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2 captain of cavalry waged with his own soul. It is easy to see what a brilliant vista of success was opened before the eyes of the ambitious man had he been willing to remain with the United States government. He loved his country and he had serv ed it well; he had met with recognition and reward; he stood, personally, very close to General Winfield Scott, commander-in-chief of the army of the United States; promotion and honor, success and advancement seemed assured, and the only price asked was the continuance of conditions as they existed. But this price the soldier could not pay —the secession of Virgina, though so long delayed, came at last, and with it every fiber of loyalty in the heart of her devoted son was stirred to the uttermost and despite the entreaties of his superior officers, despite the sacrifice of ambition and per sonal advancement, the man felt his duty lay with his endangered state, and to feel his duty was to do it. His Struggles With Himself. In writing of her husband’s struggle to a friend at this time, Mrs. Lee said: ‘‘My husband has wept tears of blood over this terrible war; but he must, as a man and a Virginian, share the destiny of his state, which has solemnly pronounced for independence.” In response to General Scott’s appeal Lee replied: “I am compelled to take this step. I cannot con sult my own feelings in the matter.” Accordingly, on September 20th, he wrote his resignation to the same friend by whose side he had served so gallant ly in Mexico, and whose friendship and regard he valued so highly. From General Lee’s own written statements it is gathered that he did not altogether approve of the action of Virginia, nor, indeed, of the attitude of the South in this great movement of secession. He was a man of the most tender human sympathy; he knew the resources of the government, and he must have foreseen from the very beginning the ultimate and inevitable result of a conflict in which a myriad of Southern lives were lost; in which a fair and fertile land was made desolate in an effort to adjust a situation which might have been handled by a wise diplomacy rather than by force of arms. But he cast his fortunes with his state, though knowing in advance that he was sacrificing (many of the ambitions which make a man’s life worth while. From the position of his beautiful home, Arling ton, he must, also, have known that it would pass from his possession. Valuing it as he did, venerat ing all the countless treasures and traditions that it held, loving it for the associations which made it dear and sacred to his wife and to himself, its loss was but one of the many personal pangs which the outbreak of the war between the states brought to this great heart. Lee’s Service to the South. It is well known that for many years General Lee was condemned for his “ disaffection ” to the Union which he had served; he was blamed for disloyalty —he, whose very soul breathed highest tones of truth and Christian patriotism. But in the years which separate that turbulent time from the pres ent, the injustice of this charge has been slowly borne upon those who made it. Despite the fact that he was given charge of the army of Northern Virginia, it was impossible for Lee not to know that personal advancement lay with the Union rather than with the slender resources of the South. “Dis loyalty” must have some tangible incentive—Lee’s position admits of but one explanation—a loyalty and an abundance to his sense of right, which was strong enough to outweigh all thought of self, and which carried him through a period of trial, of suffering and of struggle, the full record of which would make a mighty epic to resound through all the ages. Too well known are the events of the struggle which ensued during the sixties—it is needless to consider the battles fought—we remember with thrilling pulse and fast-beating heart, the six days’ battle around Richmond; the Second Manas sas; the fight at Antietam, Fredericksburg and Get tysburg; the terrible contest at Chancellorsville — that awful Battle of the Wilderness, where it was The Golden Age for January 17, 1907. said Lee killed as many men as he commanded; we remember the records of Cold Harbor; the defense of Petersburg and of Richmond, and we know that the intrepid spirit, the untiring hand, the steady nerve and the masterful brain of Lee dominated each struggle and would have fought on and on until “the thin gray line” of his forces had re solved itself into the elements from which it came. The Result. We shall not attempt to cover any possible dis cussion of the philosophy of the war of the Confed eracy, save where it stamps itself indelibly on the life of the nation, and >we believe that this stamp is seen today more in the reverence done to the memory of such men as Robert E. Lee than in any political or economic condition of the times. After all, it is character that counts; a high regard for honor, honesty and truth—a sinking of personal ends and personal advancement; a loyal following of a cause—be it what it may—if it appeal to our ‘individual souls as right. To men whose lives bear out this policy in every detail we bow the head in reverence. And such a man was Lee. The years are gathering a richer harvest of honor for him than could ever have been given him had he held the highest office in the nation’s power to give. A champion of a “defeated cause,” he yet commands the homage of the world—.the foes who opposed him djo him reverence, just as did the federal generals, on the staff of General Grant when, at Appomattox Court-house, the gallant, gray haired commander of the Confederate forces, re signed his stainless sword. The record of his life is worthy of a place beside that of his brave ancestors, who, in the ranks of the crusaders, sought the Holy Grail and rode the gallant tournaments to evidence and vindicate the Cause of Honor. We, in our prosaic life of the past and present generation, give recognition to knightly courage and unsullied character; we rec ognize Christian heroism and we