America Remembers Robert E. Lee

NewsMax ^ | 1/19/05 | Calvin E. Johnson Jr.

[jazzo]

Happy Burthday General Lee!!!!

We could use more like you.

[kalee]

Thanks for the post.
Happy Birthday, General Lee.

[x]

"Because he was calm when others were frenzied, loving when they hated, and silent when they spoke with bitter tongue, they shook their heads and said he was a superman or a mysterious man. Beneath that untroubled exterior, they said, deep storms must rage; his dignity, his reserve, and his few words concealed sombre thoughts, repressed ambitions, livid resentments. They were mistaken. Robert Lee was one of the small company of great men in whom there is no inconsistency to be explained, no enigma to be solved. What he seemed, he was--a wholly human gentleman, the essential elements of whose positive character were two and only two, simplicity and spirituality." Douglas S. Freeman in R.E. Lee

"The natural disposition of most people is to clothe the commander of a large army whom they do not know, with almost superhuman qualities. A large part of the National army, for instance, and most of the press of the country, clothed General Lee with just such qualities, but I had known him personally, and knew that he was mortal; and it was just as well that I felt this." -- Ulysses S. Grant's Memoirs.

True, but people want myths and heroes. And that puts people like Douglas Southall Freeman, who wasn't too scrupulous about separating fact from myth, in business. It's unfortunate, because the real, human Lee was more interesting than the marble icon that the folklorists have created. But myths endure in popular memory, and outlast the more restrained views of the academic historians.

[relee]

A salute to you, General Lee. You were a great Virginian and American.

Happy Birthday, General!

[Liberty Wins]

It was his father, "Light Horse" Harry Lee, who coined the immortal words about Washington that he was "First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen."

[Gondring]

For every Southern boy fourteen years old, not once but whenever he wants it, there is the instant when it's still not yet two oclock on that July afternoon in 1863, the brigades are in position behind the rail fence, the guns are laid and ready in the woods and the furled flags are already loosened to break out and Pickett himself with his long oiled ringlets and his hat in one hand probably and his sword in the other looking up the hill waiting for Longstreet to give the word and it's all in the balance, it happened yet, it hasn't even begun yet, it not only hasn't begun yet but there is still time for it not to begin against that position and those circumstances which made more men than Garnett and Kemper and Armistead and Wilcox look grave yet it's going to begin, we all know that, we have come too far with too much at stake and that moment doesn't even need a fourteen-year-old boy to think THIS TIME. MAYBE THIS TIME....

---William Faulkner, Intruder in the Dust (1948), pp. 194-195.

(And doesn't take a Southron these days, either...)

[Renfield]

I am galled at the lack of honor and respect accorded Lee by our nation's ruling elite. At Arlington--which is still rather delapidated--there is a pitiful little collection box asking visitors to contribute a few dollars so that the house might, one day, be restored.

We can spend billions of tax dollars to support social parasites, but nothing to restore the home of a man who stands as a pillar of American history.

[Moose4]

Maybe. But if the South didn't get external help, I don't see how we could've held out against the North's far superior industrial and manpower edge, even with one of the all-time masters of defensive warfare (Lee) running things.

Lee was a fine military man and commander, no doubt about that. But I actually respect him much more as a man than a soldier, if that makes any sense. I suppose you can't really disentangle the two, though.

}:-)4

[Moose4]

Our Country has suffered from not acknowledging his stature. Along with others in our not too distant past.

But up until fairly recently, the country did acknowledge his stature. Then the liberals and professional victims got a hold of things, and now, everything Southern in general (and Confederate in particular) must be torn down and destroyed.

I don't want to go back to 1860. But I will not stand for the slanders that pass for the "history" of the South these days. I'm proud of who I am and where I'm from, and no pointy-headed liberal "intellectual" is going to take that heritage away from me.

}:-)4

[MissAmericanPie]

bttt

[stainlessbanner]

Well said, gentlemen. Carry on!

[Redcrosse]

We visited Lee Chapel at W&L last fall. As we exited the lower level past Traveller's grave we noted a fresh apple left on his grave stone. Nice touch.

