The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-02-05
MANNING, S. c.. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY s. 1913
gen. ROBT. {. LEE
BE IS OUR HERO and IDOL, But
HE is OUR IDEAL
IS HIS LIFE OUR GUIDE

IS HIS LIFE OUR GUIDE
An Eloquent Sermon on the Life and
Character of the Great Southern
Soldier and Ideal Christian Gentle
man by Rev. NJ Ashby Jones, D.
D., at Augusta, Ga.
The Herald says one Of the most
eloueQnt sermons ever preached in
Augusta was delivered by Dr. u.
Ashby Jones at the First Baptist
Church on Gen. Lees birthday on the
topic: els Robt. E. Lee the South
ern Ideal?' There was a large num-
Der present. DR.. Jones is peculiarly
we'll qualified to speak on the life
Of the great leader OF the Confed
eracy, not only because Of his own
brilliant attainments as thinker
and al orator, but also because his
father, Dr.. J. William Jones, was
chaplain In General Lees army. The
eloquent Augusta minister knew
General Lee personally as boy, Sad
had heard his father often talk of the
great leader of the armies Of the
"Lost Cause. Here is the sermon,
and we hope it will be read by our
young men specially:
Any friends, the name in which
this service is held is its own justi-
fcation. 1t Is fitting that in this
house, on this day, there should be
emphasized life that so e1emplified
the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Il measure my words and speak
without excitement or exaggeration
when I say that I believe in the
South, at least, the name of Robert
E. Lee instantly suggests that Of
Jesus Christ. And divesting myself
OF all prejudice my judgment is that
ir all these centuries of the Christian
Era there has been found no name
and no life that so fully expresses
the beauty, life and truth Of the
Lord and Master as that of the be-
loved captain Of northern Virginia.
"It would seem to be throwing
away an occasion and an opportunity
when the birthday Of Lee and the
resurrection Of the Master were unit
ed In the beauty Of the winter sun
shine.
eve should strive to measure our
selves by Robert E. Lee and to test
our civilization by his.
II come with humility tonight to
ask with you is Robert E. Lee the
Southern ideal? I grant you he Is
our hero-I grant you he is our idol
Il grant you he is the sweetest SEN
timent ever cherished in the hearts
OF the people-that we shall swear
by him-that we shall revere his
memory-but am not asking this
I am asking if his life is the dom!-
nant element Of the spirit OF the
South Of to-day? and IL his character
is the model by which we rear our
boys? Oh, tragedy Of history, men
have garnished the tombs Of the
prophets, yet stoned their descend
ants? Men have shouted in praise Of
the dead, yet crucifed those who
toretold their coming! So I am ask
ing you to consider three epochs in
his life. II We are to search for the
real Lee We will find it in his three
decisions. When man decides upon
a course Of action we can find the
man if we can discover why he made
the decision. It does not matter
what decision a man makes. but why
he makes it. I am not interested to-
night in the question Of the judg-
ment Of Lee. but Of the moral pur-
pose Of the will Of Lee. Why did he
choose the Southern side? We can
arrive at an intelligent answer to-
that by the process Of elimination.
We will answer in the negative first
he did not fight for slavery, he did
not believe in slavery. No ardent
Boston abolitionist ever believed in
slavery less than Robert E. Lee.
Lee on Freeing the Slaves.
"He wrote to General Scott, say
ing, If four million slaves were mine
would free them in moment to
preserve the Union I love to read
a private letter to an abolitionist
friend OF his in which he says: I
am as anxious for the freedom of the
slaves as any of you but am trust
ing to the sunshine of love to melt
the bonds of slavery-he is no friend
OF slaves who makes an enemy for
them Of white master
Neither did Lee cast his for
tunes with the South because Of Sec
tional hatred to the North. He loved
the army Of the North with a pas
sionate loyalty-his old comrades
we're officers in the army and when
they met in war time would clasp
hands with love that made the en-
suing battle seem the IRONY Of the
fate of men. Not even after four
gears Of carnage, not after all the
horrors Of reconstruction. not even
when he was refused the general
amnesty offered by that brave SOL
dier, U. S. Grant, not even when
threatened with an indictment for
treason-did no person hear him ut
ter a word of unjust criticism or
abuse either of the brave foe that
met him on the field Of battle, or OF
the cowardly politician that fought
him in secret.
Not Because OF Personal Ambition.
"Lee did not make his choice be-
cause Of personal ambition. He and
Lincoln both seem to have had pro-
rhetic vision. and he predicted that
the war would last four years. and