Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-08-16
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE
ON TOPICS OF THE DAY
Correspondent Gives Impressions of
Mansion nt Ar
lingtOn
To the Elitor OF rhe TImes.nlsra,ch:

To the Editor of The Timcs-Dispatch.
Sir,-on entering the mansion AT
Arlington. one is impressed with the
vast Nacuity--a lack OF something cs-
scntiaL One roams at Will through
those empty rooms and corridors.
trying to conjurc from some remote
part OF the brain visions OF what
ne must have been in the antc-bcl-
lnm days. IL Is Impossible To assoc
cIatc these ccholnS halls with lif.
love and laughter of more than Il
hali-ccntury ago. You seek in vain
Tor picture or a biography of the
once proud owner OF this magnificent
mansion. The one tablet the mansion
ahords stands in its Isolated prom
thence as sort OF apology for be-
ing there at all. II gives summary
Of the various owners. but not one
word OF the courage Of it's iilustrious
owner in battling for Il lost cause
not for glory. not for remuneration.
and certainly not for fame, but for
principle alone.
The scpulchral halls or Arlington
cry out In protest 10 this lack OF
honor to a great man. all the more
apparent AS we compare the precision
ana care with which the days OF the
old regime at Mount Vernon are re-
produced. Every article OF furni-
ture. every room. recalls the days OF
George and Martha Washington. What
a center Of charm this mansion could
become rchabilitatcd and Respondent
with the memories OF golden past
the ante -hc!lum days.
Only pusillanimous minds refrain
from giving honor where honor Is
due y man like Robert l.. Lee de-
serves the honor. respect and appre-
ella ton Of AN Intelligent and merit
giving country like ours. no matter
,,.l, Ia, 10, h.. f.l
no matter II he believed in states
rights or strong central govern
mcnt-hc was in all things :: true.
noble and brave Christian gentleman.
What more can we ask OF any man"
what are politics as compared with
nobility of character. integrity, up
Brightness. honesty, bravery and chris
tiam charity as cXcmplincd in Robert
Lee?
Every intelligent mind will give
every other mind the right to use his
prcroSativc in politics as in every
other walk OF life. For what other
purpose was our Declaration of Rights
Why, then, should we look upon him
with hard criticism and skcpticism.
when his views do not happen To
agree with ours?
When Lees statue was placed In
the rotunda of the Capitol. n Wash
ington paper said: Ever since Ap-
pomattox tho figure Of Ice has been
looming up larger and larger with
the years. until today he is rccog-
nzcd as one Of the greatest leaders
OF the English speaking race. His
great genius as a military command
or is at last universally acknowl-
edged"
An English magazine said: Ills
U.cc) name is written upon the same
brief scroll that contains those Of
Caesar. Hannibal. Marlborough. Fred
crick, Napoleon. 1t is one of the four
that America blazons highest upon
her pantheon Of war-Washington.
Lee. Grant. Scott" And. after all
this, we Americans. the foremost ma
ton in the world. have to admit that
the name OF Lee is not on our Pan
theon OF War. neither on the walls
of the Congressional Library. where
the names Of the greatest generals
appear, nor yet in the Temple OF Fame
across the Potomac.
Today, we speak OF united feeling
existing between the North and the
South. Can that feeling be truly sin
ccre on the part OF the South when
the North refuses to acknowledge the
integrity of her leader and refrain6
from honoring her greatest son? Let
merit and justice he the criterion
of our actions. and not the bigotcd
principles Of narrow, prcjudiccd
minds.
What n true pantheon of war.
temple OF honor. a monument to In
teGrity and uprightncss. n memorial
Of heroic sclf-sacrilicc the mansion
at Arlington could become rchabili-
tatcd and dedicated to
One OF the knightliest OF the knight
ly race,
Who. since the days of old.
Have kept the lamp of chivalry
AliGht in hearts of gold"
BERTHA COOPER MORTON.
Smithshurg, Md. Aug. II. 1921.