Thank you Mark for acknowledging the life of this honorable man, whose character has been often maligned under the pen of the victorious. I encourage readers to take this time to recognize the true meaning of States Rights, and examine the words of men who were willing to give their lives for their home--their State.

The danger of unlimited Federal Government and the issue of States Rights versus the power of the U.S. Government has been lost on most of us for far to long. Now we begin to see the issue become of critical importance as Americans are forced to look to their State governments to protect them from the abuses of the Federal government-i.e. healthcare reform, student loan reform, banking and mortgage industry, salt content of your soup, etc-, as well as neglect of those areas for which the Feds are indeed responsible- defense and border control.

We all look at American history through the prism of two hundred years time, and it is difficult sometimes to understand that at the Founding and for some time after, the strong commitment to one's home State was far more developed than allegiance to the yet unproven concept of a Federal Government.

No where is this more eloquently expressed than by Robert E. Lee as he anguished over the decision to resign his US ARMY commission in order to return to his Home - his state - almost 100 years following the founding of our Federal Government.

“Now we are in a state of war which will yield to nothing. The whole South is in a state of revolution, into which Virginia, after a long struggle, has been drawn; and though I recognize no necessity for this state of things, and would have forborne and pleaded to the end for redress of grievances, real or supposed, yet in my own person I had to meet the question whether I should take part against my native State.”

“With all my devotion to the Union and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen, I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my relatives, my children, my home. I have therefore resigned my commission in the Army, and save in defense of my native State, with the sincere hope that my poor services may never be needed, I hope I may never be called on to draw my sword. I know you will blame me; but you must think as kindly of me as you can, and believe that I have endeavored to do what I thought right.” Robert E. Lee

I would imagine that most of us consider ourselves to be Americans, but we still consider our "homes" to be the State in which we live. It is the character of our States, that in large part determines the nature of our work and leisure.

Do not mistake the present day calls for recognition of "States Rights" as a revolution against our Nation- but rather as a necessary stand against those who have usurped the Federal authority granted by the Constitution. They have been enabled by unfettered taxation which has enriched the nations coffers beyond comprehension. The huge amount of Federal taxation and confiscated wealth has created the fraudulent system in which we now are forced to send an elected representative to Washington to retrieve a portion of our hard earned wages, which should never have been sent there in the first place. This is not what the Founders intended, rather it is precisely what they warned us against.

Thanks again for recognizing Robert E. Lee as an honorable man.

Sadly while traveling around the country we have encountered a large number of uninformed people who would portray Lee as a bumbling, slave whacking, redneck. When educated briefly about Lee's time as Commandant of the US Military Academy,and other accomplishments, we see a glimmer of recognition of his greatness. Demonizing Lee, and other state's rights advocates, is a position the Left needs to revise in the interest of proper education in the history of our nation.

"If there be any among us who would wish to dissolve this Union or to change its republican form, let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it." --Thomas Jefferson

With respect to the battle field, I disagree with bestowing the title upon Robert E. Lee as one of America’s greatest generals, especially when you consider his command decisions at the battle of Gettysburg.

A great man... yes. A great man "of faith"? Evidence "of faith" was not provided in your comments, it is an unnecessary qualifier, and one need not be "of faith" to be a great man.

Where are you now Robert E Lee. Your country needs you .

Thank you for your recognition of a great American. Robert E. Lee was the example of leadership. His humility along with a unique ability to see and develop leadership among his commanders is an inspiration. I still read his "Leadership Lessons", written by Bil Holton, Ph.D. Anyone who would try to disparage him should compare his writings to those Northern generals that he was always able to best.

Marc

A great man... yes. A great man "of faith"? Evidence "of faith" was not provided in your comments, it is an unnecessary qualifier, and one need not be "of faith" to be a great man.

To this previous statement,I beg to differ.

It is hard to become a great man,if you have faith in nothing.

Randy

Oh for a brilliant writer/actor

who could present LEE's life, philosophy, reasonings, soul searching, as Lee "withdrew" from the Union to

defended freedom, family and Virginia from tyranny

in the 2nd War for Independence.

