agreed!

He obviously thought the slaves deserved liberty and he held no malice toward those that didn't.
That's my observation anyway...

And we know that he would not have been allowed to broadcast a college football game on ESPN if the game was in South Carolina.

I can't add much to the comments below except to emphasize that slavery is a WORLD problem that has not be eradicated anywhere but HERE. With the possible exception of the mind slavery of the welfare and democrat policy state. The malcontents tearing down AMERICA and AMERICAN art should be pursued and prosecuted as the evil seditionists that they are. And, that includes most of the democrat party, of course. Maybe some of the republican party, too!

I also wanted to say that your family history is great! I wish there were such interesting people in my background.

Lee was willing to support (and fight for) state sovereignty despite his state's support of slavery, which he claimed to oppose. Actions speak louder than words, and his actions cannot in any way be considered heroic in the Objectivist sense of the term.

According to Objectivism, principles are anything but subjective. Criticizing certain people from the past is a perfectly valid intellectual exercise, especially since there were other people from the past who were championing the rights of slaves while Lee and the Confederate leadership were doing their best to make sure that slavery remained in place.

Whether one holds Lee (or any other person for that matter) up as a hero depends entirely on whether that person embodies the principles we wish to emulate and that's going to be a pretty subjective evaluation. It's easy to criticize events and people from the past. Sometimes all we can do is our best given the circumstances.

Slavery wasn't the primary issue in the civil war until Lincoln made it so. The Union was losing battle after battle and the Union troops, state malitias, were leaving for home. Lincoln needed a rallying cry to keep the Northerners fighting and championed slavery.

Lee was a staunch supporter of state sovereignty over federalism and served the interest of his kinsmen (Virginians) in spite of his personal feelings. While he owned a plantation (Arlington) he never owned slaves.

Loyalty to one's principles should come before national or state loyalty. Lee claimed to oppose slavery, yet he was willing to be a military leader for a confederacy that vowed to perpetuate the evil institution. Whatever his personal virtues or leadership qualities, he was not a hero in terms of Objectivist principles.

Far, far too long!!!!!!!!

Both Lee's actions on behalf of the Confederacy and his sentiments expressed in this letter show that he was not in any meaningful way a supporter of individual liberty.

Exactly, it's been the progressive way since woodie wilson...it's based on the acceptance of marxism and communism. These idiotologies have been influencing our culture for a long time!

Liberals are such jerks. Abolishing history means future generations cannot learn from what happened before. Maybe thats exactly what the liberals are afraid of.

Yes!..that is the underlying intention but stupid doesn't get it, Stupid is gullible, Stupid is what Stupid does.

Let's not for forget Cloward and Piven!

Correct again Blarman...

You're so right...not to mention slavery in the drug trade in Mexico and the middle east...!

The current issue has absolutely nothing to do with slavery. It is only a convenient excuse. If not slavery, any other "cause" will be found. The goal is to infuse Marx's dialectic class divisions - something that Alinsky understood very well and gave detailed instruction in "Rules for Radicals." Don't get distracted into the irrelevant details - slavery, color, gender, whatever - these are only pretexts.

It is instructive to read Georgia's letter of secession. http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_centu... Note that this letter explicitly acknowledges the point made above: that those who signed the Constitution knew that slavery was intended to be phased out of life in the United States. Yet Southern States continued to push not only to protect that institution in their own states but to press for its expansion into new States (Ohio Compromise, Kansas-Nebraska Act) and its protection even in non-slave States (Dred Scott decision). I would also note that while Lincoln is parlayed as a villain to the South, several Southern States had already signed secession papers before Lincoln was even elected and most before his inauguration.

I personally hold Lee to be an honorable man. One should remember that it wasn't until after the Civil War (and one can really argue that it didn't happen until WW I) that national loyalty rose above State loyalty. It would be very much akin to someone holding themselves as a Belgian before a European.

"Another tidbit, there are more slaves today, (sex slaves and laborers) in the pagan and perverted world than there was in all times past!"

YES!

And I would add that economic slavery as a result of socialist/communist policies enslaves even more. True freedom is something most across the world wouldn't recognize and many of those who have it don't realize how truly a minority they are.

Interesting tidbit about the tombstones AJ, Thanks

Robert E. Lee was an honorable man. I knew quite a bit of what I read in the article.

FACT: Arlington National Cemetery resides on Lee's confiscated plantation Also, the Confederate tombstones are pointed because those of that time did not want the soldiers dishonored by people parking their asses on the tombstones.

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/51/83/6f/51...

Correct you are. Not to mention, their morality and adherence to 10 simple stupid rules that were "Relevant" and not "Relative!

Interesting , and thanks OUC for the post.
the history of our country and it's important individuals have been under attack for a hundred years by the collectivists (through intention and with large foundations )who do not want to glorify the rugged individual.
The individual is the greatest minority long may he/she be free.

Correct, but in addition, one cannot judge a past meme or paradigm via the rightful or misguided understandings of the present; and no one talks about the dark skinned muslims that captured the African slaves and the willingness of the African rulers...not to mention, the Dane's attraction to selling anything, including their own mothers for profit.
England and America should be praised for their efforts to end it all.

Another tidbit, there are more slaves today, (sex slaves and laborers) in the pagan and perverted world than there was in all times past!...yes, many are bicameral societies and progressive, democratic and communistic creatures.

One often forgets and doesn't get: "With Malice toward none". If life and our ascension into greater and greater awareness was to be so easy, there would of been no need for forgiveness.
Yes, stupid is more dangerous than evil and stupid that doesn't tame one's cognitive dissonance should never be forgiven nor celebrated but it was clear that Lee was none of these things and in fact encouraged Reconciliation...For someone from the south, it was worth a statue or two.

PS...I did not mark you down.