Posted on 10/17/2006 5:18:26 PM PDT by bushpilot1
Eisenhower letter regarding Robert E. Lee
President Dwight Eisenhower wrote the following letter in response to one he received dated August 1, 1960, from Leon W. Scott, a dentist in New Rochelle, New York. Scott’s letter reads:
“Dear Mr. President:
“At the Republican Convention I heard you mention that you have the pictures of four (4) great Americans in your office, and that included in these is a picture of Robert E. Lee.
“I do not understand how any American can include Robert E. Lee as a person to be emulated, and why the President of the United States of America should do so is certainly beyond me.
“The most outstanding thing that Robert E. Lee did was to devote his best efforts to the destruction of the United States Government, and I am sure that you do not say that a person who tries to destroy our Government is worthy of being hailed as one of our heroes.
“Will you please tell me just why you hold him in such high esteem?
Sincerely yours,
“Leon W. Scott”
Eisenhower's response, written on White House letterhead on August 9, 1960 reads as follows:
August 9, 1960
Dear Dr. Scott:
Respecting your August 1 inquiry calling attention to my often expressed admiration for General Robert E. Lee, I would say, first, that we need to understand that at the time of the War Between the States the issue of Secession had remained unresolved for more than 70 years. Men of probity, character, public standing and unquestioned loyalty, both North and South, had disagreed over this issue as a matter of principle from the day our Constitution was adopted.
General Robert E. Lee was, in my estimation, one of the supremely gifted men produced by our Nation. He believed unswervingly in the Constitutional validity of his cause which until 1865 was still an arguable question in America; he was thoughtful yet demanding of his officers and men, forbearing with captured enemies but ingenious, unrelenting and personally courageous in battle, and never disheartened by a reverse or obstacle. Through all his many trials, he remained selfless almost to a fault and unfailing in his belief in God. Taken altogether, he was noble as a leader and as a man, and unsullied as I read the pages of our history.
From deep conviction I simply say this: a nation of men of Lee’s caliber would be unconquerable in spirit and soul. Indeed, to the degree that present-day American youth will strive to emulate his rare qualities, including his devotion to this land as revealed in his painstaking efforts to help heal the nation’s wounds once the bitter struggle was over, we, in our own time of danger in a divided world, will be strengthened and our love of freedom sustained.
Such are the reasons that I proudly display the picture of this great American on my office wall.
Sincerely,
Dwight D. Eisenhower
You are accurate in all you say. I just love Patton and was defending him in a general (no pun intended) way.
Its interesting Ike used the correct term "War Between the States" and not American Civil War.
Be like Lee......President Eisenhower could offer no better counsel to Americans than this.
Ike, was from Texas, and a Southerner.
Dittoes. My opinion of Ike just went up too.
Very nice letter.
Pattons grandfather served in the 22nd Virginia Infantry of the Confederate States of America.
Patton's mother kept paintings of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson in their living room; Patton admired them as she read to him from her rocking chair. He is quoted as saying, "Until I was old enough to know better, I thought those were portraits of God the Father, and God the Son."
His Grandfather fought many of battles here in my state of West Virginia
Perhaps. But it was more political than that, and Patton was not a politician, he was a warrior.
When you have Roosevelt/Truman & Churchill sitting down to powwow with Stalin regarding a World War, you tend to not want to alienate one of your partners, regardless of your feelings towards him or his government, at that time. [the enemy of my enemy, is my friend.]
Patton's problem wasn't so much what he thought, but what he said. Open mouth, insert foot.
Don't misunderstand; I have great admiration for Patton, and I suspect, underneath it all so did Ike and Bradly, or at least shared some of his thoughts on the Soviets, whether they publicaly admitted it (at that time) or not. As a warrior - a pure warrior - there was no equal to Patton. They had to know that.
The German's sure as hell did.
"The letter writer obviously did not know his history.
The CSA never sought to destroy the US government,only to secede from it.Had the South won, the US would still have existed....but somewhat smaller."
How true but most likely the letter writer wasn't taught the truth.
(I'm 1/2 through "A Soldier's Story" by Gen Bradley).
I agree with Leon Scott. Lee fought for evil.
Arlington.
How are Wrong you are Lee fought for honor and for his home
By the way 94% of the people of the south did not own slaves
Southrons, hear your country call you! Up lest worest then death befall you! For faith, and pledges broken, Wrongs inflicted, insults spoken, Cut the unequal bonds asunder! let them hence each other other plunder!
Swear upon your country's alter never to submit or falter, Till the spoliers are defeated, Till the Lord's work is completed.
If the admirers of the CSA would recognize the validity of Ike's words, we'd have a lot less Civil War discussions here on FR.
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