On August 1, 1960, President Dwight D. Eisenhower received a letter
from a frustrated citizen named Leon Scott. Mr. Scott asked Eisenhower
why he had a picture of Robert E. Lee in his office. This was
Eisenhower's response to Mr. Scott:

"Dear Dr. Scott,

Respecting your August 1 inquiry calling attention to my often
expressed admiration for General Robert E. Lee, I would say, first,
that we need to understand that at the time of the War between the
States, the issue of secession had remained unresolved for more than
70 years. Men of probity, character, public standing, and unquestioned
loyalty, both North and South, had disagreed over this issue as a
matter of principle from the day our Constitution was adopted. General
Robert E. Lee was, in my estimation, one of the supremely gifted men
produced by our Nation. He believed unswervingly in the Constitutional
validity of his cause which, until 1865, was still an arguable
question in America; he was a poised and inspiring leader, true to the
high trust reposed in him by millions of his fellow citizens; he was
thoughtful yet demanding of his officers and men, forbearing with
captured enemies but ingenious, unrelenting, and personally courageous
in battle, and never disheartened by a reverse or obstacle. Through
all his many trials, he remained selfless almost to a fault and
unfailing in his faith in God. Taken altogether, he was noble as a
leader and as a man, and unsullied as read the pages of our history.

From deep conviction, I simply say this: a nation of men of Lee's
calibre would be unconquerable in spirit and soul. Indeed, to the
degree that present-day American youth will strive to emulate his rare qualities, including his devotion to this land as revealed in his
painstaking efforts to help heal the Nation's wounds once the bitter
struggle was over, we, in our own time of danger in a divided world,
will be strengthened and our love of freedom sustained. Such are the
reasons that I proudly display the picture of this great American on
my office wall.

Sincerely,
Dwight D. Eisenhower

@historyinmemes

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