Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 40.djvu/140

136

But the question presses, on what authority (he must have had some authority, real or supposed), does Dr. Jones affirm that the expression, "Duty, then, is the sublimest word in our language," "did occur in a letter by General Lee to his son." If Dr. Jones had in his possession a letter by General Lee containing this sentence, who can doubt that he would have printed it in full. If he had any definite knowledge as to such a letter, would he not have given the date, or at least the name of the son to whom it was written?

Neither the widow of Dr. Jones (who is still living), nor any one of his four sons can throw any light on the problem, beyond this statement of one of them: "I know that my father always said that the quotation, 'Duty is the sublimest word in the English language,' was not written in a letter to General Custis Lee, but was written to another son, on another occasion. I have never been able to find that letter." But to what son, and on what occasion? All the papers of Dr. Jones have been searched in vain. All the letters of General Lee have been scrutinized by half a dozen persons (by some of them with especial reference to the Duty Sentence); but no one encountered