Evening star., 1920-11-28

THE ENTRANCE TO LEES
onies and Of considerable influence in
modifying the draft Of the United
States Constitution, that it might
stand a chance Of ratification by the
requisite number of sovereign states!
Though he did not mold it to his own
liking, refused to sign the document
at Philadelphia and argued at Rich
mond against it's ratification by Vfr-
ginia, yet without the states rights
arguments of Mason and men OF his
bent at Philadelphia the ardent and
extreme federalists would have per-
haps submitted to the states constl-
tuition they would not ratify. Then.
there was Light Horse Harry Lee, who
was born and for some time lived
within a trifiing distance in miles OF
the homes of the great men named. :.
He was an efficient revolutionary sol,
dier whom Gen. Washington for good
and sentimental reasons praisea, 10
whom he gave a number OF prefer
ments and whose influence in the Vlr-
einia constitutional convention was
important in securing ratification OF
the Constitution by that state:
In that convention Lee ana MASON
question, and the convention was SO
nearly balanced between rat1ncation
or rejection that in an assembly o!
1853 delegates ratification was voteo
by majority of only ten. Lees IN.
fluence weighed a good deal ano put
for il it is quite possible that the side
opposed to ratification. including a
number of eminent and patrioic men,
would have prevailed. Much OF TINS IS
speculation. But. as the Rambler sa.
1F
far from a habitation, surrounded by
gaunt and 1eafess trees. with mlsnty
yistas of the Potomac before him, ana
by a brush fire to keep him warm, ne
could mot help and did not try 70
keen from indulging in the luxury OF
these speculations or reflections. Some
stories are all speculation. and some
of them are rank speculation, with
emphasis on rank.
The Rambler is under obligation to
tell you the story of Light Horse
Harry Lee. and into this story must
enter parts of the stories of the war
of the revolution. the near-break-
down Of the republic under the ar
ticles Of confederation, the attempt to
amend that instrument into WORK
ing agreement between the states, the
inception and proceedings OF the cor
stitutional convention at Philadelpnla
and the conventions called for the
ratification or rejection of that paper
at Annapolis and Richmond. 1t makes
the Rambler's head swim when ne
thinks what job it is to DO TINS IN
short stories. each of which must
seem to be separate story written
on the assumption that preceding
stories have not been read; to keep
YOU interested in the participants IN
those conventions while you 1eel no
interest in the conventions them-
SO that you won't lose faith in the
Rambler, and thus cause him to lose
his Job, and yet to do such crafts
manlfke piece of work that man
who knows the constitutional history
Of the United States will not yawn
and lay aside The Sunday Star saying,
"Pshaw. What a rotten job this fel-
low makes of it,"
So, as a beginning. he will outline
Light Horse Harry Lee. 1t has been
told that he was a son of Henry Lee
of Freestone point and his wife.
doubt was the '1owland beauty" with
whom George Washington, sixteen
years old. was infatuated. and which
infatuation was through life dear
memory. to him. just as the infatua. "a
tions Of our youth remain until the
end of things sweet memories to US:
All that the Rambler knows about
the childhood and boyhood Of Light
Horse Harry is that he was born in
the vanished house which stood on
toddled in the garden which is now
a wild thicket, but in which few Of
the old garden flowers are still grow
ing. and that he hunted tht woods
Of Leesylvania. fished in the Potomac
Neabsco and in that called PoweJs,
bare little Geographic sketch which
the Rambler has found says that
after receiving the usual rudimen-
tary education at home. Henry was
sent to Princeton College, where he
graduated in 1773." DR.. William Ship
pen wrote to Richard Henry Lee, in
1910. this letter:
your cousin Henry Lee is in col
lege and will be one of the first fell
lows in this country. He is more thar
strict in his morality, has fine genius
and diligent. Charles is in the gram
mar school. but DR.. Wftherspoon ex-
poets much from his genius and ap-
plication."
When Henry returned from college
he took over the management OF this
estate of 1000 acres. between Neabsco
and Powells creeks and extending
from Freestone point on the Potomac
west to where the road from Col
hester to Dumfries crosses the
"Neck." One reason given by an old
chronicle why young Henry was man
Henry Lee, was absent from homo
negotiating a treaty with some Indian
tribes on behalf of the colony of Vir
gfnia." That was in 1773. The next
year young Henry was to leave Vir-
ginia for England to study. law. bu.
Great Britain had become ominous
and it seemed that young Virginians
would soon have to take up the trade
of the soldier Edmund Jennings Lee.
writing Of young Henry. says that
his later career seems to have prov
sion of the law. and it is probable
that had he entered the political arena
he would have made for himself Q
reputation Of no mean proportions as
an orator and legislator"
\ 4 X X
While many Of the older heads in
the colonies were talking of possible
reconciliation with England on the
ground that the mother country must
grant the people of the colonies the
rights of Englishmen. the younger
men were talking revolution. They
were talking of a war of liberation"
and people in England were talking
of a revolt of disloyal subjects" The
points of view were somewhat diff
fernt, and it may be observed today
that men of different environment and
cast Of thought will look at the same
situation or set of facts from opposite
points Of view. There was mighty
pother In Virginia and elsewhere
about mo taxation without represen-