The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-02-05
Spa 70 Ne wsssiaE.oa Hsrsla

SPECIAL 70 he Washington Herald
Charlottesville, Va, Feb. 4-President
E A Alderman. Of the University OF
Virginia. member Of the committee
which awarded the 500 prizs TO an essay
On Gen Lee. written by Mss Boyson, a
Minnesota girl. the action Of the COM
mittee being severely condemned by the
Richmond Daughters OF the Confederacy,
this afternoon issued a statement de-
Tending the action Of the committee
He says. IN part:
Nowhere n this prize essay. in my
judgment. can any fair Interpretation
discover a purpose 70 claim or a state
ment 70 the effect that Robert E Lee
was a traitor in any odious sense
Sentences Cut in Twain.
IT is an axiom Of Interpretation that
Il Is fundamentally unfair and productive
OF wrong conclusions 10 judge OF any 1T
erary production By detached sentences
taken from II. and even more unjust and
confusing 10 cut in twain the sentences
thus detached YET this is precisely what
has been done in the case Of Miss Boy
sons paper.
Some OF the critical opinions were in
exact and irritating. but never 10 ny
thinking abusive or malicious This
young Minnesota woman began her study
no doubt with many misconceptions.
Miss BOysOn's Grace.
she ended It by beholdins the essen
tiaI Justice Of the cause for which our
fathers fought. By declaring that we we're
Just as loyal TO right as her fathers.
and by pleading for a monument TO Lee
as a gift OF the american people Of all
sections 20 splsndid loyalty, 70 sUrpass-
ing worth and unsu!lied patriotism and
honor. This IS growth in historic grace,
indeed
What this situation needs IS more light,
and calmness. and justice. just a touch
OF the splendid tolerance OF Lee himself.
Let Miss Boyson's paper be printed Let
il be read"
DR.. Wilson'S Statement.
Chapel Hin, y. c. Feb. 4-Dr. c. Al
fonzo smith, OF the University OF North
Carolina, has this to say in defense Of
the committees action in a letter TO the
Richmond Chapter OF the Daughters Of
the CoEfedeTacy-
The method Of fragmentary quota
ton which has been applied to ier paper
Is a method fatal 10 fairness and his
toricaI accuracy By this method the
best essay. the most eloquent creation,
the truest history. and the noblest life
may be held Up 70 ridicule. I voted for
Miss Boyson's paper. not because Of the
fragmentary quotations which have been
made from IT. but in spite OF them. one
illustration VIII suffice. In the Rich
mond Times-Dispatch OF January IS, you
quote the following sentence from Miss
Boyson's paper: He Gen Lee was a
traitor IL that he sacrificed al 10 aid
the enemies Of his COUNTRY
SuPDresses Sentence.
by thus cutting q sentence in two and
suppressng the latter half you have put
Miss Boyson and the committee OF award
IN an unfavorable and wholly unjust Pc
sition- The complete sentence is as fol-
lows: He was a traitor in that he sac
rifced all 20 aid the enemies Of his
country, but 50 were George Washington.
and John Hampton and William Of
Orange
Comment IS unnecessary
The basic thought of her essay IS in
these words. The matter Of secession
had been purposely left open By the
trainers OF the Constitution, and in the
minds Of many sincere people both North
and South it was still a question. The
real Issue was not between patriotism
Rnd the want Of II. but between two forms
Of il, and the point 10 be borne in mind
IS that those who believed in one con
ception were as loyal as those who clung
10 another
Essay Ereets Noble Structure.
on this broad foundation. which IS
neither Northern nor Southern. but Ameri-
can. Miss BOysOn has erected a noble
structure, marred here and there by
ignorance Of the facts. but never by pref
udice or distorted vision
Had the paper attempted 10 prove or
had It even remotely implied that Lee or
the humblest soldier who followed him
was a traitor, I should have cast her
essay aside as unworthy Of further read
ing. And SO, am confident, would every
member Of the committee. Robert E. Lee
Is TO my mind the greatest soldier and the
nOblest type Of Christian gentlemen that
the New Weird has given to history