Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1913-07-11
GENERAL LEE ON DUTY
LETTER WRITTEN TO SON AT
WEST POINT IN 1852.
Characteristic Utterance of the Fans
Qua Civil War General Is Master
piece of Parental Character
Building Advice.

The death of Gen. G. w. G. Lee, eld-
est son of Gen. R. e. Lee, recalled
to mind a private letter of the Famous
general written to this son, nde
date of April 5, 1852, when GUSTS Lee
was a cadet at the United States mill
tary academy at West Point, n
was found at Arlington house
during the Civil war, says the New
York Sun. The letter throughout is
characterized by conciseness, concln-
nifty and clarity, and on this account
should find a place in any anthology
as a masterpiece of correct English
and a model of parental character
building advice:
Arlington House, April 5, 1852.
"My Dear Son-I am just in the act
of leaving home for New Mexico. MY
old regiment has been ordered to that
distant region and l must hasten to
see that they are properly AXE care
of. have but little to add In reply
to your letters of March 26, II and 2S.
Your letters breathe a true spirit or
frankness. They have given myself
and your mother great pleasure. You
must study to be frank with the world,
frankness is the child of honesty and
courage. Say what you mean to DO
on every occasion, and take 1t for
granted you mean to do right. II a
friend asks a favor you should grant
1t. if 1t is reasonable; if not, tell him
plainly why you cannot. You Will
wrong him and wrong yourself by
e~quivocation of any kind. Never do
a wrong thing to make a friend OF
keep one. the man who requires you
to do SO is dearly purchased at a a C
riice.
Deal kindly, but firmly, with your
classmates. You will find 1t the pol
lev which wears best. Above all, do
not appear to others what you are not.
II you have any fault to find with any
one, tell him, not others, of what you
complain; there is no more dangerous
experiment than that of undertaking
to be one thing before a mans a
and another behind his back. We
should live, act and say nothing to
the injury of any one. 1t is not only
best as a matter of principle, but II
is the path Of peace and honor. In
regard to duty, let me, in conclusion
of this hasty letter, inform you that
nearly q hundred years ago there was
a day of remarkable gloom and dark
ness-still known as the dark day.
day when the light Of the sun was
slowly extinguished, as if by al
eclipse. The legislature Of Connecti
: cut was in session, and as the mem
bers saw the unexpected and unac
countable darkness coming on the.
!, shared in the general awe and terror
It was supposed by many hat tn
last day, the day Of Judgment, ha'
come. Some one, in the consterna
ton of the hour, moved an adjourn
ment. Then there arose n old pur'
: tan legislator, Davenport, OF Stan
= ford, and said that If the last a ma
come he desired to be found at hi
place doing his duty, and therefor
moved that candles be brought In s
that the house could proceed with II
N duty.
"There was quietness in that man
soul, the quietness of heavenly wi
dom and inhexible willingness to obj
= present duty.
- DUTY, then, is the subimest VOL
y in our language. Do your duty IN q
things like the old puritan. You ca
- not do more. You should never WIS
~ to do less. Never let me and yo'
40 mother wear one gray hair for al
lack of duty on your part. Your
- fectionate father. H.. T.. LEE
w. &c. w. Gusts Lee"
=. How simple, true and honest K.
- Lee appear in this letter; what
-, noble and conscientious charact
stands revealed in the tenderness
~ his devoted p~aternal solicitude a.
ali the grandeur Of his terse maxims.