The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-16


ment to make any accurate report OF
contemporary events. and details OF
conversations forty years after they
occurred must be always charity re-
ceived. Probably to those who knew
General Lee best the freedom with
which ne is said 10 have spoken to
your correspondent is more surprising
than anything else, He was a most
reserved man. and Knowing that his
every action and word was watched,
he was extremely cautious to whom
he talked, especially IL they were
strangers. One thing is certain. that
II he spoke at ALL 1t was always in
disnified language. 1t Is. therefore
hard 10 believe that General Lee in
speaking OF General Grant made use
OF ans expression like this. that Grant
never did know when he was licked"
Again. while it is undoubtedly true
that General Lee showed wise and
noble obedience to the laws Of the CON
fueror. and that. when his avn cause
was lost, he taught respece to the
Union nag. vet it seems utterly i'm.
possible that he ever used the follow
ing: Teach any sons you may have
to profit by my example"-languag age
that seems to imply that General Lee
was asha med ot the part tina, he mad
performed. There Is no mystery as
to the views OF General Lee on gov
eminent According to your CORE.
spondents own statement. General Lee
was believer in the doctrine of state
rights and deemed Virginia his coun-
try
His relation to the Confederate
States was not unique. hut that Of
every other citizen in the South. lie
was citizen Of Virginia. Just as Alex
ander Stephens was citizen of
Georgia. The Confederate govern
ment created powerful national
union. the parties 20 which were no.
persons in their individual capacity.
but persons in their corporate capacity
as free and independent states. In
common with all the other Southern
leaders. General Lee held that. as the
Federal Union had been founded on
the consent OF the governed" to de-
ny the right OF secession was to ali
rogaie the generally accepted idea Of
what the United States originally stood
FOR. and TO substitute the European
doctrine of force
Now know that in these imperial
istic days state rights" has become
an obsolete idea. The doctrine may
have been bad "faliacy" and all
that. hut let us at least be just and
place the responsibility where it he
longs Mrs Clark calls it the cal
noun doctrine: but as matter of
TACT II had been taught long before
Mt Calhoun was born. or certainly
long before he took any part in poll
ties Mr.. jefferson and Mr. Madison
taught the doctrine in the Kentucky
and Virginia resolutions of 'as and '99.
when they declared that the Union was
not one sovereignty" bnt many SOW
ereignties." Massachusetts subsequent
~ held emphatically the same view
during the period OF the embargo and
the War of 1872. The government long
afterwards. rs is we'll known. taught
the same doctrine to its students at
the West Point Academy. In the libra
ry of this college is a copy OF the text
book used at tho Academy: "A View
Of the Constitution Of the United
states. by William Rawle, of Penn
sylvania. On the fly leaf Is Cadet
BENJAMIN :. Ewell West Point. 1882"
and on page 2a7 it Is broadly asserted.
The States then may wholly with
draw from the Union" Why. then.
with this testimony before us. do
many Northern writer's continue to
throw the blame on Mr.. Calhoun?
Speaking of Cadet Ewell." who pre-
coded me as president of William and
Mary College, he also had some recol-
lections lof General Lee which arc
worth mentioning During the war he
was chief of General Joseph f. John
ston's staff. He was a young student
at West Point with General Lee when
the latter had tho duty of inspector
of cadets. canCr; presume to give
exact language. but he spoke of his
remembrance of young Lee. as he came
down the line Of the battalion. as tho
handsomest man he ever saw His an
pearance was grand. and he had n
way of nodding his head in approval.
when he saw a cadet and his equip
ment looking especially fine Colonel. -
said did You ever receive such a
nod?" The colonel Strengthened him
self mp. and replied with evident pride:
Once" holding a finger up. "WeN. and
how did YOU feel when YOU received it,
Feel said the colonel, Il felt as IL
had receI we'd nod from Olympian
love
Admirers OF General Lee in the
South Will not thank Mrs Clark for
making him the shield of bitter as
sault on Jefferson Davis Why cannot
she as we'll as others he just? What
greater evidence is there that Presi :
dent Davis WAS in tine war for per
sonal aGgrandize ment" than that
President Lincoln was in the war for
the same reason? Who seemed to in
cur greater danger-I.incoln with the
powerful North behind him. or Davis
with the much weaker South? The
Union armies marched to the tune of
Hang jeff Davis on Sour Apple
Tree" and every breeze from the
Northand was weighted with ven
gcance; and If Mr.. Lincoln's face bore
upon II "the sorrows OF a nation"
nevertheless triumphant. why was
there, not room enough in Davis's
heart for the sorrows of ruined and
defeated people? Davis had all the re-
sponsibilty of the failure of the war