statues of Washington in bronze and
marble. and several magnificent pic
lures of him in the Capitol, 1t is not |
1T all likely that the country is going |
TO rise up in arms If Virginia does |
choose to play Indian giver.
1t will be remembered that the
statue of Father Marquette. which was
presented by Wisconsin,, has not yet
been accepted by Congress. A great
howl was sent up by the A. p A. and
Congress never had backbone enough
TO oppose this. and so the statue stands
unaccepted. 1t Is barely possible that
Virginia by refraining to arrange for
the acceptance of the Lee statue will
play the same game. II so, the statue
Is there for keeps
Has 1t an Equal?
Editor National Tribune: think that
the following story, will equal. if not
surpass, any that have been in The
National Tribune. ON FEB. 22, 1906,
A nItilIa A