The Republican journal., 1913-03-20
GENERAL LEE ON DUTY.
A Letter Written to HIS Eldest Son n
1852 Shows Character OF Confederate
Leader.

A Letter Written to HIS Eldest Son in
1852 Shows Character OF Confederate
Leader.
The death of Gen G. W. C. Lee old.
est son of Gen. R. E. Lee. chronicled in
the Sun of Feb. 10Th, recalled to mind q
private letter of the famous general
written to this son. under date Of Aprii
5, 1852, when GUSTS Lee was cadet at
the United States Military Academy at
West Point, aid which was found at Ar.
lington House during the Civil War. saws
Robert E. Kelly in the New York Sun
The letter throughout is characterized hv
conciseness, concinnity and clarity. and
OH this account should find place in anv
anthology as masterpiece of correct
English and model of parental charac-
ter building advice:
Arlington House. April 5, 1852.
My Dear Son-I am Just in the act of
leaving home for New Mexico. NV old
regiment has been ordered to that dis
tant region and must hasten to see that
they are properly taken care of. Ihave
but little to add in reply to your letters
of March 26th. 9th and 18th. Your let
ters breathe true spirit of frankness.
They have given myself and your mother
great pleasure. You must study to he
frank with the world; frankness IS the
child of honesty and courage. Say what
you mean to do on every occasion. and
take it for granted you mean to do right.
II friend asks faver you should grant
1T. ii it is reasonable; if not, tell him
plainly why you cannot. You will wrong
| him and wrong yourself by equivocation
of any kind. Never do a wrong thing to
Jake friend or keep one; the man who
requires you to do so is dearly purchased
at sacrifice.
Deal kindly, but firmly, with your
classmates. You will find it the policy
which wears best. Above all, do not ap-
pear to other what you are not. If you
have any fault to find with anyone, tell
him, not others, of what you complain;
there IS no more dangerous experiment
than that OF undertaking to be one thing
before mans face and another behind
his back. We should live, act and say
nothing to the injury of anyone. 1t is
not only best as a matter of principle,
but it is the path of peace and honor. In
regard to duty, let me, 10 conclusion of
this hasty letter, inform you that nearly
a hundred years ago there was day of
remarkable gloom and darkness still
known as the dark day. day when the
hight OF the sun was slowly extinguished,
as II by an eclipse. The legislature of
Connecticut was in session, and as its
members saw the unexpected and unac-
countable darkness coming on they snar-
ed in the general awe and terror. II
was supposed by many that the last day,
the day of judgment, had come. Some
one, In the CONSERVATION of the hour,
moved an adjournment Then there
arose an Ole Puritan legislator Daven-
port of Stamford and said that if the
last day has come he desired to be found
at his place doing his duty, and there
fore moved that candles be brought in,
so that the house could proceed with its
j duty
There was quietness iii that man 5
soul, the quietness of heavenly wisdom
and infleXible willingness to obey present
duty.
Duty, then, is the sublimest word in
/ our language. Do your duty in all things
like the old Puritan. You cannot do
more. You should never wish to do less.
Never let me and your mother wear one
gray hair for any lack Of duty on your
part, Your affectionate father,
| G. W. GUSTS Lee R. E. Lee.
| How simple, true and honest R. E.
Lee appears in this letter; what noble
and conscientious character stands re-
vealed in the tenderness of his devoted
paternal solicitude and the grandeur of
his terse maxims.