The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-05-02
Defender of Lee.

I may perhaps be able TO give "One.
Washingtonian' a solution Of his DIFF
hcuIties with reference to the statue
OF Gen. Robert z. Lee. which Virginia
has put In Statuary Hall
SUatusry Han is intended for the
statues OF great men in the opinion Of
the States presenting the statues and
not necessarily those who have per
formed signal service % their country
as a whole. They may have performed
signal service 70 their States. and are,
therefore, hOnOred for such services
The state presenting the statue IS the
Judge, and not another State or section,
and up 70 the present 10 law has been
cited that makes il the duty Of a State
to secure the approval Of others to its
choice Gauged by services TO the Coun-
Try as a whole, very few Of The statues
would be in Statuary Hall.
Now, as 70 General Lee and his ser
vices 10 his country. "One washington
ian" has evidently neglected 10 read
Lees record in the Mexican war. IN the
development and Improvement OF the
Mississippi river, and other work 10
which he was assigned His record was
Of such character as 70 make him IN
/ the opinion Of the commanding general
I Of the United States army, worthy 10
! lead those armies IN the impending con
/ niCt Such services must have loomed
| large in those times. however much be
I Titled now, and those qualities which
your correspondent thinks were brought
/ out By Lees service in the Confederate
/ army had already been used In the ser
vices Of the United States General Lee
/ entered the armies OF the Confederac5
as the foremost soldier OF The United
! States. so pronounced BY the command
I ing general thereof
/ Your correspondent ideas as 10 the
/ causes Of the var indicate q depth Of
/ ignorance OF the history Of his country
/ which IS very prevalent north OF the
/ Mason and Dixon line The South did
1 not fght for the right To seOede- be
cause Il had f. u did not fight Tor tht
I retention Of slavery. because II was and
had always been anui-slaveTy. Tht
/ shackIes OF slavery had already beer
/ forged by the action Of Northern states
/ and the votes OF Northern men II
! Southern constitutional conventions
The North believed 81 secession, and IN.
7 whole Of New England remained out o.
the Union for several years. disObeyei
its laws. OF rather refused % ct then
operate IN their borders, refused TO pa!
taxes. and were guilty Of the creates
treason 10 the United States
President Lincoln did not claim tha1
he was prosecuting the war the alb
clifton OF slavery. but. on n, N1ntrary
said II ne could save the / ion, N
would keep all OF the negroes slaves
slavery was abolished as q miIitar
necessity, Illegally, and was only legal
1 Hs4fT rr= If p
States. without which the amendmsn
could not have been ratified
The real cause was the protective tar
, III. The South, an agricultural section
saw the prospect of a high protective
l arfF being enacted. which she Eney
then, Just as people are now fndin
out. would enrich New England at he
cost She saw a party elected whic
announced that it would not obey IN
b Constitution She saw that party IN
famed by a book which showed IN
= very closest relations between tn
whites and the negro, and in which a
OF the devil-pent and inhumanity wer
G. portrayed as having been done by
: / Northern white She therefore resorte
o to her undoubted right OF secession,
right that Massachusetts had appeale
n and which the whole Of New Ems
= land had exercised She got out OF th
3 Union. and there would have been 2
war had President Lincoln not Gale
for troops TO cOerce the seeding State
= This action was unconstitutional. 50 cor
: fessed. and against the plain ratincs
lions Of the Constitution by every stat
and in EXPRESSED terms. against n
= trarfacation Of the state Of New Yorl
I Several OF the States would not hay
tsare5ed hut for invasion
am surprised that any person shoul
y now he appealing to Andersonville- II
= so-caued Records Of the War OF u
RebeUIon~ place the responsibility 4
the conditions at AndersOuville, and 7
eortberner need blush for Anderson
ziT1e He only can mourn that mtlital
necessity and coId-blooded neglect
mon on the part Of the North, shou
= rsz-e enriched the soil Of Georgia wi
It +be mortal part Of so many noble i've
70 k-s5nsf AndersonvilIe, we may plal
n r,7,r+ lookout Camp Chase, Johnston
K T,1on7 an. compare the mortality ST
Y .ts+f-s Of the several prisons on bc
sides ,,.-.-,-, -,
---or- win nced reconstruction If he "
- tbe history OF his country fro
-fnaI sources, but Il IS perhaps US
l.. n ask him to do SO II. howev'
he wishes 70 give his son an ezarnp
g-.a- in al the attributes or ma
gsntleress. honor, charity, one iowa
,,-tor, the breath Of scandal was new
IL 5t-acted- and whom even MS eneIII
bo0or as q model. he should procl
come GOOD biography OF Hooer'
ward Lee. --,,.-.
AN-OTHER WASHINGTONIA