Year: 1870

Correspondence of the Courier-Journal.l ]


LONDON, Oct. s.


The telegram announcing the par
alysis and approaching.death of Gen.
Lee was received In Europe with uni
versal regret. We are all happy to-
day in the contradiction, and the
General can have the pleasure of
reading the many glowing tributes
to his memory, which have appeared,
such as this. The Standard publish
ed the following article Immediately
upon the announcement:


The announcement that Gen. II. +.
Lee has been struck down by paraly-
sis, and Is not expected to recover,
will be received, even at this crisis,
with universal interest, and will,
everywhere, excite a sympathy and
regret which testify to the deep i'm.
preston made on the world at large
by his character and achievements.
Few are the generals who have earn
ed, since history began, greater mill
itary reputation; still fewer are the
men of similar eminence, civil or
military, whose personal qualities
would bear comparison with his. The
Interest enemies of his country hard
ly dared to whisper word against
the character of her most distinguish
ed general, while neutrals regarded
him with an admiration for his deeds
and respect for his lofty and unself
ish nature which almost grew into
veneration, and his own cOuntrymen
lnpr tn 70 l,i
much confidence and esteem as they
ever felt for Washington, and with
an affection which the cold demean-
or and austere temper of Washington
could never inspire. The death of
such man, even at a moment so
exciting as the present, when all
thoughts are absorbed by a nearer
and present conflict, would be felt as
a misfortune by all who still retain
any recollection of the interest with
which they have watched the Vir-
ginia campaigns, and by thousands
who have almost forgotten the names
of Fredericksburg and Chancellors-
vile, the Wilderness and Spottsylva-
mia. BY the South it would be re-
cognized as q national calamity--as
the loss of n man not only ineXpres-
sibly dear to an unfortunate people
by his intimate association with their
fallen hopes and their pr0udest recol-
lections, but still able to render SER
vices such as no other man could per-
form, and to give counsel whose val
ue IL enhanced tenfold by the source
from which IL comes. We hope, even
yet, that life so honorable and so
pure and noble In itself, so valuable
to a country that has much need of
men like him, may be spared and
prolonged for further enjoyment of do
mestic peace and comfort, for further
service to his country; we can not
bear to think that career 80
singularly admirable and so singular
" unfortunate, should close so soon
and so sadly. BY the tens of thous-
ands who will feel as we do when
they read the news that now lies be.
fore us may be measured the impress
sion made upon the world by the life
and the deeds of the great chief of the
Army of Virginia.


Whatever differences of opinion
may exist as to the merits Of the gen
erals against whom he had to con-
tend, and especially of the antagonist
by whom he was at last overcome, no
one pretending to understand in the
least either the general principles of
military science or the particular con-
ditions of the American war, doubts
that General Lee gave higher proofs
Of military genius and soldiership
than any of his opponents. He was
outnumbered from first to last; and
all his victories were gained against
greatly superior forces, and with
troops deficient i'm every necessary of
war except courage and discipline
Never perhaps was so much achieved
against odds so terrible. The South
ern soldiers-'that incompatible
Southern infantry" to which late
Northern writer renders due tribute
of respect-were no doubt as splendid
troops rs n general could desire; but
the different fortune of the war in
the East and In the West proves that
the Virginia army owed something
Of its excellence To its chief Always
outnumbered, always opposed to
foe abundantly supplied with food,
transport, ammunition, clothing, all
that was wanting 10 his own men, he
was always able 10 make courage and
skill supply the deficiency ofstrength
and of supplies; and from the day
when he assumed the com mand after
the battle of Seven Pines, where
Gen. Joseph Johnston was disabled,
to the morning of the final surrender
at AppomattoX Courthouse, he was
almost invariably victorious in the
field. At Gettysburg only he was de-
feated in a pitched battle; on the Of
fensive at the Chickahominy, at Cen
treyille, and at Chancellofsville, on
the defensive at Antietam, Freder-
'ricksburg, the Wilderness, and Spott-
sylvania, he was still successful. But
no success could avail him anything
from the moment that Gen. Grant
brought TO bear upon the Virginia
army the inexhaustible population
OF the North, and, employing Sher-
man to cut them or from the rest of
the Confederacy, set himself TO work
To wear them out by the simple pro-
cess Of exchanging two lives for one.
From that moment the fate of Rich
mond and of the South was sealed
When General Lee commenced the
campaign of the Wilderness he had,
we believe, about $4,000 men his ad
versary had thrice that number at
hand, and a still larger force in reserve.
When tho army of Virginia marched
. out Of kicmnunt II still numbered