The National tribune., 1910-08-04
THE LEE STATUE.

THE LEE STATUE.
Protests Against the Placing Of the
Statue In the Capitol.
William II. Reid. Sergeant. Co. F, 10th
Ill. Cav, Rosemond. H.. writes: There are
just five of us old vets In this township.
and We are not afraid Of high-priced meat,
for each of us are getting $l4+ pension a
year and, of course. we are living on mush
and hominy. and doggoned glad TO get that.
But. of course, our sympathy goes out to our
Congressman who are trying to live on sal
airy Of only $500 year, for we fear they
Will be deprived of many luxuries they de-
serve. We hope that Congress will see to
It that Gen. X; f.. Lees statue is erected
in Washington. ID. C.. and that IL is properly
wrapped in the Confederate flag; and then
we think the next proper thing TO do would
be to erect a statue Of Benedict Arnold
alongside OF Ii.
une bill and will bet box of hardtack and
a whole side of sowbeIly (and that's a big
bet, considering the price OF meaD that
J1hn McElroy is the next Commander-in-
Comrade f. d. Robinson, Co. A. I'd W. Va.
Cav, Minersvile, Ohio, adds his protest
against the Lee statue He thinks that IL
is wrong for us to honor treason after sac
rifcing hundreds OF thousands of as good
men as walked the earth to put down treason
ard rebellion.
Comrade George Maine OF Stevens Point
Wis, sends in an earnest protest against
the injustice TO the veterans of 81 and 80
Hall Of Fame. Comrade Maine was a mem
Der of Co. B, 26th ILL.,, and participated in
many battles and engagements during his
more than three years service.
Comrade 7. P. Creed, Co. E. 126th n
G.. sends in two clippings from the Record
tIsra1 IN fnt. H.
cinity protest against the action of Virginia
in desiring to place the statue of Lee clad
in Confederate uniform in the Hall of Fame.
Comrade Greed says: after the lapse of
nearly 45 years, after the successful ending
of the war. / deem such action on the part
Of the Southern people unwise and uncalled
for and humiliating to the Union soldiers" "
Comrade ]. d. Rowe, Co. II. 1st Mich.
Cav, Milford, Mich, says: while l am
willing TO accede 10 the memory of Gen Lee
all that is his due, | should consider 1t a
disgrace and an injustice to associate his
name with that of Lincoln or Washington.
Gen. Lee had good qualities, but did not his
disloyalty overshadow them allf
A. Danhuff, Talent. Ore, says that we
fought the thing to a finish in the SOS, and,
so, why bring up the past now? But all
the same, it hurts to see treason, which the
statue of Lee clad as It is in Confederate
uniform stands for, gIorifed.
Comrade s. p. Petit, Co. B, 157th N. Y,
Ida Grove, Iowa, desires to congratulate Sen
ator Heyburn for the stand he took against
the Lee statue and the loaning Of Govern
ment property to the Confederate veterans
Comrade Petit SAYS: "Had / the power of
this Republic, no rag of treason would be
| allowed to float neither would statuary OF
| rebels disgrace our Hall Of Fame"
George W. Snow, of Springfield, S. D.,
says: Don't allow that statue of Lee to re-
main in the Hall of Fame. There's no room
| .ln,-
1.-THE National Tribune is all right in its
good work for the soldiers, and we want
Comrade McElroy for our next Commander
| in Chief"
Comrade E. Fl. Fuller, Saratoga Springs
y. Y, says in regard to the Lee statue
Perhaps the boys in blue are being taught
| that their fighting for the preservation OF
| the Union in 1S61-5 was disloyalty."
| Comrade D. J. Sweet. Hist Pa, Towanda
| Pa, sends in an interesting speech made by
Comrade II. ]. Swift, which was published in
| the Buffalo Courier. Comrade Swift says
| that every ht-thinking man will admit that
Lee was a great General but that they viii
also have to admit that he guilty OF
| treason nevertheless. 1t is his belief that the
South will be censured for acts which have
stirred up the Northern veterans; to wit,
| the placing of the Lee statue, clad In Con.
federate uniform, in the U. S. Capitol at
Washington.
| l.. ".
writes: 81 see by the old National Tribune
| that there is quite hornets nest stirred
up In regard to the placing OF Lees statue
| in the Hall of Fame dressed in Confederate
uniform. There would be no objection, / be
lieve, to his statue IL cholthed in Mexican
war regimentals, or in civilian dress. I be
lieve Lee was good man, tho his idea:
he placed loyalty to his State above loyalty
to his country, and proved himself an un
worthy son by striking the hand that fec
! III Va IN afrta ayfr Inn tn
Skies but history will prove that what II
written Is written, and all that can be sait
in the way of apology for his acts canno
wipe out the STAIN"
The Louisville Courier Journal publishes al
editorial which is going the rounds implying
that Grant. Sherman and others OF the gree
commanders would not have objected to tn
statue of Lee in the Capitol, and the Courier
what would Grant and Sherman hav
thought Of it y and adds: '-Could any moderI
G. A, II. Commander answer that frankly ant
honestly and leave himself enough ammuni
ton to damage the plan"
| Comrade Frank Rehherger, Battery E, Is
Ky. says: "Why not have the statue OF Le
in front Of the Office of the Courier-Journal z
public. Ohio, says that little did we thinl
that the time would come when some of Ou
Senators and Representatives would homo
leaders of notD BY tn
f. Lee-to be placed In the Hall Of Fame
What would Andrew Jackson have done
What would any foreign country do will
traitors and spies? They were shot. 1
makes US old Union soldiers almost feel tina
our work was In vain, but our patriotism
is as strong as ever for Old Glory"
Comrade ]. L. Husband, National Soldiers
Home Tenn, would have no objection TO tn
placing of the Lee statue in the Hall o
Fame. providing Congress should pass an &C
requiring a tablet to be placed at the foo
of each statue therein setting forth tn
principal characteristics or accomplishment
tupon which each ones fame is founded. A
the foot of the statue of George Washington
he would inscribe. George Washington: frs
in war; first in peace, and first in the heart
of his cOuntrymen, and at the foot Of Lee
statue, Robert E. Lee; famous an migrate
perjurer and traitor" Comrade Husban
says that with an arrangement CT this kim
posterity would not be misled.