Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-19
Robert E. Lee

1t had been nearly seven months
since General Lee surrendered the Army
Of Northern Virginia at Appomattox. But
the Radical Republicans still were clam
oring for vengeance. On November 4,
1865, one OF these, Representative George
Washington Julian of Indiana, arose and
said: What an outrage that Lee is
notwithstanding him too"
Thus, in its way, it is fitting that
another Indiana Republican should come
forward, 81 years later, with a different
judgment of General Lee. Senator Cape
hart proposes that Congress commence
rate the 150th anniversary of Lees birth
by enacting resolution which would
poSthumously and retroactively restore to
General Lee his full rights of citizenship.
Senator Capehart would have Congress
do this Gin honor Of the knightly virtues
OF courage, patriotism and selflesS devo-
ton to duty which Robert E. Lee so amply
displayed during his lifetime"
And so, in its own memorable way,
time works another wonder There were
exceedingly few in the North to mourn
him when General Lee died on October
IL, 1870. The terrible slaughter of the
Civil War and the blighting shame of
Reconstruction still hung over the land,
and no man of the Confederacy, with the
single exception of Jefferson Davis, was
more hated and more reviled than
General Lee.
The real Lee was all but obliterated
by monstrous fiction posing as judg-
ment No one remembered the Lee who,
opposed both to slavery and secession,
struggled with his conscience before
resigning from the United States Army
to return to his native Virginia, hoping
that he would "never have to draw his
sword again." Forgotten was the Lee
who, watching from the heights of Fred
erickSburg as General Burnside hurled
his splendid Federal divisions to destruc-
ton, could say: ut is well that we know
how terrible war really is, else we would
grow too fond of it." No one recalled.
or cared to recall, the Lee who resolved
at Appomattox, when the war was hope
leSSly lost, to surrender to General Grant
although would rather die thousand
Deaths" and who brushed aside the
appeals Of his officers with the simple
statement: 1.-THE question is, is it right
to surrender this army. If it is right,
then I will take all the responsibility
Forgotten, too, was the incident which
Douglas Southall Freeman thought best
typtf1ed the man. "A young mother had
brought her baby to Lee to be blessed.
He took the child, looked at it and then
at the mother, and said: Teach him he
must deny himself" -
This, then, is the real General Lee,
the real man who energies from the pages
Of history-one Of Americas most bril-
liant soldiers, but also one of Americas
most Sel1ess, reverent and dedicated
citizens. And yet, only little while ago
as time is counted, there were men high
in the councils of the Nation who wanted
to hang him.
If there is one lesson which stands
out in all this, it is that we should be
wary of harsh contemporary judgments.
For time has way of hooking them.
Let us hope that Senator Capehart's res
olution will pass; that General Lees
citizenship rights, even after so many
years, will be restored; and let us also
remember that it is Lee, not his traducers,
who has Joined that company of
Americans whom we call great.