Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-05-28

before the veterans of their state
take issue with Col. Darling, the
author of the resolution. The Chi
cago Inter-Ocean discusses the ques.
ton at some length, and though
agreeing that the Lee statue should
not stand in the nations capital, OBJ
jects to Lees being classified with
the traitor, Arnold. The Inter-Ocean
says:
We think that General Lees statue
should not be placed in the nations
capitol, among those of men who in
the days of battle stood for this great
republic. Lees choice was to stand
for part of the republic against the
whole. It was fatal and pitiful error
but it was not secret and malignant
treason.
Therefore, we cannot accept for a
moment any description of the con-
duct of Robert E. Lee which likens it
to that, of Benedict Arnold. Lee was
no malicious traitor as was Arnold.
Lee did not seek to destroy the Re-
public while still eating it's bread. He
maGe fatal and pitful mistake, but
one in which there was no such dis
honor as there was in Arnold's act.
1t is of record that Colonel Lee op-
posed secession. He believed the
Union was meant to be perpetual"
He rejected the compact theory,
though there was much to sustain 1t
in the known utteEances of the found.
ers of the republic.
But when the chosen representa-
tives of the people of Virginia de-
clared for the dissolution of the Union,
Lee thought it his duty to go with ''his
own people," His error was in not
seeing that not merely the people of
Virginia but the people of the whole
republic were "his own people"
"Once to every man and nation
comes the moment to decide" In
such crisis of his life Robert E. Lee
decided wrong. He did not see, as the
aged Houston of Texas saw, as
Farragut of Louisiana saw, as Thorn
as of his own Virginia saw, that his
allegiance was due not to part but
to the whole of the republic.
The error of vision-the error of un-
derstanding-was made at time, and
under conditions, which left it's cor
rection humanity impossible. 1t could
be repented. We hope and we be-
lieve it was. 1t could be atoned in
some measure by a stainless private
life and by public services such as it
fell to General Lee to render after
the war was over. 1t was so atoned.
But it's memory could not be wiped
out. 1t can never be wholly forgot
ten, though it may be forgiven by
many, as we believe it is. But the
scars of it are written perpetually
on the face of the land by the grave
of every man who died in battle for
the union and who would not have
died in battle had not the military
genius of Robert E. Lee upheld a
cause destined from all eternity to
be lost because it was eternally
wrong!
But Robert E. Lees decision on
that fateful day in 1861, though eter-
nally wrong-though made in most
pitiful error-was made conscientious
ly, prayerfully, in good faith and in
the open light of day.
Therefore, while we hold that the
statue of Lee should not stand in the
nations capitol, with those of men
who stood for the whole republic in
it's days Of fate-while we hold that
to place it there is a sad error in the
perception Of abiding truth-to speak
of Robert E. Lee as traitor" as
another Benedict Arnold is desc
Grafton of the tomb of high-minded
man.