Nogales international., 1934-12-01
A Pardon For General Lee

AT the thirty fifth annual encanpmenC IN LOUIS
Vile Of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Of the United
States unanimous Endorsement was given resolu-
ton entitled "a Pardon for General Robert b. Lee.
The resolution N the form of BILL will be submitted
for action to congress this winter 1t provides that
the organization "do petition the congress OF the
congress Of the United States to make such restora
ton as may be possible and that the records OF the
United States be cleared Of the notation which class
flies General Lee as paroled prisoner of war.
Although following the close Of the Civil war in
1866, the United States congress granted full aud
complete amnesty and pardon to many Of the partic
pants in the cause Of the South General Lee of Vir
ginia not included despite the fact that specific
conditions under which he would have been restored
his rights Of citizenship and full liberty We're set
aside by congress and fulfilled and despite the addi
tional fact that General Lee, prior to his death in
1870 petitioncd congress to grant him full citizen
ship Congress failed to make favorable recognition
of the petition hence at the time Of the death Of the
venerable Confederate leader he was paroed prison.
er and still is listed such upon the records of the
government.
It is in view Of the fact that the passage of the
years has dimned the political differences Of 1861
and that the life and character of General Lee have
identified him of the greatest figures in Am
erican history, the ex-service mems organization
would have removed from his name and memory any
technical stigma.
Great as he was as military genius, he is rated
by critics as having been greater in character
Though Shareholder he believed it al evil fully as
detrimental to the STAKEHOLDER as the slave Emanci-
patton, he believed, will sooner result from the mild
and melting influences of Christianity than from the
storms and tempests of fiery controversy" He was
offered the command Of the army of invasion by Pre-
sident Lincoln, when the break between the North
and the South came. 1t not an empty gesture ON
the part of the president but recognition of Gen
eral Lees qualifications He could not accept hence
he resigned and the day wrote to his sister:
with all my devotion to the Union and the feeling
Of loyalty and duty of American citizen, | have
mot been able to make up my mind to raise my hand
against my relatives, my children, my home"
With his ultimate surrender the Confederacy col
lapsed but he gave vent to no vain repinings
lost cause. He wrote to the governor Of Virginia:
"The questions which for years were in dispute be-
tween the state and general government +. . having
been decided against us, it is the part Of wisdom Of
acquescee in the result, and Of candor to recognize
the fact The interests Of the state are therefore, the
same as those of the United States . . The duty of
its citizens, them appears to to be too plain to
admit Of doubt All should unite in honest efforts to
oberate the effects of war; and to restore the bless
ngs of peace"
Like all trllisms whose application is timeess,
General Lees advice could be paraphrased today with
respect to the depression-"An should unite in hon
est efforts to oberate the effects of depression and
to restore the blessings of prosperity
Regardless of whether congress removes the
Technical stigma officially attached to General Lee
he will continue to be considered as he is now an n-
mortal. prescott CourieD +