Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-15


la TNE niversary of the birth of Gen.
IIA n nj Robert &. Lee, it was the
IN IA I'll original intention of those
III Ek% interested in placing the stat
nszaAgksl ue of the great commander in
Statuary hall of the United
! states capitol to have the formal pre-
| sentation take place on that date. But
the adverse criticisms heard in some
places viii result in postponement OF
| the date of formal presentation at least
to February %. the birthday of WASH
ington, and perhaps indefinitely. 1t Is
said to be the wish of the family OF
| General Lee that no formal presenta-
ton be extended SO long as there IS
serious objection to its reception from
any quarter.
If. in Difference to these objections,
the presentation ceremonies shall be
POSTPONED indefinitely, the effect will be
| farther reaching than the Lee contro-
versy, for the reason that the state OF
| Virginia is also presenting magnlh-
cent bronze of washington, ana me
! country will be treated to the spectacle
of a, statue of the Father of His Coun-
trv standing in the Statuary hall with
| ont formal reception. 1t would be an
unfortunate situation, but not really
! aerious one. because the statue is there
by law. The formal presentation cere-
monies are but the frills and furbeloWs
and have nothing to do with making
| the nrcsence of the statue legal. AS a
virginia congressman of long service
and deliberate judgment has said: "The
| statues of Washington and Lee are
| there by law, the letter of which mas
| been complied with, and nothing but a
specific act of congress, or an act OIL
vandalism, can get them OUT
The law under which these gifts are
] GcA1 short
! iv after the wings of the capitol were
| h1ii1t and the house vacated what is
now Statuary hall. In order to create
! a national Valhalla, congress set apart
this room and provided that each state
should be entitled to send thereto the
statues of the two deceased persons
whom it might select 1t will be Oh
served that the choice rests with the
state itself. and that the only condl-
lions are that the effigies shall repre-
sent the dead and those who are
deemed most worthy of the honor.
There is nothing set forth concerning
! congressional approval or authorizing
any tribunal to question the cholce or
| a state John Brown might be even
more Objectionable to Virginia than
! Lee is to Kansas, yet neither has the
right to contest the choice of the other,
When the statues are placed in po-
sition that ends all the necessary for
malities. When the one of Father
Marquette the Jesuit explorer, was
presented by the state of Wisconsin
there was a strong protest from anti
| Catholic sources because of the pres
ence of the robes of the order, and
trouble seemed imminent in the house.
The senate did it's part in formally ac-
cepting the statue, but the acceptance
! by the house was not asked. This eff
| tigy of Marquette stands there now on
as sure a footing as if it had received
| hundred formal acceptances, and no
one thinks of objecting to its presence.
When Lee was first considered for a
| place in Statuary hall there was some
difference of opinion i'm Virginia as
to the advisability of his selection.
Everyone agreed that he was, next
to Washington, the best beloved of
Virginias heroes. But some thought
that perhaps the time was inoppor-
tune and that the matter had better
be deferred. To everyone it seemed
to be a procedure warranted by right,
but to some it was not considered
expedient. At this juncture Senator
Martin gave expression to the view
that every other state had exercised
its right in the premises without let
or hindrance and that if Virginia were
to be denied that right the Virginia
which had figured so conspicuously
in the founding of the government,
then il was time for her people to
know it. This seemed, to voice the
general sentiment and the legislature
forthwith ordered the casting of the
statues.
The objections to the acceptance of
the statue of General Lee came from
the fact that he is clad in the Con-
federate uniform, rather than from OBJ
iections to the man himself. There are
several other Confederate soldiers in
the hall notably McKenna and Curry.
from West Virginia and Alabama, re-
spectively, but there was no serious
objection to them.
The presentation Of the statues of
washington and Lee was timely, at
least so far as that of Washington
is concerned. In recent years, since
Illinois sent the statue of Frances E..
Willard. the righteousness of the To-
cation of the statue of Washington
has brought to the face of the visitor
smile of amusement rather than a
- of 1yonera tion In the first place