The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1909-02-11
DIR. ALDERMAN.

The following from, the Washing
con Herald is so just aud appropri
ate that we pablish 10 with our ap.
prevail OF every wordit contains. Dr.
Alderman Is TOO big and useful a man
50 be injured by unjust criticism.
The Virginia press has been wrestling
with an exciting controversy over a prizs
essay written by Minnesota girl con.
tanning an estimate OF Robert T. Lee
that has been assumed 70 b. disparaging
IL appears that u prize was offered by
ths Daughters OF the Conieierscy 10
students Of the Teachers College AZ Co
lumbia University for the best essay ON
Lee. the purpose being to stimulate studs
OF Lees character among Northern
schooLteachers President John 81. FIR
Icy. OF the Teachers Colleg~; President
Edwin A. Alderman. OF the University OF
Virginia. and Prof Alphonso smith, of
the University OF North Carolina, passed
upon the papers submitted in thu comp
titi0n, and awarded the prize 20 an esti-
mate Of Lee which proved To have been
written by Miss Boysor. of MINES ota
In this paper there occurred number
OF sentences which. detached from their
context and read without knowledge OF
the whole spirit 81 the essay, we're
thought by many TO BE- harshly critical
and wholly unhistoricsl The q position
was at once raised why and how two
such excellent Southerners a. Pre-idsn
Alderman and Prot Smith could have
given favorable Judgment 10 an esti-
mate OF Lees character apparently 80
preiudiced and so inconsiderste oiSouth-
ern feeling. President Alderman aud
Prof.. Smith have now been heard from
and their Justification Is simply that the
essay. while not an ELUSIVE eulogy OF
Lee, was obviously a sincere study %
bis HE and character from the best
sources. and was animated throughout
BY an ungrudging appreciation OF the
Southern leaders nobility OF soul. his
faitnfulness to conviction, and his splea-
did military qualities Ii was shown
that a sentence which aroused most of
the controversy, beginning with the
words He was a traitor had been
CARRIED, aud that she tenor OF the
essayist's reasoning was exactly the re-
verse OF what II had been represented
TO be.
We should not have considered this dis
cussicn worthy OF notice had Il not been
accompanied By q demand, echoed ia a
number OF Virginia newspapers, that
President Alderman, because of his con-
nection with the award, should resign
his office rs head OF the University OF
Virginia. Ii seems certain that due con.
alteration OF the facts, as shown 10 DR..
Aiderman's statement, will lead T. a re-
vision OF the rather hastily formed opin-
lon OF some OF our Virginia contempora-
ries that so trivial a matter should be
considered as having any bearing on the
presidency OF the university. The attack
on DR.. Alderman really involves aud
threatens that liberty OF thought and OF
speech which ought to be secure at any
university. I'VE OF the south" SAYS the
Richmond News-Laader, should habitu-
ate Ourselves to breadth OF thought aud
20 good-nstured acceptance OF criticism
and opinions differing from our own"
President Alderman himself pleads for
lust touch OF the splendid tolerance of
Lee himself" and goes on to cav that
the only way 10 the world by which we
can arrive at the whole truth about
things Is to let people speak out what
they believe to be the truth. provided il
be done within the limits OF honest mo-
i've and sincere purpose, and with -
manner touched by courtesy and digni-
~" These expressions In defense OF free
dom OF thought apply as we'll to the sit
uation In which DIR. Alderman and Prof
smith have been placed as TO the essay
TO which they awarded prize for supe-
rfor merit.