There were also a lot of pennies and other small change on the stone. Can anyone explain this?

[LadyPilgrim]

"I'm proud of who I am and where I'm from, and no pointy-headed liberal "intellectual" is going to take that heritage away from me".

Same for me and mine.

But let's don't "rest on our laurels", and get side-tracked now, for they're trying to re-write history, and have succeeded in many areas, as we speak.

And we are fighting little skirmishes right now and have been doing this for years.

We are still in a "war between the states"............. of the mind.

They've already sneaked, or slid into our colleges, universities, textbooks and schools. They own the msm and part of the judiciary. A lot of "big business". And only the Lord knows what else.

Being aware via FR helps.

[yarddog]

I went back and reread your post.

I guess someone could argue your point tho I personally disagree with all of them. I particularly think Lincoln bears total responsibility for all the deaths of the War Between the States.

[PeaRidge]

"True, but people want myths and heroes. And that puts people like Douglas Southall Freeman, who wasn't too scrupulous about separating fact from myth, in business."

Your quote of Freeman describes Lee as quite simple, and devoid of the typical character and personality flaws that are found in other, contrived hero-personalities that you state are not found in the works of "restrained academic historians".

"...more restrained views of the academic historians."

You must laugh at yourself while coming up with grossly ridiculous generalizations of that sort, and waiting to see who will buy into them.

"It's unfortunate, because the real, human Lee was more interesting than the marble icon that the folklorists have created."

The "real Lee" is exactly the way the quotes of Freeman and Grant depict him. So, you must be insulting the posters here that wish to honor General Lee by using the term "But myths endure in popular memory" to describe the facts known to most posters here.

Even though your anti-Southern bigotry is veiled in sophistry, it is still apparent that you enjoy flaming the greatest of American heros.

[Don Simmons]

"Happy Birthday, Lee. Too bad you fought for the wrong side."


1) He is to be referred to as "General Lee", "Mr. Lee" - or at the very least "Robert E. Lee". It's simple, common courtesy that should be afforded a great man.

2) Do you also think that General George Washington "fought for the wrong side"?

The only difference in a revolution and a rebellion....is the outcome, my friend.

[PeaRidge]

"Congratulations! You have just placed yourself into Lincoln's shoes. His take on the matter was that secession was illegal."

Congratulations back to you. In just two small sentences, you have summarized the fallacies of public school education on the subject of Lincoln.

First, you refer to "place yourself into Lincoln's shoes."

A balanced education experience for you would have put you into the 'shoes' of Senator Jefferson Davis, Senator Louis Wigfall of Texas, or Governor Francis Pickens of South Carolina in order to see how they adopted every legal remedy available to separate themselves from Federal oppression. With the failure of Constitutional protections eminent, the only alternative was to leave the Union, and re-assume the status of their state soverignty.

But the educational system does not have time to put you in their shoes, and therefore allows you to develop bias.

"His take on the matter was that secession was illegal."

The second, and probably most important and most widely taught fallacy.

He had a right to his opinion as President, but was not granted the authority by the United States Constitution to order a remedy for secession.

And why was that? Simply because there was no Federal law outlawing secession. The US Congress had attempted to pass that law in December of 1860, but it failed.

No law prohibiting secession meant that Lincoln was assuming the power of dictator....something the US Congress and the Courts tried to stop, but failed to do so.

[Don Simmons]

"America remembers Robert E. Lee as a part of the rebel alliance and a traitor."


As I posted before - do you also believe that General George Washington was part of that same rebel alliance and a traitor?

By your logic, you would pretty much have to.

No kidding.

[PeaRidge]

"He fought on the wrong side and admitted as much before his death."

Admitted?

Shortly before his death in 1870, General Robert E. Lee told former Texas Governor Fletcher Stockdale that, in light of how the Republican Party was treating the people of the South through the disastrous reconstruction policies, he would never had surrendered at Appomattox, but would rather have died there with his men in one final battle. He said,

“Governor, if I had foreseen the use those people designed to make of their victory, there would have been no surrender at Appomattox with my brave men, my sword in my right hand.”