The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-11
SOME CORRESPONDENCE
ABOUT THE LEE STATUE
j. Coles Terry, Of Virginia, Files Splendid An
sWer to the Protests of Northern Critics
in Harpers Weekly-The Editorial
Comment Thereon.
Comment Thereon.

.ly-Ihe Editorial L
Thereon.
,tized as "the great bad?" Probably no
Federal veteran would object II a
statue of Lee were set at every Vir-
GINA crossroads. Whether or not
most of them forget and forgive u
do not pretend to do either but thal
is immateriaO. they certainly cherisn
no personal animosity toward him.
Doubtless many others have listened 70 I
one or more of the annual eulogiutns I
of him and have sincerely shared .he
then and there prevailing regard for
him as a man. admiration of him as d |
!! soldier. and respect for him as the
fheaa of a university.
7 put as a citizen OF the United states
as a beneficiary OF. its Military Aeao-
| envy. and as having taken solemn
oath to support its government. III
| .bearing arms" against 1T ROBERT =
Lee deliberately elected to become q
| traitor, and as such no nauohai ho,io.
| should be accorded or permitted. Let
not tho youth OF this and coming gen.
| erations BIO encouraged to disregard
| the vital difference between afectioa
| for family, friends or State and sworn
| allie glance to the nation.
| am sir BURT CT. WILDER,
Late Surgeon Fifty-hfth massachusetts
Volunteer Infantry
Bent Mountain. Va, October 4. leos.
the Editor of Harper's Weekly:
: si.-I hope that you viii allow me
10 repir through the columns of your
paper TO Mr.. Sanborn's letter, which
- appeared LII a r.cent issue. 1t would
seem that Mr. Sanoora had felt the
!, prick of General Lees military prowess.
Was ne grazed in flight by bullet
|, from enc Of his sharpshooters? Or can
. IT be that such bitterness is purely
lmpersonal? 1t is late in the day TO
Kick against the pricks.' He should
have paused long enough TO return
! the flre during action. and NOT waited
until his opponent was powerless to
4 repel attack. But the fight IS over.
g Mr.. Sanborn. Does not victory satisfy
you? Your consciousness of freedom
, from error? Your sense of virtue inv1-
olate? Does Mr. Sanoorn give General
Lee credit for no admirable motives
whatever? Cannot he make enc IA
. vorable comment to Offset such ecath-
ing criticism? He will find few OF the
defeated ones so ungenerous as to deny
the high motives actuating the oppos-
ing side, and fewer still who will deny
our own sense of right acting in the
: matter.
Like all great questions, 1t is many
; sided-a hexason of prismatic colors.
, from no two viewpoints appearing OF
the same hue. Mr.. Sanborh. forgets or
ignores that the Southern States, too,
Were the United States; that we. too.
fought for our right as set forth in
, the Constitution, whose compilation
was as much the labor OF our statesmen
as of any others. 1t is unlikely that
; our statesmen would have omitted to
!. make provision for the protection of
|. their own people. South was as much
a part of the Union as North. and, sep
!, arately, 1t was as much these United
States as was the North, considered as
separate body OF States. And the
: South had given as many. If not more.
generals and statesmen to the
: establishment and maintenance of
Therefore she should have had
. an equal right to protect the property
of her people. There is no reason to
!, think that the Union would have been
: dissolved had Lee won. The very fact
that the South was united under ono
President showed a determination to
!. adhere to Union. and had the South
won, the North could as easily. If less
9 gracefully, have accommodated herself
r to our reconstruction as we to hers.
. We cannot consider with aught but
r
spirit of contempt for his failure would
r place memorial to this great man at
a that point which marks the pathos OF
his noble surrender General Lee was
. crushed, overwhelmed, we admit, but
4 why penitent? Penitence asserts a
! knowledge of guilt and wrong.
1 Prove that he ever considered it
. wrong to have answered to the call
a of his people in Their hour of need
!. 10 have erivan the crea,, oFI },;c
B to their defense, and we will move that
IS no statue of him whatsoever shall pro
fame the soil of this, his native State
st. Peter and General Lee though
r both wept, are hardly parallel cases
;. Peters denial OF his Lord sprung from
q cowardice OF lack Of courage even
: mis- bitternest defamers could never ac-
4 cuse Lee, who. governed by his sense
a of right, espoused cause which plain
+ ~ had the odds against it, the ma
$ terial odds of greater resources-thes Sc
4 he faced with ndomitable co,rae e
Let all who have within the germs OF
Il here worship, the spirit OF this new
! America. the soul of IT'S democracy and
q brotherhood unite in any tribute tc
h him, Only know the man as he was
see his lost cause as he saw it, IDEAL
q lied, as IT appeared in his heart and
,i.Sou see alspirit and an ideal so pure
i, so sacred, that none might, scorn to
J, do him reverence agree with Mr.
n Sanborn only1-in this, that the monu
j. ment be placed at Appomattox on the
! ground hallowed by the surrender OF
/ the noble spirit--who truly wept, not
n in penitence as did st, Peter, for le
It had nothing of whichto repent but in
II sorroW-Ethe tears from Il broken heart
Yes the statue should stand there on
: the spot consecrated by those tears
o and let At be memorial not to his
j. Victories, but to his defeat. For ne
i Was greater in defeat than in victory
~ ~ am, sir
II j.. COLES TERRY,
Ir
Peculiar Coincidence,
10 When "A, F. fill Camp. G. VI was
IT In Springfield, Mass, several days ago
,s ut sadoras Reinach took an automobile