Lee was certainly a great man, a patriot, and a hero. His honorable behavior at the end of the war was instrumental in enabling our country to eventually acheive peace, heal, and remain a country. It is tragic that the great 19th century battle over states rights was undercut by entrenchd interests defending a morally repugnant "right" even if the constitution did not specifically prohibit it until amended. That moral stain tainted the valid arguments of the Confederacy and contributed to their ultimate defeat.

Randy,

Depends on what kind of faith. Confidence in oneself, yes. Conviction in your cause, sure. Trust of your neighbors and countrymen, perhaps. Blind acceptance of men trying to convince you, without evidence, in the existence of the supernatural - no way.

Marc

Hopefully we will, someday, as a nation, grow up from the current shallow, twisted, sometimes adolescent understanding of the forces behind the American Civil War, but it will take many years. The issue of slavery wound up emotions to such a fever pitch that rational thinking went out the door... (similar to our current political climate, I think).

Thank you for your sketch of a historical figure who's greatness simply must be understood inclusive of the Union, slavery (and its demise), Federalism, "anti-federalism"....all the things that make America sometimes flawed, but still great. Only intellectual laziness dismisses the southern Confederacy as merely a slave-owning aristocracy of elites. We have grown far above the views that made for slavery, and its past time for some to admit this. I think those that make their living imposing their "superior wisdom" about all aspects of life on the rest of us are terrified of the possibilty of state's rights revived as once more a force in American life..... if it does, their days in power are numbered.

As a child I was introduced to history via teachings of The Civil War, I now look at this war as a deep wrong to the people of the South... I was raised in Northern CA so I have no territorial ties to the South, but I've always felt a deep hurt watching underdogs beat upon by bully's and many time in my youth would step in, sometimes getting a bloodied nose for my efforts, but still I keep on... Having said that; I felt and said in class the South was correct and had every right (at that time in our history) to do what they did, if only they hadn't fired on Fort Sumter in S.C., but they did and all hell was dumped on them... The South had some great Generals and other leaders of lesser rank, but none as Great as Robert E. 'Bobbie' Lee...

Yes, Robert E. Lee was indeed a man of faith. In a paperback book titled "Robert E. Lee, the Christian" are many documented letters and military correspondence to both family and fellow officers of his humility to and acknowledgement of Almighty GOD both on and off the battlefield. Oh to have men today, civilian and military, of the caliber of this fine Christian man.

Oh, if I could only be one-tenth the man that Robert E. Lee was. He is my hero. I join with him in saying, "I can only say that I am a poor sinner, trusting in Christ alone for salvation."

Lee and so many others- appropriately remembered and honored on this day which is, in Texas at least, known as Confederate Heroes Day.

In the days of my youth in Virginia (I'm 82) we honored both Lee & Stonewall Jackson with a holiday,Lee-Jackson Day, which most of the South did also. Since LBJ, our Southern history has become overtaken by events, ie. Political Correctness! How shamefully sad! Nowadays, our kids know little or nothing about their heritage, before or after The Late Unpleasantness!

In the days of my youth in Virginia (I'm 82) we honored both Lee & Stonewall Jackson with a holiday,Lee-Jackson Day, which most of the South did also. Since LBJ, our Southern history has become overtaken by events, ie. Political Correctness! How shamefully sad! Nowadays, our kids know little or nothing about their heritage, before or after The Late Unpleasantness!

Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. (Stonewall) Jackson were both men of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, which is the only faith that will take men to heaven when they die, (John 14:6, Acts 4:12). I look forward to meeting them both when my time down here is done. Above all, I long to see my Lord and Savior, Whose death and resurrection made it possible for me, as well as them, to go there. Hope and pray for those who have faith in themselves, or in anything or anyone else but in Him!!!

As a kid born and raised a yankee, and after studying him, I was overwhelmed by the Christian character of Robert E. Lee. I hold him as one of the most pious Christian lay persons in American history (or any other country), along with Thomas Jonathan Jackson.

