THE BATTALION.
12
A FAHOUS EULOGY.
Of all the eulogies in literature, there are none more
beautiful than the following upon Robert E. Lee. It fell
from the silver tongue of that eloquent Georgian, Senator
Ben H. Hill, and is said to have been extempore:
“When the future historian comes to survey the character
of L°e he will find it rising like a huge mountain above the
undulating plain of humanity and he will have to lift his eyes
high toward heaven to catch its summit. He possessed
every virtue of the other great commanders without their
vices. He was a foe without hate, a friend without treach
ery, a soldier without cruelty, and a victim without murmur
ing. He was a public officer without vices, a private citizen
without wrong, a neighbor without reproach, a Christian
without hyprocrisy, and a man without guilt. He is a Caesar
without his ambition, Frederick without his tyranny, Na
poleon without his selfishness and Washington without his
reward. He was as obedient to authority as a servant
and as royal in authority as a true king He was gentle as
a woman in life, pure and modest as a virgin in thought,
watchful as a Roman vestal in duty, submissive to law as
Socrates and grand in battle as Achilles.”