The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-15
IF LEE u HAVE
STOOD AT I'll HELM
The Retrospect Of a Confederate-If Slavery
Had Been Abandoned by the South-Con-
federates Were Overconfident-Like
l~sraelites at Kadesh.
By BERKELEY MINOR;
Private in Rockbridgc Artillery. Stoncwall Bricadc.

Looking back now TO The summer
Of 1863, with Gettysburg lost aud Lee
back in Nirginln. I sec 80 plainly what
We Confcdcratcs ought to havo done
that | wonder mach we did not do II.
But hindsiEhts arc pruvcrbiaily much
clearer than forcsiehts. hin Gen
cral Lec must have fclt sure that,
handicapped az VIC wcrc by slavery.
VIC could not hope for sympathy and
help from Europe. aud that without
chat we could not win our indcpcnd-
cnce. And there must have been 9th
ers. perhaps many, OF those In nu-
tiority WHO saw this, or should have
seen u-just as II wa plain TO wash
inBton nj Valley Forge that the
Colonies could not resist tho power OF
t;rca, Britain without aid from France.
Had General Ice said 10 MIR. Davis and
Congress. Gentlemen, / have done my
best 1t is pain that VIC must have
sympathy ana recogn.Iou. II not as
ststancc. from Europe. We can get
these oniy by legislation on the part
OF Congress. followed ny action OF the
several states. looking to gradual
emancipation, to he completed In n
definite term. say .fty years. or one
or two generations. Shall we hold on
20 slavery, as IL we wcrr lighting for
That, and lose tho right OF self govern
I1cri? The institution or slavery was
in large measure forced upon us. and
Nc have made tho best Of IT: but It IS
AN OWL. and should be abolished. Shall
wc keep the matter in our own hands.
and. dealing with it wisely and slowly.
Ect rid OF IL gradually. and In the
way least hurtfui 10 both races? or
shall NC continue .his bloody and
hopeless struggle and nnaliv nave oir
"cnpucrors, f~Ancolu and the Republi-
san party. settle 1t for W. s.rd carry
oui their plan Of emancipation as they
think bestr
surely, IL we arc wise, We will tako
such steps as Will make all Christen-
dom sure that VIC really intend TO
cInanciratc tho negro, just as fast Ms
Is consistent with The best interests
OF both raccs.
The result Is surc. Recognition tand
help. IL VIC need 10 Will come snccdily
from ono or more OF the European
powers. Many In England especially
already sympathizc with us. and Eng
lands business interests would DO
greatly helped by the establishment OF
the Confederate Statcg of America.
Nothing hut antipathy to slavery has
prevented our recognition thus far.
What ne may think of slavery as l..
blessing OF a curse is entirely beside
the question now. Many of tho wises,
among us agree with mc in thinking II
an evil; but however that may be. the
Christian nations are OF one mind, that
It must &c. We must recognize this
important fact. and let slavery go
while We may and can let Il go. with
least harm TO all concerned. Every
thing That can with honor be given UP
must DO given up to win that greatest
of all political blessings, tic right
to govern ourselves, for which we
huro already suffered so much. Let
us not fcreit this blessing by ~clinglng
10 so doubtful "a good as slavery. which
VIC must lose in any event; for even
ii VIC could win our independence with
out help, slavery is doomed. and cannot
and ought not TO survive longer than
q reasonably safe way can be found TO
dispose or q. DO not doubt but that
wisdom enough is among us to find a
way FOR II TO pass safely. Statesman
ship OF a high grade has never been
wanting in the South. God will bless
such an effort, and give us a Moses
10 lead ms through and out of this will
derncss.'
We who know what weight and in
fucnce General Lee had In the South
In those days cannot doubt for a mo-
ment what soldiers and citizens would
have done after such a declaration
from him.. Practically all would have
assented, and our success would have
been assured. General Lees name
and fame even then were worldwide,
and would have been a sufficient guar
ant of the accomplishment OF what
was proposed by him and accepted by
his people. And he, too, was manifesto
~ the Moses to lead us out OF the Will
dcrness Of orr dangers into The prom
Used land of libcrty-a Moses, too, who,
In many things like the great prophet.
leader OF Israel. Choosing rather 10
suffer affection with the people of God
than to enjoy tho pleasures OF Sin for
a season. vet, unlike him, would never
have hesitated. once tho path of duty
was made clear TO him.
Naturally some who do not know
Genera! Lac AS 10 OF the other gene.
ration do, may ask why he did not
come forward with some such propo-
sitlon. Wo who do know the entire
absence OF ambition in our great
leader, his entire effacoment OF self,
complete sclf-abnegation, sec clearly
why he did not. aud could not, being
what he was, put himself forward In
that way. The man who declined Cen
eral SCOTS offer Of the chief command
of the Union army. and took an In
ferior place on tho weaker side, in
~fiuenced solely by duty: the man who
told his son (aa Captain Robert Loo
writes IN his book not TO seek pro-
motion. and yet not to refuse 1t. when
offered, could never have takon 1t Upon
himself to DO an unSouEht adviser OF
Mr.. Davis and Congress. There scemcd
an utter lack In Genera Lee of that
"iaat inhrinlty of noble minds
Tho spur that tho clear spirit doth
raiac,
no scorn delights and live laborious
days"
Duty alone guided him to do all this
and much more. Why, then, ono may
we'll ask, was not his counsel sought
by The, government and his people?
,Wo may be sure 1T would have been
Siren. promptly and freely. and to the