As a Son of the American Revolution by way of patriot ancestors from Connecticut and Massachusetts, I recently discovered that I have another Patriot Ancestor who was born in Virginia's Northern Neck. This area is where George Washington and Robert E. Lee were born. I was gratified beyond words.

I do not defend slavery in any way, and I believe it is the second worst thing to have ever happened to American. Abortion, however, is much worse, as slavery is only the denial of freedom, abortion is killing and the denial of life.

Robert E. Lee was the last of the great Americans, the first being those who laid the groundwork for our great nation. If anyone has animosity toward the nation as it is now, they need to blame those who in 1865 began to take the country away from what its founders intended.

It does not take long for one to do even a modicum of research to realize the greatness of Robert E. Lee. And his greatness is burnished by his continual resistence to have himself characterized as such. The essence of Lee is in the quote attributed to him: "Duty is the sublimest word in the English language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more, you should never wish to do less." Since his passing there have been very, very few men who rise to the stature of Lee. Ronald Reagan comes to mind.

If you thought that the Civil War was fought because of slavery, you could not be further from the truth. The question of slavery was not the reason the Civil War was fought. Something far more important was the reason, It was States Rights.And it remains today because the Feds have taken over and will not concede that they are off base.

"How Firm A Foundation" was his favorite hymn. What a man of Christian faith! I cannot think of how proud his mother was of him in is Christian walk and the example he set for young men at Washington and Lee College as well as young men today. In the book THE MARBLE MAN, he transends the pages of time to be the Souths greatest man. Thank you Virginia for giving us this example for us to follow.

Marc, I would hazard a guess, (money if you would prefer) that you know little about Robert E. Lee that is factual. It is widely known, AND DOCUMENTED, that he was a firm believer in God and in God's benevolence towards America.

Lee was most certainly a very great man. He believed in states rights. The myth that the war was about slavery persists. I believe it was primarily to perserve the union. Some people believe that everyone in the South owned slaves -- no true.Everyone did not own a "Tara." No one has mentioned the penalty this great man received for his stand. His assets -- including his estate -- now Arlington National Cemetery -- were seized. Also,initially, only the bodies of Union soldiers could be buried there.

Thank you sir for posting this article. I would like to see more postings in honor of the men who fought in our : Second war for Independence.

If Robert E. Lee were alive, he would be celebrating his 204th birthday today, January 19, 2011. This date will probably pass without much notice in the North, but many of us in Dixie will mark the day with recollections of just how great a man he was. In this regard, I offer this reprint of his Farwell to the Army of Northern Virginia. If Mr. Obama wants to end the war in Afghanistan now, this would serve as an excellent draft for his farewell speech to the troops:

"After four years of arduous service, marked by unsurpassed courage and fortitude, the Army of Northern Virginia has been compelled to yield to overwhelming numbers and resources.

I need not tell the survivors of so many hard-fought battles who have remained steadfast to the last that I have consented to this result from no distrust of them; but feeling that valor and devotion could accomplish nothing that could compensate for the loss that would have attended the continuance of the contest, I determined to avoid the useless sacrifice of those whose past services have endeared them to their countrymen. By the terms of the agreement, officers and men can return to their homes and remain until exchanged.

You may take with you the satisfaction that proceeds from the consciousness of duty faithfully performed, and I earnestly pray that a merciful God will extend to you his blessing and protection.

With an unceasing admiration of your constancy and devotion to your country, and a grateful remembrance of your kind and generous consideration of myself, I bid you all an affectionate farewell."

A tribute to Robert E. Lee is not something one would expect to find in the mainstream media today, especially in the Land of Lincoln. As a student of history I have never been fond of studying the "Civil War" aka War of Nothern Aggression. I found it sad that americans had to kill americans for the Cause that Lee felt so passionate about. That Cause being States Rights, a fight we struggle with to this day. After all, there was a constitutional remedy available. Then as now, we had to have a way to distract us from the real issue. Slavery then and now, everything from healthcare to taxes. Why do we even compile histories, we never seem to learn from them? General Lee should be considered a giant of American History as he accomplished so much, even prior to the war. I pray that we still have people of his character among us to step forward to lead us back to the path that is our Constitution. Your publication is one of the few bright lights in our political darkness. Good Bless General Lee and please continue to advance the Cause for which he and other sacrificed so much for.

