Fraternity-Testvériség, 1961 (39. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1961-02-01 / 2. szám

FRATERNITY

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF HUNGARIAN REF. FEDERATION OF AMERICA Editor-in-Chief: George E. K. Borshy. — Managing Editor:

Joseph Kecskemethy. — Associate Editors: Emery Király and László L. Eszenyi. — Chief Contributor: Alexander Daroczy. Published monthly. — Subscription for non-members in the U. S. A. and Canada $2.00, elsewhere $3.00 a year.

Office of Pubication: Expert Printing Co., 4627 Irvine St., Pittsburgh 7, Pa. Editorial Office: Kossuth House, 1801 “P” St., N. W., Washington 6, D. C.

Volume XXXIX FEBRUARY 1961 Number 2

LINCOLN AND LEE — A CENTENNIAL

It was April 18(51. The man's name was Francis Preston Blair. His mission in Virginia during those dangerous times was to deliver an urgent appeal from President Abraham Lincoln to Lieutenant Colonel Bobért Edward Lee, United States Army.

Our country was walking a ledge between -war and peace, and as state after state followed South Carolina in secession from the Union, the crumbling ledge threatened to precipitate the nation into the abyss of Civil War.

President Lincoln, through envoy Blair, offered Lee command of the United States Army in the impending conflict. There was no time for deliberation. Fort Sumter had already been fired on.

Lee answered “noand seat Blair packing, back to President Lincoln. In his courteously worded reply he explained, “though I am opposed to secession, and deprecate war, I would take no part in an invasion of the Southern states."

Immediately after the interview, Lee reported its details to his commanding officer. Like thousands of other Southern soldiers in the Union Army, he saw there was but one way to escape the tragedy of fighting his relatives and friends in the seceding states. He resigned his commission and became Robert E. Lev, Virginian.

Lee's career as a private citizen in 18(51 lasted two days.

Accepting the invitation of the Governor of Virginia, he traveled to Richmond and there found a convention in session. It had just passed an ordinance withdrawing the State from the Union. The convention offered Lee co'mmand of the Confederate Armed Forces and this time the commission was accepted.

Within a week of President Lincoln's appeal to him. Lieu-