Year: 1870

now that he is dead he has not an ener,y


At all.


Whether the cause for which he f,noh,


was inst or otherwise, is no, n question for


US now we only know that 10 the jyh;


he did not war with his own conscience


hut like true man stood up for what be


believed to be :he truth. IL. was Vi,


gilman BY birth and teachings, and the son


Of Henry Lee. general Of the revoln.ion.


He inherited the creed AS well a. the pro


frssion Of his father. and it is a >,rang,.


circumstance that the United States t:onps.


sent to qnslI tn. 'nsu'rection Of John


Brown. at Harper Ferry. were under the


command OF Cot Robert F. Lee, who was


shortly afterward to lead one people


against another, which sang with >nch en-


thousiasm Of the martvrdor Of old John


Brown. Nobody doubled the sincerity Of


Lee when he left the army Of hi, country
for which he had been trained and in


which he passe! the greater part of his


life, and fought against that country to the
best of his skill and strength. The man
was too noble to have done wrong, and 10,
geutle to have aided in sacrificing the lives
of thousands. merely on account the local
itv Of his birth. He WAS not alone pa
triot-he was just man. when he went
into the war he did battle for the South ::
in the firm hope that he was upholdiug the
right.


His military genius derives its most i'm
portaot proof from the fact that. from the
time Of lis appointment to the position of
Confederate Commander-in-C Chief until the
close Of the war. the appointment was new
er changed. There were many talented
and brave men in the South-men like
Longstreet aud Polk. and the two John
sons, and that one who took with him to
soldiers grave the love Of the whole
world and the name of Stonewall Jackson.
But there was only one Lee, and to him
tn" South knew must her safety and her
hopes be committed. He failed to realize
these hopes. but he gained, il not for his
cause. At least for bis country and himself.
a glory imperishable and unclouded by his
defeat. On the other hand, the army Of
the North was compelled to endure long
succession Of leaders. one ~ incapable as
the other, until men Of real worth were
discovered at last. 1t seems incredible,
on looking back to that war time, that Lee
should have held hi. own so long and 40
brave'y, when he was opposed to ever
changing tactics and force immensely
superior in numbers. Only king Of men
could have possessed such courage and
endurance, and his whole life is 4 proof
that among the brotherhood Of men Lee
was indeed king.


When the last chance was gone, and all
hope was at an end. the old hero bowed
TO \ higher will than bi. own, and accepted
the fate Of the South with calm grandeur. |
Bnt he was done with I'll his wars II.
could never take the field again he knew
that it was not for him to see the Act Of
S. cession upheld BY the South and recog-
nized by the North. and after tbe failure
OF his own countrymen lie WAS too old and
war-wovn to draw his sword in foreign
quarrel. lie passed from the fever Of the
camp into the quiet Of the cioister. and as
the President Of Washington College. in
Virginia, spen: the remaining potion Of
his sixty-thres years in working for the
good Of his native State.


We cannot express all the truth that
could he told about Lee. nor can We do JUS
tice to bis worth and fame, but perhaps
the few words Of Sir Ector are the best af.
ter all. He was a good knight a true gen
t'eman; knowing this. let US leave him
with fame and posterity; with the rest, the
light, the Resurrection and the Life.