The National tribune., 1910-09-01
Differs From Gen. Torrance.

Editor National Tribune: In your issue Of
aug. IL; 1910; you quoted an interview from
Commander in Chief of the G. A. R., indors
ing President Taft and Attorney General
Wickersham, with reference to the Lee
statue.
Judge Torrance goes on to state his rea-
sons for allowing the statue to remain in
tSs, Hall of Fame. among which are the
following: That. the war being over, the
first duty of every patriot, both North and
South, was to forget as far as possible the
bitterness of the strife, and that Gen. Lee
was one Of the foremost in this patriotic
duty. Does Judge Torrance believe for a
minute that the simple act Of surrendering
his sword to Gen. Grant at Appomattox,
after four years of bloody war for the dis
solution of the Union, changed him from Z
rank traitor to the Government that he had
served for years as an officer in the Regular
Army. the Government that had given him
a military education. and to which he had at
three different times taken the oath of al
legiance and sworn to uphold the Constitu-
tion and protect the Flag of the United
States against all enemies: did that simple
act which he was compelled Gto do, make
him Union-loving patriot? No: thousand
times No! He was dyed-in-the-wool trai-
tor and rebel, just the same, and the fact
of his statue being placed in the Han OF
Fame in the National Capitol by the state
of Virginia Is the greatest insult to, the 10y
al people who supported the Government In
its efforts TO suppress treason and rebellion.
and greater insult to the men who Wore
the blue now living and to the memory of
might live in front of this arch traitor Rob-
ert E. Lee and his horde of rebels in arms.
Lee did more than any other man to pro-
long the war Just as well place a statue
of Benedict Arnold in the Hall of Fame,
who received his just dues for his treason
by being despised by his cOuntrymep. and
also by those who paid him for his treason
with British gold. And TOrrance's excuses
and attempts to Justify the President, AttOr-
ney-General and the State OF Virginia for
placing and allowing Lees statue to remain
in the Hall of Fame only sufiices to lower
him in the estimation of his comrades thru
out the United States. We are willing to
admit that Lee was a great commander and
military genius and that the rank and file
of the rebel army were brave and generous
men and believed that they We're lighting
for just cause, and we are ready and Will
ing to extend the right hand OF fellowship
to all ex-COnfederate soldiers any time and
anywhere. At the same time, all OF rs know
that larger majority of the rank and ME OF
that army We're uneducated and ignorant OF
the real issue. and were led aStray by DEM
agogues who misrepresented the case and
who had in view their own ACKNOWLEDGMENT:
and r. E. Lee was one of their most trusted
leaders Therefore, the placing of his statue
in the Hall of Fame is an insult TO all
patriotic citizens, and will have a tendency
to teach the youth of the present and or
all coming generations that treason Is Just
as honorable as loyalty And does Judge
Torrance think it is possible for us old vet
Grams to forget while it remains there: The
Judges of the Supreme Court who have been
appointed to the Supreme Bench from the
ranks of the rebel army will pass away ana
soon he forgotten. while the statue will re-
main for ages to teach diSloyalty and trea-
son.
I fully indorse the views of Judge L. W.
Collins. Past Department Commander or
Minnesota G. A. R.. that subject. pub
lished in the same issue of The National
Tribune-Frank p Eckert, Co. G. 124th Ill,
1924 North 4th street. Minneapolis.