Edward, I made no claims about Robert E. Lee.

Continued: though I did acknowledge that he was a great man.

I believe that General Lee can be understood as much by the actions of his adversaries as his own. Lee's home in Arlington was confiscated by the Union and the surrounding fields were used for the burial of Union soldiers. It was felt this would forever be an insult to the Confederate General and he would never again live in this home.

He never lived there again, yet his home has become the national shrine, hallowed ground, for America's heroes. All those who tread Arlington National Cemetery sense the strength of America, the nobleness of purpose and duty.

This was the home of General Lee and it is a true reflection of the man; somber, reflective, yet unbowed, dedicated not to self, but to duty.

Lee was indeed a great man, a true American legend and hero worthy of emulation. This was the opinion of his contemporaries as well as that of historians and laymen to follow for generations including such as Theordore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Dwight D. Eisenhower. In a letter to a citizen (Dr. Leon W. Scott) dated August 9th, 1960, Eisenhower explained why he displayed a picture of Robert E. Lee on his office wall -- he saw Lee as a great American worthy of emulation.

As a child, I note that Lee's birthday was marked on every calendar I saw. However, in the last few decades, 'political correctness' (a phrase for dishonesty) has made it difficult to find a printed calendar with Lee's birthday noted.

Such political correctness now leads some people to disdain the Founders and distort history to besmirch their character by characterizing the Constitution as "racist." Jefferson and Washington have been frequent targets of said political correctness. I have seen photos from Jan 17th of this year in Columbia, S.C. where the NAACP covered a statue of George Washington with an erected wooden box to conceal him from cameras and the audience for a planned MLK rally. Not a peep in the media about this outrage.

In the face of such distortions and demagoguery, I applaud the Patriot Post for standing by the truth and honoring a worthy hero like Lee.

In answer to David's comments about his command decisions at Gettysburg I would submit if you get below the surface reporting which appears in most books on Gettysburg you will find that Lee had a brilliant plan in place at Gettysburg and it was insubordination by his new Corp Commanders Hill and Ewell the first day(especially Ewell) and again on the second day when Longstreet's Corp of just over 20,000 had broken and driven back twice this number and left little but clean up for Hill and Ewell to do on the extreme right of the Union line. I agree that Pickett's charge was ill advised but Lee had been left little choice after the failure of his subordinates to follow his orders on Day 1 which would have crushed the Union troops which had arrived at Gettysburg by late afternoon and made a second day unnecessary unless Meade would have been willing to attack Lee on the high ground.

Remember, of the 14,000 Union troops engaged on the first day 9,000 had been casualties and the 1st and 11th Corps of the Union Army were virtually destroyed.

To understand this better I recommend "Last Chance for Victory" by Bowden and Ward.

MARC,

WHEN I READ YOUR FIRST ENTRY, I DID NOT HAVE THE FEELING THAT

YOU DOUBTED LEE'S FAITH BUT RATHER THAT YOU DOUBTED THE

NEED OR VALIDITY OF 'FAITH'.

RANDY,

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INFO ON LEE'S FAITH. I KNEW THAT HE WAS

A FAITHFUL MAN BUT THROUGH YOURS AND OTHERS WHO WROTE

ABOVE, I HAVE BEEN ROUSED TO READ MORE ABOUT LEE.

THANKS TO BOTH OF YOU AND ALL THE OTHERS WHO CONTRIBUTED.

EDDO, you are correct. Thanks.

