Robert E. Lee: The Big Picture

The Washington Post published an op-ed by Andrés Martinez “Moving to the new Virginia but colliding with the old one,” on April 11 that offered up a categorical condemnation of Robert E. Lee to the extent that Martinez avoids Lee-Jackson Highway and “squirms” at the thought of his son attending Washington-Lee High School. This diatribe was not only ludicrous, but demonstrated a lack of historical knowledge of the totality of the man’s life. No rational person condones slavery or would argue that the Southern cause to perpetuate its existence was justified. But for Martinez to all but call General Lee a war criminal ignores a lifetime of service to the United States. Lee served honorably and with distinction in the Mexican War and as superintendent at West Point. His brilliant military campaigns during the Civil War became strategic and tactical case studies at West Point that provided a basis of information and inspiration to the success of America’s future military leaders including Pershing, Marshall, Eisenhower, Patton and MacArthur.

Martinez makes his biggest error in judging Lee, a man of the 19th century, through the prism of 21st century standards and, yes, political correctness. He apparently doesn’t understand that Americans of that era thought of themselves first as citizens of their states rather than the country as a whole. Lee fervently hoped Virginia would not secede from the Union, but once it did he could not envision taking up arms against his native state. In doing so, Lee sacrificed his career in spite of being offered command of all Union armies. America can be grateful that after surrendering to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox on April 9, 1865, Lee resisted calls to encourage Confederate soldiers to disband and retreat into the mountains and organize a guerilla resistance.

Lee’s accomplishments after the war were notable as well. From 1865 until he died on October 12, 1870, Lee was president of Washington College in Lexington, Va., where he modernized the curriculum to include practical courses of study in science, business and engineering and the nation’s first school of journalism. He also used his position and the deep reservoir of respect of the south and north to consistently advocate reconciliation among all Americans. Upon his death the school was renamed Washington & Lee University.

If Martinez is serious about advocating removing the name Lee from roads and schools and his desire to “black out” part of his son’s varsity jacket, I get the impression that he probably would like to do the same to the name Washington as well. After all, George Washington also owned slaves.