Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1917-02-14

may be true that the rest OF US are
evolved from apes, but l tell you
that nothing less than God could
have made Marse Robert"
On another occasion New York
banker asked General Scott in q
private conversation: General
whom do you regard as the greatest
living soldier?" General Scott ut
once replied, "Colonel Robert e.
Lee, is not only the greatest soldier
of America, but the greatest nov
living in the world. This is my de-
liberate conviction from full
knowledge of his extraordinary
abilities, and if occasion ever arises
Lee will win the place in the estima-
ton of the whole world"
Tidings reached General Lee soon
after his return to Virginia from
Maryland, of the death of his favor
ite daughter, but his men and mis-
army needed his first attention and
then he could surrender himself to
his private affairs. "Duty first,
was the rule of his life.
Lee remained a true Christian ev-
en- amid the thickest contest. In a
letter to Mrs. Lee he said: 81 trem-
BILE for my country when l hear of
the confidence expressed in me, l
know too we'll my weakness, and
that our only hope is in God"
Alexander Stevens, vice-president
of the Confederate. States, once
said: "What l had seen General Lee
to be at first was childlike in SIM
plicity and unselfshness of his char
acter; he remained unspoiled by
praise and by success. He was the
same in victory or defeat, always
calm and self-contained." Lee would
attempt anything that man might
dare.
No blackened ruins, desolated
fields or destruction of private prop
erty marked the lines of mis-
marches. At the surrender at Ap
pomattox Court House he thought Of
what history would say of the sur
render, but the only question he
asked himself was, "Is it right to
surrender this army? If it is right
then I will take all the responsible
ty." This surrender weighed upon
his mighty heart to its breaking,
when he was carried to his reward
in Heaven. A Confederate orator
expressed the surrender in a right
phrase when he said, ''The Army of
Northern Virginia was not conquer
ed but only wearied out with victo-
ry."
This ended his career as soldier,
and I think I put it right when l say
that Lee had proven himself the
greatest soldier of the war, if not
of history.
In eighteen hundred and sixty
five Lee went to Lexington as Prcsi-
dent of Washington College. He
became president of this college as
though he had known no uvner duties
or no other ambitions. Lee was no
"fgure head" for if there were any
who thought he would be used just
to attract students by the glitter Of
his great name they soon saw that
he was one of the ablest, most in
most earnest and most
tactful presidents that any college
ever had. He introduced many re-
forms to the college and greatly en-
larged the course of instruction. He
raised the standard Of scholarship.
the old buildings and
added new ones. He treated all the
students as gentlemen, and expected
them to act as gentlemen. If ore
Of them should prove disorderly, Of
neglect his studies, he sent for hlm
and had with him fatherly talk.
which almost always accomplished
The desired end.
General Lee knew every student
Dy name and kept in his mind a rec
ord of his standard and department.
No name ever came up at faculty
meeting that the General did rot
snow all about him. General Ice
lid not believe in forcing the stu
lents in attending chapel, but he
sought to influence them to do so.
Chapel was never open unless he was
here. Lee was also most laborious
n the duties of his office as a col
egc president. He gave himself
wholly to this work. He was always
'eady to receive visitors on college
business and his Office was always
open to college students or profess
,rs, of whose interest received his
'eady consideration. His correspon-
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