The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1909-08-14

resources OF population and material
TO subdue them 1t was in his desire
to restore the Union, with every
State in its place, that he demon
strated his greatness.
But in world tribute of love. as
well as admiration, Lee surpassed
them all. Colonel Henderson, the
great English critic of strategy.
author of famous life Of Stonewall
Jackson. in commentary on the
wonderful achievements and char
acter of Lee, quotes a line IN Latin
from Lucan's poem of Pharsalia-
"Victrix causa deis placuit, sed victa
Catoni "-(.'The cause OF the con-
queror was favored by the gods. but
our hearts were with Cato, who up
held the cause of the conquered'0
Such, at least, IS the meaning freely
translated, and as time goes on more
and always more hearts are with
Lee.
A notable evidence of this is seen
in succession OF articles on The
Battle OF the Wilderness. in the
Atlantic Monthly Magazine, from
the pen of General Morris 5chaff, OF
the United States Army, who was all
ordnance officer at the time. and was
actively engaged in the field during
Grants campaign against Lee in the
Spottsylvania Wilderness. Says
General Schaf in the Atlantic FOX
August:
what was it that so animated
Lees army that, although only about
one-half as strong in numbers as we
were, they fought us to standstiil
in the Wilderness. and held their
lines at Spottsylvania, although we
broke them several timess What
sustained their fortitude as they bat
tied on. month otter month. through
that summer, showing the same cour-
age day after day, till the times and
seasons Of the Confederacy were
fulfilled
He answers his own question BY
declaring that it was Lees wonderful
| personality that wrought an almost
magic influence on his army Men.
said Bonaparte, " are nothing; 1t
man is everything" Says the writer
in the Atlantic:
"ln looking for the source of Lee
personal influence, we have to 90
back, l think to the inherited habit
OF respect which the people of the
South paid to social position. 1t
was not born for a feeling Of sub
servience, however. for the poorest
cracker had d unmistakable and I'm
| selfsh-consciOus dignity about him
He always walked up to and faced
the highest with an air OF equality
No. this latent respect was natural
responce on the part Of men Of low
estate to good manners, and Oft
displayed sympathy Lee by his
connection through birth and mar
riage with the most distinguished
and best families OF Virginia, repre-
sented the superior class. Morever
that he was a Lee of Virginia. and b
marriage the head Of the Washing
ton family, had. from one end OF thc
| South to the other. weight whicl
the present commercial, mammon
worshiping age knows or cares little
about
Again, nature in one of her mood,
had made him the balanced sum. II
manners and looks, OF that tradition
of the well-bred and aristocrati>
gentleman, transmitted and ingraftee
at an early age through the cavalier
into Virginia life But for his mill
tary prowess he had something vast
ly more efficacious than ancetry q
/, filling the mold of well-bred tradi
tons He had the generative qualit,
Of simple, effective greatness; il
other words, he had an unspotted
serenely lofty character, whose qua'
tiles were reactive, reaching every
, private soldier and making him un
consciously Drawer and better as
man So it IS easy to sec how tn,
South ideal Of the soldier, the Chris
tian and the gentleman unfolded, AM
was realized in him as the war wen
on. His army was made mp chicfl,
of men of low estate, but the trutl
IS it takes the poor TO see ideals.
Taking into account, then, thes
two mysterious yet real forces, reli
gion and exalted character, we hav
t all the elements, | think. for com
: p1ete answer to the question we hav
: raised"
General Schaffs explanation /
probably too metaphysical and com
!. plicated when given in detail TIL
E simple fact IS that the great genera
t had gained the absolute conhdenc
of his men He had always le'
them to victory he had never bee
5 defeated, never been driven from til
e field. no matter how great the odd
, against him Then there was IN
: noble, generous and self-sacriicin
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