The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1909-08-21
EDITORIALS OF MERIT
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LEE IN STATUARY HALL

Ing AT Washington was the old hail
OF the House OF Representative be
fore the present hall was built in the
enlarging OF the structure, just as the
supreme court room was the old
senate chamber.
Statuary Hall is devoted 10 be oc-
oupied by statucsquc presentations
Of the great men OF the states. each
state being entitled to two statues.
NirgInias niche has been vacant Tor
a long time, because Of the indeci-
sion as TO who should be the other.
Washington having from the first
been the universal choice Jefferson
was talked about a the companion
OF the Father o{ His Country. but
finally Gen r +. Lee was chosen,
and a statue OF him was ordered
from Sir Moses Ezekiel native of
Richmond. but now one of the most
distinguished sculptor, residing III
Rome
Naturally, there has been no little
comment. particularly in the North,
a to the propricty Of admitting the
bronze cfhRy of the great Confcder-
ate soldier OF the South to a place
among the loyal men OF the other
states. In this connection, the Bos-
ton Transcript. one OF the leading
papers OF New England, says, cdi-
torialIy.
"The argument that treason should
be made odious has in this instance
long ago lost its force. The people
OF the country hold Robert L. Lee
in high regard, This has been well
expressed by Charles Francis Adams
in his various addresses. Lee was
soIdcrly in his attitude during the
war and high minded aud honorable
in his course thereafter and his ad-
mirers are by no means limited to his
section OF the country The nation
really owes him Il great debt Of gra-
titude for stopping when the contest
was over instead of allowing it to
degenerate INTO guerilla warfare.
lee fought his battles with valour.
conducted his campaigns as be6ttcI
great military leader. and when
vanquished in the field laid down his
arms After that he applied himself
to healing the wounds Of the strug-
gle"
The Washington I'D. G Post.
commenting on the transcripts ex-
preston. says:
"The statue of the Confederate
chicftain has been cast and Is upon
its way to Washington. where it Is
proposed to place il in Statuary Hall
as the gift of the State OF Virginia.
There is no doubt that in making
the selection OF 4 companion statue
for George Washington. Virginia
honorcd its most beloved hero. the
personihcation OF all that's highest
noblest and most chivalric in the
generation that fought in vain 10.
the Lost Cause
"Nirginia wrought her gilt to The
nation in sad sincerity, but there wa,
also in this offer an undertouc q
concealed In way. it was chai
lenge to the memories OF the past
And it is this which gives significance
to the attitude OF New England. once
the hotbet OF abolition. We're any
protest to be lodged none could under
stand and excuse it. coming from thi
state which was once thrilled to the
passionate pleas Of Garrison ant
Phillips. But the broad-minded mo-
Of the old commonwealth OF Massa
chussets harbor no historic hate
More than the flowing periods o
camp en- orations this episode tell
the story OF a country thorough,
reunited and nationalzed.
Not so many years ago this offe
Of Virginia to place a statue OF lie
in the Capitol would have arouse'
sections OF the North to a fury O
indignant protest Today. a. a rest!
OF the unifying Matchmaking infu
ences exerted by the Spanish war
and by Mckinley, Roosevelt an
Taft. Virginia's gift is accepted al
most as 4 matter OF course.
marks the establishment OF a ne,
era"
The War Of Secession Is forty-fou
years in the past. The old genera
ton that took part in it is rapid
passing away. and all the heated pas
,ions aroused by that desperat
struggle have been cooled an
quenched Today the men who wcr
the great actors in that momentou
era are Judged by what they were
and nobody is dazzled now by til
pretentions of any one to greatness
Lee Is worthy to stand by the sid
of Washington among the statues c
the great patriots and leaders OF tn
other states. and nobody can Justl
gainsay his right-Pieayune.
THE DECAY OF NATIONS.
L. L.,