unite, one with the other, in giving “honor where honor is due”— hence, on this hundredth anniversary of the advent into our world of a pure and perfect life, we, to gether with all the world, render this,, our tribute to the life and character of Robert E. Lee. “Dixie After the War.” There is perhaps no one man in all our country’s history who has exerted a more powerful influence on the thought and actions of the people than has General Robert E. Lee. So potent was his influence over the minds of the people that the memory of it is even strong enough today to cause our Pres ident to use an act of Lee’s to justify a similar one of his own. We refer to the statement made by Mr. Roosevelt in regard to his recent discharge of the colored soldiers “without honor,” when he said, “General Lee had occasion to do the same thing once and he believed it was right then as I believe it to be right now.” So much for the in fluence of Lee on the people of today—his hold on his contemporaries was of an even stronger charac ter. We quote the following instances as illustra tive of this from a recent valuable publication en titled “Dixie After the War,” by Myrta Lockett Avery. (Doubleday, Page and Co., publishers. For sale by John M. Miller Co., Atlanta.) “When our beloved General came home, the doc trine he taught by precept and example was that of peace. ‘The stainless sword of Lee’ had been laid down in good faith. We had fought a good fight, we had failed, we must accept the inevitable, we must not lose heart, we must work for our coun try’s welfare in peace. The first heard of him in his modest unheralded home coming, he was teach ing this. “Young William McCaw’, his courier for four years, rode in with him; and General Lee, before going to his own home, delivered William safe and sound to his father. Dr. McCaw came out when they stopped in front of his door and General Lee said: “ ‘Here, Doctor, is your boy. I’ve brought him home to you.’ William was standing beside Trav eler, his arm clasped around General Lee’s leg, and crying as if his heart would break. The General put his hand on William’s head and said: “ ‘No more fighting; that’s all over. You’ve been a good fighter, Will—now I want to see you work for your country’s welfare in peace. Be a good boy. I expect a fine Christian manhood of you. Goodbye.’ . . . General Lee knew the mettle of the fiery young courier to whom he uttered these parting words. To many another youth just out of armor he gave the same pacific counsel: ‘We have laid down the sword. Work for a united country. ’ . . . Friction resulted from efforts to ram the oath (of allegiance to the Federal Govern ment) down everybody’s throat at once. I recite this instance because of the part General Lee took and duplicated in a multitude of cases. Captain George Wise was called before the Provoist to take the oath. ‘Why must I take it?’ he asked. ‘My parole covers the ground—l will not.’ ‘You fought under General Lee, did you not?’ ‘Yes, and surrendered with him and gave my parole. To re quire this oath of me is to put an indignity on me and my General.’ ‘I will make a bargain with you, Captain. Consult General Lee and abide by his de cision.’ “The Captain went to the Lee residence, where he was received by Mrs. Lee, who informed him that her husband was ill but would see him. The Gen eral w T as .lying on a lounge, pale, weary-looking, but fully dressed in his grey uniform; the three stars on his collar, the three stars—to which any Con federate Colonel was entitled—was the only in signia of rank he ever wore. ‘They want me to take this thing, General,’ said the Captain, extending a copy of the oath. . . ‘What would you advise?’ “ ‘I would advise you to take it,’ he said quiet ly. ‘lt is absurd that it should be required of my soldiers, for, as you say, the parole practically cov ers jt. Nevertheless take it, I should say.’ ‘Gen eral, I feel that this is submission to an indignity. If I must continue to swear the same thing at ev ery street corner, I will seek another country where I can at least preserve my self-respect.’ General Lee was silent for a few minutes. Then he said, as quietly as before, a deep touch of sadness in his voice. ‘Do not leave Virginia. Our country needs her young men now.’ “When the Captain told Henry A. Wise that he had taken the oath the ex-governor said: ‘You have disgraced the family!’ ‘General Lee advised me to do it.’ ‘Oh! That alters the case! What ever General Lee says is all right; I don’t care what it is!’ ” “At communion in St. Paul’s soon after the oc cupation (of Richmond) the first person to walk up to the altar and kneel was a negro man. Man ner and moment made the act sinister; a challenge and not an expression of piety. The congregation sat stunned and silent, not knowing what to do. General Lee walked quietly up the aisle and knelt near the negro. The people followed and the ser vice proceeded as if no innovation had been at tempted. General Lee as a Teacher. E rom the same source we quote the following let ter written by Mrs. Lee to Miss Mason, dated Der went, V irginia, December, 1865, and referring to the General’s acceptance of the presidency of Wash ington College: “The papers will have told you that General Lee has decided to accept the position at Lexington. I do not think he is very fond of teaching, but he is willing to do anything that will give him an hon orable support. ‘‘Training Young Men to Do Their Duty.” Far more lucrative positions had been offered Gen eral Lee—salaries without work for the mere use of his name. Solicitations came from abroad, and brihiant opportunities invited him across the ocean. He took the helm at M ashington College with this avowal; “I have a self-imposed task which I must accomplish. I have led the young men of the South in battle. I have seen many of them fall under my standard. I shall devote my life now to training young men to do their duty in life.” Urged in 186/ to run for office, he declined, be lieving that his candidacy might not contribute to sectional unification. As nearly perfect was this man as men are made.