Sold – Editing His Father’s Memoirs, Robert E. Lee Welcomes a Copy of a Controversial Version of the Federalist Papers

Ex-Sang Collection.

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Robert E. Lee’s father was Henry “Light-horse Harry” Lee, who earned that title with his horsemanship during the Revolutionary War, where he fought at Guilford Court House and was present at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown.  Later, he would serve as a delegate to the Continental Congress, Congressman, and Governor of...

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Sold – Editing His Father’s Memoirs, Robert E. Lee Welcomes a Copy of a Controversial Version of the Federalist Papers

Ex-Sang Collection.

Robert E. Lee’s father was Henry “Light-horse Harry” Lee, who earned that title with his horsemanship during the Revolutionary War, where he fought at Guilford Court House and was present at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown.  Later, he would serve as a delegate to the Continental Congress, Congressman, and Governor of Virginia, and would accompany Washington to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion.  He also supported the ratification of the Constitution.  [deletion]

During the Civil War, Southerners spoke openly about a shared heritage and shared struggles with the Founders, and felt that they, and not northerners, were the Founder’s heirs.  Many Southerners, like Lee, could trace their roots back to the men who fought for independence from the British.

In 1867, Robert E. Lee sat down to edit the memoirs of his father and treated first and foremost his military career and advocacy of a national government, a topic of potential controversy in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War.  This is particularly so given Lee’s own stature as symbol of the Confederacy . 

In a letter to his older brother, dated March 19, 1867, he spells out the goals of this effort.  “In the biography of our father, in speaking of the men who were distinguished in advocating the adoption of the Federal Constitution & the election of President Washington & of their sentiments of the duty they owed to the state & Ind Governments etc, it is stated Mr Madison’s authorship of the Virginia resolutions of 98 & 99 leaves no doubt of his views on the subject, but Gov Lee zealously approved them etc….  I do not wish to revive any partizan feelings or to incite party criticism against the book or to stir up sectional animosity – I would rather allay such feelings & cause the memoirs to be kindly welcomed, rather than be angrily recd. I do not think it is the proper vehicle by which to disseminate political opinions or to discuss controversial questions, & therefore think it best to say no more than to express our father’s sentiments on the occasion & to explain his cause… I am daily expecting from Henry B. Dawson of Morrisania N.Y. Editor of the Historical Magazine in relation to Antguilus’ History & Biography his volume on the capture of Stoney point, & if it contains what I am told it does, will rewrite the account of that battle.”

Dawson was not only the Magazine’s editor, he was the 1864 author of an edition of the Federalist widely lauded in the South and condemned in the North, including by the descendants of Federalist co-author John Jay.  In it, Dawson ignored later edits by the authors, among them John Jay, and published the original essays as they appeared for the first time.  As the New York Times wrote, “We must, however, protest against Mr. DAWSON’s dictum, that the authors of the work had no right to revise or correct it.”

In this letter from Robert E. Lee, in the midst of his editing of his father’s memoirs, he receives not only the works he was awaiting on his father’s exploits, but also a copy of this version of the Federalist.  Autograph Letter Signed, Lexington, VA, April 22, 1867, to Henry B. Dawson.  “My dear sir, I received by the stage Saturday inst. the package of books which you advise me in the 9th ult. you had sent me.  It arrived in good order and the books were wholly uninjured, but I do not know how the delay occurred.  I hope you received my letter of the 10th inst. explaining why I had not previously replied to you.  I am very much obliged for all the books. The copy of the Federalist will be very useful, as mine has been lost.  Wish you great success, I am very truly yours, RE Lee.” This letter relating Lee to the Founders, his own father, and a Constitutional view of the Federal period is ex Sang Collection.

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