The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-21

and there was not a phase of the hu- man life in which his powers did not reach. He could at once give attention. i to the minor detail of his private life. his own camp. home cares and children, and at the same time command the. combined armies of the Southern States. I.ongfellow in his Courtship of Miles Standish makes his hero to say in reference to Caesar: You are O writer and am fighter. but here Is fellow who could both write and fight and in both was equally skiii-5 full" So 1t was with Caesar. and so It was with Lee who was second only to Caesar---wonderful combination of ca pabilities. Every man has two sphers in which he Is to operate: First the mi nor details of his own private life. and secondly his larger activities as are related to his felfowmen, to socie- ty, church and State, The earth it. self has two motions-rotation on it's axis and revolutions around the sun. and SO all men who live in the truest and highest sense must have too lines of activity. Some are capable of one. and some of the other, but few there are like Lee, who was capable of both. On his own axis, on his own ground. in his own camp nothing could escape his notice, and with the eye of an eaglo and the wisdom of sage control the
 
 in a lake. he could take the shape of the surrace Of the ground that bears II up, and cover the whole of 1t, and like water take the shape of the breast of the swan that floats on its bosom. Flexible was he, and his capabilities extending into every sphere. After the great conflict was over, and he was now president of Washington and Lee University on one commencement occasion when the dignitaries had come from afar to participate in the exer- cfses Q little child strolled up on the rostrum: no man noticed the child ex- cept himself; he held out his nrmes; she went to him. and stroking her brow she fell to sleep on his bosom. and this the same hand that had handled the sword--few hands must tell you that can do both. Stonewali Jackson could handle the sword quite as well as Lee. but his hand was not adapted to the lullaby of child Ma poieon could handle the sword quite as we'll as Lee, but that bloody hand could never have stroked a child to sleep.
 But one more thing see in the char actor of this great man that I must note briefly. and that was, his power to stand disappointment As he viewed his lines day or two before the sur render .and saw there was no further chance for his success he said, How easy could put an end to all Of this, but no. that would not help the wi- dows and children of the South" In the very act of the surrender as he bows to those whom he knew were his interiors both in birth and generalship and in his kindly attitude toward those of the North after the conflict was over we see the same greatness of the great man as clearly as we see 1t in the din of battle. These then. are some of tba elements of character as I see them that made Lee His unswerving fideI- ity unselhshness and meekness an.z the power inherent power to barrie with the disappointments of life, ar,I if in what have said have caused these elements to enter more deeplv into any of you my purpose Is &C., complished and am grateful.
 L. l.. Gwaltney