The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1910-02-10
Was Lee
A Traitor?
A Very Able Defense of the Atti-
tude and Conduct of the
Famous General.
Poper Read Before the ChdttduQ,ta Circle.

During the past Summer protests
have appeared in the Springfield Repub-
Iican, Boston Transcript and New
York Tribune, against the proposed
placing of the statue of General Lee
(presented by the State of Virginia) in
the hall of the House of Representa-
tives, in the Capitol of the United
States, and on Sept. Is, Bert G. Wilder,
late surgeon 6ftyffth Massachusetts,
Volunteer Infantry, wrote to the editor
of Harper's Weekly, and stated that
probably no Federal veteran would OBJ
ject if a statue of Lee were set atevery
Virginia cross roads and that whether
or not most of them "fOrget and for
give" that he does not pretend to do
either, and in referring to Lee he further
states, that as citizen of the United
States, as beneficiary of its Military
Academy, and as having taken solemn
oath to support it's Government, In
bearing arms against it, Robert T..
Lee deliberately elected to become q
traitor, and as such no National honor
should be accorded or permitted.
Harper's Weekly is of the belief that
years are running against such opln-
ions, and that difficult as it would seem
to make the word "traitor" honorable,
If applied often enough to General Lee
the feat might tie accomplished.
If General Lee was guilty of treason
80 was every white man, woman OF
child In the South. Attainder of him
attaints them all-what principle
what party interest-can have motive
for stigmatizing his memory? The
years glide swiftly by, most OF us, u
not all of US, have come to see tha
miatakes of the first order we're per
petratei by the people Of the Unitet
States in the latter half of the nineteenth
century. 1t was mistake of the Soutl
for any cause whatever to pTecipitate
war of sections and Robert E. Lee clear
" saw the awful mistake. Early in tn
year 1861, Lee writes to his son a
follows:
"The South, in my opinion, has bee'
aggrieved by the sets Of the North
feel the aggression and am willing t
take every proper step for redress. A
an American citizen take great prid
in my country, her prosperity and he
institutions, and would defend m
state if her rights were invaded, but
can anticipate no greater calamity fe
the country than dissolution of tn
Union" This certainly has not til
ring of treachery. Lee farther state
at would be an accumulation of
the evils we complain of and am vii
ing to sacrifice everything but hon'
for its preservation. hope therefor
that all constitutional means will
exhausted before there is resort
force-secesslon is nothing but revol
tion, The trainers of our constitute
never exhausted so much labor, wisdo
and forbearaEce in its formation al
surrounded it with so many guards al
securities if it was intended to
broken by every member of the CO
federacy at will. If the Union is d
solved and the Government disrupts
I shall return to my native state q
save in defense will draw my sword
none."
Here we find man who is willing
sacrifice everything but honor in
cause that meant more to him than Ii
for the people he loved-for Virgin
Gentlemen, the time will come wh
the beautiful character Of Robert
Lee is better understood throughe
the' country, when no man will dare
charge him with dishonor, or alta
his memory by affirming that he COZ
be engaged many cause foreign to
duty as he saw 1t and to the state
loved.
1t was mistake Of the North 81