The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-21
Voice of the People
General Lees Attitude MS to States,
Rights.

OASS VI lllS d SOplC
General Lees Attitude MS to States
TO the Editor of The Times Dispatch
sir'-,American history. that part OF
i at least which relates to the Con-
cupy a prominent place in the course
or study. or instruction. in the College
OF William and Mary. at Williamsburg,
va, va, inns / infer from a communica-
OF that college, published originally in
the Boston Transcript and copied from
mat paper in The Richmond Times
Gent Tyler's communication is, In the
| main comment upon an article in
me transcript from the pen of Mrs.
Ance W. Clark upon the life and
We find in President Tyler's communi-
cation the two following paragraphs:
There Is no mystery as TO the Views
eordins TO your correspondents own
statement General Lee was a believer
in the doctrine OF State rights and
aeemed Virginia his country"
Southern leaders, General lee held
That as the Federal Union had been
Lounge on the consent OF the gov
sion was to abrogate the generally
accepted idea of what the United
states originally stood for, and to
substitute the European doctrine Of
! force"
These paragraphs convey an abso-
Iutey erroneous impression OF the
political views OF the great Confed-
crate entertain. General Lee was not
a states rights man. in the sense of
the right OF q State. at its own Volt
ZION. to withdraw or secede from the
In the eventful period Immediately
preceding the outbreak of hostiiities
between the North and the South
General Lee. then a colonel In the
Fort Mason, in Texas. From that
place. on the 23d of January, 1851,
he wrote TO his son. Custis. a letter
In which occurs the following pas
Secession IS nothing but revolution.
The trainers Of the Constitution never
exhausted so much labor wisdom. and
forhearance in It's formation. and sur
rounded IT with so many guards and
securities. II II was intended TO be
oroken by every member OF the Con-
.t.ederacy at VIII; II is intended for
preamble, and for the establishment
Of government mot compacD.
which can only be dissolved by revolu-
In convention assembled. 1t is lido
This letter. is to be found at page
S. OF General a. L. Longs Memoirs OF
When several of the Southern States
had seeded, and resort to arms
seemed inevitable. Colonel Lee was or
ddered 10 come from Fort Mason to
the Secretary OF War at Washington,
ne repaired TO his beautiful home.
aetri!ngton. Just across the Potomac
,5I from the national capital. and
suisn OF soul upon the fast thick
ehing and oninous signs of the i'm
penaing internecine strife
him ne I'M 'ii0 81 'e'eFpt t oHeIs were made
Francis Blair, son of Llncoln's POST
mastsr-General Montgomery Blair.
vas sent TO him with the offer from
Command OF the United States army.
he replied 10 Mr.. Blair that while
he DID not believe in the doctrine OF
secession. and was opposed to its exer-
else ne te!t that he must ga with his
own people. and could NOT draw his
! sword against them.
The eNtT-ei which | have above
MS son shows that he was well In
formed upon the political history OF
me country, He says that tho
trainers Of the Constitution intended
eompaet The question Of contro-
yerSy in the great debate between
Webster and Hayne in the United
S athi senate IN March. 1880. was
IL q
compact between the States, or 4
government Of the people"
On hpTil 10, 1861. two days after
the fan Of Fort Sumter, President Lin
coin issued his proclamation calm.
Tor I5.OGD volunteers. az when Vir
Einih was 70 furnish her quota lie
ordered blockade Of the Southern
ports ana suspended the writ Of
beas corpus. Two days afterwards.
Oh April 1Tth. tho Virginia Constitn.
tional conyeatlon passed the ordinonce
~ secession The convention sent
tnree 81 iis Members 10 Arlington to
invite General Lee TO come TO Rich
inond. on arriving there he appeared
hy invitation before the convention,
and the sword Of Virginia" was pre- :.
5ehteu to HIN by the venerable John
Jannev. president II the convention.
ana he vas declared commandment :
Ihiof ot the virginia forces General
SAD Never except in defence OF my
native state VIII ever draw nv
sword again" 1t was one OF the most
'" PTesia@e sfe Inn EYER witnessed
taken when he ascrts in the second
o! inc paragraphs quoted above. that
AZ q. the southern leaders believed
IKE General Lee. In ,!;c r!gh. OF Sc
ctshion. The debates In the Virginia
Convention Of 1861 show that fully
tnree. ,Gurthg Of that body were "OId
Line Whigs." Of the Henry Clay type
|ho aid not believe In the doctrine OF
Hecess!on ~ roprescntati tive wings
81 this type may mention the fol-
loving members Of tho convention,
Jonn Il baldwin and Alexander II. II
stuart Of stanton. Valentine s
southall. sr. Of charlottesville: JubaI
a Early. Of Franklin county; Chnrlcs
slaughter and John " speed OF
rynchourg Marmahnkc Johnson, OF
llchm9nd and John L. Marye. sr.. oi
tr"dericksbYTg
TINS communication mas been spur
put 10 greater length than ] intended
may hr interesting TO your Older
Ith0"rH. cHpccinlly tho Survivors OF