Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 31.djvu/107

 titatue of General Robert E. Lee. 99

1861 he put into practice the principles of constitutional law taught him as an officer in the United States army. ' '

The Indianapolis Journal, an ultra-Republican paper, said:

" It is clearly the right of Virginia to select the statue of Gen. Lee to represent that State in that Hall. No one has objected to the repre- sentation of other States by statues of the men selected, and no one should be so illiberal as to object to Virginia's choice."

The Chicago Tribune, another pronounced Republican paper, said in quite a lengthy editorial:

" Let Virginia choose the dead she wishes to commemorate. If she honors Lee above all but Washington let her place his statue in the Capitol. He was a great and good man, although he stood by his State instead of the Union. The North as well as the South may take pride in this American for the purity of his life and his military genius."

The Washington Post copied this editorial, and added:

"That is the broad-gauged American view, the intelligent and patriotic view. We believe that nine out of ten of all the men who actually fought for the Union will endorse that timely deliverance."

In the light of such utterances as these, how can any one doubt that by sending as one of her two perpetual ambassadors to Wash- ington, the image of the man she loves and honors best, and who did more than any other to restore good feeling and acquiescence in the result of the war, Virginia reflects the greatest possible credit upon herself, and offers the finest possible pledge of her national patriotism and devotion to the Union ?

DON P. HALSEY. January 22, 1904..