Louis Weichmann

[Pamela]

(08-27-2015 08:08 PM)Rick Smith Wrote:  

(08-27-2015 06:40 PM)Pamela Wrote:  

(08-27-2015 03:13 PM)J. Beckert Wrote:  I could barely make it out on my phone earlier, but I did just get a better look at it. The trouble is, while you paraphrased it, you paraphrased the opinions of a northern newspaperman. I don't think that's historically fair to Gen. Lee (or any other figure) for someone to speculate what their thoughts and motives might have been. It clearly shows bias and an agenda.

The pompous writer also was very biased with his opinion of "heartless Jews".

Not much historical value in that piece, in my opinion. It has too much of a slant to.it.

Then I guess you shouldn' t read any historical paper, north or south since they all had a bias. As for me, I think it's it's fun to wade through all kinds of documents, books, newspapers, etc., keeping in mind the biases and filters of the various authors--it's just part of the humanity of it all. I'm sure there were plenty of vices on both sides, antisemitism, misogeny, people who hated kittens and flowers, whatever.

What Joe takes exception to, as do I, is that you obviously enjoyed reading of an article in which General Lee ". . . was sarcastically referred to as the great patriot and hero . . ." then you go on to surmise that Lee and his wife were holding out for a good price on the sale of their home. If you believe this, you obviously know nothing of General Lee, who, after the war, turned down an offer of $15,000 per annum from The Knickerbocker Life Insurance Company {a northern co.} who wanted to use his name to advance their business. From before 1864, they had no home. His wife lived with friends in Richmond, since their residence, Arlington, had been confiscated and turned into a cemetery, the sole purpose of which was to prevent the Lees from ever returning there to live.

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Interesting that the coward who wrote the article forgot to add his name.

I'm happy to know as little of Lee as possible. I know he took a vow of loyalty to the United States which he violated. It seems fair that his home is a cemetery from my point of view. As I said, I was paraphrasing the reporter's story and the use of the words "in reality" was part of that. I don't know why he turned down the business deal and don't care. Maybe he was bothered by the irony.