Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/501

 Address of Hon. B. H. Hill. 495

vices; a private citizen without wrong; a neighbor without reproach; a Christian without hypocrisy, and a man without guile. He was Caesar, without his ambition; Frederick, without his tyranny; Napo- leon, without his selfishness, and Washington, without his reward. He was obedient to authority as a servant, and royal in authority as a true king. He was gentle as a woman in life; modest and pure as a virgin in thought ; watchful as a Roman vestal in duty ; submissive to law as Socrates, and grand in battle as Achilles!

There were many peculiarities in the habits and character of Lee, which are but little known, and which may be studied with profit. He studiously avoided giving opinions upon subjects which it had not been his calling or training to investigate ; and sometimes I thought he carried this great virtue too far. Neither the President, nor Congress, nor friends could get his views upon any public ques- tion not strictly military, and no man had as much quiet, unobtrusive contempt for what he called " military statesmen and political gen- erals." Meeting him once in the streets of Richmond, as I was going out and he going in the executive office, I said to him, " Gen- eral, I wish you would give us your opinion as to the propriety of changing the seat of government, and going further South."

"That is a political question, Mr. Hill, and you politicians must determine it. I shall endeavor to take care of the army and you must make the laws and control the Government."

"Ah, General," I said, "but you will have to change that rule, and iorm and express political opinions ; for, if we establish our in- dependence, the people will make you Mr. Davis's successor."

" Never, sir!" he replied with a firm dignity that belonged only to Lee. "That I will never permit. Whatever talents I may pos- sess (and they are but limited), are military talents. My education and training are military. I think the military and civil talents are distinct, if not different, and full duty in either sphere is about as much as one man can qualify himself to perform I shall not do the people the injustice to accept high civil office, with whose questions it has not been my business to become familiar."

".Well, but General," I insisted, "history does not sustain your view. Caesar, and Frederick of Prussia, and Bonaparte, were all great statesmen, as well as great generals."

" And all great tyrants," he promptly rejoined. " I speak of the proper rule in republics, where, I think, we should have neither mili- tary statesmen, nor political generals."

"But Washington was both, and yet not a tyrant," I repeated.