Reply #104: Concur largely, dissent in part. "Not worthy to shine Frederick Douglass's boots" is absolutely [View All]

correct, of course, as is the assessment that cause was .. one of the worst for which a people ever fought -- so it is entirely fitting that Arlington was seized for a burial ground

Lee's attitude towards slavery was contaminated by his own personal and class interests, much as Thomas Jefferson's was: like Jefferson, who agonized loudly about the morality of slavery but never really let that angst influence his own behavior, Lee was happy to write (1856) There are few, I believe, in this enlightened age, who will not acknowledge that slavery as an institution is a moral and political evil -- while simultaneously making every possible excuse for the institution and giving every possible rationalization for allowing it to wither away slowly rather than overthrowing it in a single decisive step. That a man who himself delayed the release of slaves manumitted by an estate of which he was the executor, in order to help him pay so debts, could also say at the end of the Civil War (according to biographer Nolan) I am rejoiced that Slavery is abolished is logically incongruous, of course, but I regard the sentiment as entirely sincere, however hypocritical it seems to us over a century later. None of this justifies Lee in my eyes: it simply sheds light on particular ways people of his era compromised their moral principals when facing practical consequences; such compromises, occurring on a great historical scale, predicably produced tragic results

The real point of my post, of course, was that Lee felt he owed primary allegiance to Virginia, not to the US, which seems to be a common attitude of the states rights crowd at the time of the Civil War

Robert E. Lee's Opinion Regarding Slavery
This letter was written by Lee in response to a speech given by then President Pierce.
Robert E. Lee letter dated December 27, 1856
http://www.civilwarhome.com/leepierce.htm
http://fair-use.org/robert-e-lee/letter-to-his-wife-on-slavery

<The Lee quote I am rejoiced that Slavery is abolished can be found in Nolan's book but here is an appearance on the web>
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/AH-CivilWarTimeline6.html