Goldsboro weekly argus., 1909-01-28

the board of trustees of the college
decided the presidents house, which
had been built under General Lees
supervision, to Mrs Lee, with an an
nuity of SO, 500 But he declined, say
81 an nrtvy fify fafnTfy
SHOULD becoIne. aassaK to-sthe
nf1t desifest lat ali Z fu18tfss be devot--s
ed to the purposes Of education l
kaaow- that my svHshes oR.this subject
are equally shared by Aayswife." At
Ter the, GeneFai's s death, the trustees
Sent Mrs.eLeeaa check for the first
quarter of the annuity; but she
promptly returned it, with a letter of
thanks, saying that She could not ac-
cept the annuity, and was Feadyat to
give up the house tp the new9presi-
dent whom they should reject. The
new president elected was her own
Son, and she died in the president's
house. - /
: 'My chief reason for introducing
here the character of Robert E.aLee
is recent personal experiences /
read last Winter nine volumes-sever-
al thousand pages-for light on his
character. Perhaps + was home sick
for my. own people, and in this way
drawn to their ideal hero; certainly I
was curious to see whether an ideal
of my boyhood could bear the test Of
the scrunity of f->disillusioned middle
age. Few of the heroes Of my youth
have stood such Attest. But in Cen
eral Lee I was not disappointed. He
was greater than I had, ever dreamed.
There was absolutely no littleness in
that majestic man. 'InfGod and god
like men we put our trust
In Great Men and Famous Wo-
men," the noted English soldier and
recognized military critic, General
Viscount Wolse1ey,,@ in a most efabor-
ate review of the life and character
of Robert Edward Lee, says, that his
character was without any spot upon
it, and near the close of his article
uses these words: His clear, sound
judgment, personal courage, untiring
activity, genius for war. and absolute
devotion to his State mark him at
once as a public man, as a patriot to
be forever remembered by all Ameri-
cans His amiability of disposition
deep sympathy with those in pain OF
sorrow, his love for children, nice
sense of personal honor and genial
courtesy endeared him to all his
friends. I shall never forget his
sweet, winning smile, nor his clear
honest eyes that seemed to look into
your very brain. l have met many OF
the great men of my time, but Lee
alone impressed me with the feeling
that 1 was in the presence of man
who was cast in a grander mould, and
made of different and of grander met
al than all other men,
Emphatically he earned the need
that Tennyson paid to Wellington,
from which I take the following
lines:
But while the races Of mankind en-
dure,
Let his great example stand
Colossal, seen of every land,
And keep the soldier firm, the states
man pure;
story
The path Of duty be the way to glory
And let the land whose hearths he
saved from shame
For many and many an age proclaim,
At civic revel, and pomp and game;
And when the long-illumined cities
fame,
Their ever-loyal iron leaders fame,
With honor, honor, honor, honor to
him,
Eternal honor to his name.'
And though the banner of the Con
federacy is furled forever, yet forever
lit is "wreathed around with glory;'-
and though the sword of Lee, Sleeps
the sleep Of our noble slain," thank
God there Is no stain upon its blade
to dim with cankering rust ''its silver