Earlier, from Marc: "Blind acceptance of men trying to convince you, without evidence, in the existence of the supernatural - no way." I hear ya man. Just like those weak-minded simpletons who blindly accept the premise that nothing didn't create everything, that there must therefore exist a First Cause. A very abbreviated list of a few such notables thoughout the recorded history of mankind; Emperor Constantine, Thomas Aquinas, Copernicus, Galileo, Mendel, Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, George Washington, those familiar to us as The Founding Fathers, of course General Lee and President Lincoln, Dr. Martin Luther King, JFK, and (if you take him at his word) Barack Hussein Obama. Rubes, the lot of them. Not to mention, the vast majority of Americans throughout the entirety of it's history, millions upon billions in the worldwide Catholic church spanning over a millenium, and the billions of Muslims and those of other religious orientation too numerous to mention. Naturally, not all the aforementioned would agree to a homogenous theology, but all would vehemently contend that Something created everything. Well, I say kudos! to Marc for blowing the lid off of this myth.

On the wall in my office along with 2 portraits are these words of wisdom that I can strive to be like him.

“Hold yourself above every mean action. Be strictly honorable in every act, and be not ashamed to do right.”

“Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more and should not do less.”

“It is men of high integrity and commanding intellect that the country must look to give character to her councils.”

“It is necessary we should be humbled and taught to be less boatful, selfish and more devoted to right.”

“The interest of all are inseparably connected. The great duty of life is the promotion of the happiness and welfare of our fellow men.”

“The greater difficulties in our lives the harder must we strive for success.”

“A man’s wife and children have some claims on him.”

“We must be very careful how we are influenced by hearsay.”

“I cannot consent to place in control of others one who cannot control himself.”

“All is bright if you think it so. All is happy if you make it so.”

“You must endeavor to enjoy the pleasures of doing good. That is all that makes life valuable.”

“Do your best and I shall be satisfied.”

“The love of truth is equal in importance to habitual obedience.”

“We have one rule and it is that every student be a gentleman.”

“Your riches consist in your children.”

“You must be diligent in the instruction of your children, and begin by teaching them the great love of God for them.”

“No honest man can take long to deliberate which side he will choose.”

“I think it better to do right, even if we suffer in so doing.

Quotations of General Robert E. Lee

Then how come we're all yelling "USA, USA, USA", and not "CSA, CSA, CSA" ?

Long live Robert E. Lee and all that he stood for. One does not need to be from the South to know a man's man and a most honorable one at that. Would to God that our military and our government were filled with men of such character. They are too few and far between. He and Ronald Reagan would have done much together.

Ohh that we could find among the "leadership" in Washington and the State capitals a man of the caliber of General Robert E. Lee.

It may not be popular or "politically correct" to honor those, including General Lee, who fought for liberty, self-government, country and honor. But, I for one am proud to have among the portraits hanging in my office one of General Robert E. Lee and his trusted Lieutenant, General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson.

"[B]ut that we are conscious that we have humbly tried to do our duty. We may, therefore, with calm satisfaction, trust in God, and leave the results to him." - R.E. Lee

As a student in grammer+high school in my home state of Georgia during the 50's and 60's, the first thing we saw after entering the double doors were pictures of Rober E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and the ten Commandments on the far wall.

How far we have fallen.

Having been brought up in the Midwest and now living in the old South (South Carolina), there is no question in my mind that the thinking in this area of the country of right thinking citizens is along the lines advocated by Mark Alexander in relation to Robert E. Lee. Yet, the NAACP and other liberal organizations and the entire mainstream media hereabouts continually take the opposite view and are still living in the post- Civil War attitude that the South was (and still is) against African Americans. Even such a small factor as having a small Confederate battle flag on display on South Carolina government grounds is cause for the NAACP to demand banishment of the flag and they advocate all support of this state be protested, even to the extent of forbidding any conventions be allowed to be held in the state.

Ron,

The battle of Gettysburg has been vigorously debated by many experts for quite some time. Unfortunately for the South, Lee was unable to grasp the potential of Longstreet’s desired strategic movement around the left flank of the enemy, to "secure good ground between him and his capital". In the end, it was probably for the best.