And all this time, I thought that FreeRepublic was a forum to discover truths; dispel myths; celebrate the essence of the reprensentative democracy we are supposed to reside in; extoll the virtues of those who fought for and revered the United States Constitution. You're not talking about truths. You're talking about opinions. Divisive opinions. Controversial opinions. Opinions that ultimately have no resolution and only pick the scab off a conflict that's 150 years old.
Not that FR isn't a good place for that. But I don't think that's what the thread's author had in mind. This thread was a salute to a long-lost gentility and the spirit of a noble man. It's probably not the time or place to get into a century-old fistfight.
Not that any mere sense of propriety will stop you ...
Opinions and truths are not universally exclusive. Propriety is not an issue here. The "facts" speak for themselves. Dictating that Lincoln not be held up for what he was is foolish and counter to knowing the circumstances which led to Gen. Lee being recognized for the great man he was. Side by side comparisons only make greater the vast superiority of Gen. Lee's stature. Had it not been for Lincoln, Gen. Lee would have remained a loyal citizen to Constitutional government and the South might not have been forced to secede. Nothing here can detract from the legacy of Gen. Lee. Anything stated here can only exalt his memory and make clear his contribution to modern patriotic feelings.