“Never do a wrong thing to make a friend–or to keep one.”
― Robert E. Lee
“I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself.”
― Robert E. Lee
“It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it.”
― Robert E. Lee
“The education of a man is never completed until he dies.”
― Robert E. Lee
“I can only say that I am nothing but a poor sinner, trusting in Christ alone for salvation.”
― Robert E. Lee
“In all my perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength.”
― Robert E. Lee
“I like whiskey. I always did, and that is why I never drink it.”
― Robert E. Lee
“It is easier to make our wishes conform to our means than to make our means conform to our wishes.”
― Robert E. Lee
“What a cruel thing is war: to separate and destroy families and friends, and mar the purest joys and happiness God has granted us in this world; to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors, and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world.”
― Robert E. Lee
“It’s the loneliest feeling in the world-to find yourself standing up when everybody else is sitting down. To have everybody look at you and say, ‘What’s the matter with him?’ I know. I know what it feels like. Walking down an empty street, listening to the sound of your own footsteps. Shutters closed, blinds drawn, doors locked against you. And you aren’t sure whether you’re walking toward something, or if you’re just walking away.”
― Robert E. Lee
“Read history, works of truth, not novels and romances”
― Robert E. Lee
“ The forbearing use of power does not only form a touchstone, but the manner in which an individual enjoys certain advantages over others is a test of a true gentleman.
The power which the strong have over the weak, the employer over the employed, the educated over the unlettered, the experienced over the confiding, even the clever over the silly–the forbearing or inoffensive use of all this power or authority, or a total abstinence from it when the case admits it, will show the men in a plain light.
The gentleman does not needlessly and unnecessarily remind an offender of a wrong he may have committed against him. He cannot only forgive, he can forget; and he strives for that nobleness of self and mildness of character which impart sufficient strength to let the past be but the past. A true man of honor feels humbled when he cannot help humbling others.”
― Robert E. Lee
“A true man of honor feels humbled himself when he cannot help humbling others.”
― Robert E. Lee
“My experiences of men has neither disposed me to think worse of them nor be indisposed to serve them: nor, in spite of failures which I lament, of errors which I now see and acknowledge, or the present aspect of affairs, do I despair of the future. The truth is this: The march of Providence is so slow and our desires so impatient; the work of progress so immense and our means of aiding it so feeble; the life of humanity is so long, that of the individual so brief, that we often see only the ebb of the advancing wave and are thus discouraged. It is history that teaches us to hope. ”
― Robert E. Lee
“Obedience to lawful authority is the foundation of manly character.”
― Robert E. Lee
“There is a true glory and a true honor: the glory of duty done–the honor of the integrity of principle.”
― Robert E. Lee
“My trust is in the mercy and wisdom of a kind Providence, who ordereth all things for our good.”
― Robert E. Lee
“All motion is relative. Perhaps it is you who have moved away-by standing still”
― Robert E. Lee
“True patriotism sometimes requires of men to act exactly contrary, at one period, to that which it does at another, and the motive which impels them the desire to do right is precisely the same.”
― Robert E Lee
“Go home all you boys who fought with me and help build up the shattered fortunes of our old state”
― Robert E. Lee
“We all thought Richmond, protected as it was by our splendid fortifications and defended by our army of veterans, could not be taken. Yet Grant turned his face to our Capital, and never turned it away until we had surrendered. Now, I have carefully searched the military records of both ancient and modern history, and have never found Grant’s superior as a general. I doubt that his superior can be found in all history.”
― Robert E. Lee
“The consolidation of the states into one vast empire, sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home, will be the certain precursor of ruin which has overwhelmed all that preceded it.”
― Robert E. Lee
“Shake off those gloomy feelings. Drive them away. Fix your mind and pleasures upon what is before you.All is bright if you will think it so. All is happy if you will make it so. Do not dream. It is too ideal, too imaginary. Dreaming by day, I mean. Live in the world you inhabit. Look upon things as they are. Take them as you find them. Make the best of them. Turn them to your advantage.”
― Robert E. Lee
“Cadets can neither be treated as schoolboys or soldiers.”
― Robert E. Lee
“We poor sinners need to come back from our wanderings to seek pardon through the all-sufficient merits of our Redeemer. And we need to pray earnestly for the power of the Holy Spirit to give us a precious revival in our hearts and among the unconverted.”
― Robert E. Lee
“It is well that war is so terrible, or we would grow too fond of it.”
― Robert E. Lee
“I can not trust a man to control others who cannot control himself.”
― Robert E. Lee
“The education of a man ( or woman ) is never completed until he dies.”
― Robert E. Lee
“I am A man, not a sponge! If god wished a sponge to think, A SPONGE WOULD THINK!”
― Robert E. Lee
“It is good that war is so terrible, or we should become too fond of it.”
― Robert E. Lee
“It is good that war is terrible. Or else we would become too fond of it.”
― Robert E. Lee
“Why, sir, in the beginning we appointed all our worst generals to command the armies, and all our best generals to edit the newspapers. As you know, I have planned some campaigns and quite a number of battles. I have given the work all the care and thought I could, and sometimes, when my plans were completed, as far as I could see, they seemed to be perfect. But when I have fought them through, I have discovered defects and occasionally wondered I did not see some of the defects in advance. When it was all over, I found by reading a newspaper that these best editor generals saw all the defects plainly from the start. Unfortunately, they did not communicate their knowledge to me until it was too late.” Then, after a pause, he added, with a beautiful, grave expression I can never forget: “I have no ambition but to serve the Confederacy, and do all I can to win our independence. I an willing to serve in any capacity to which the authorities may assign me. I have done the best I could in the field, and have not succeeded as I could wish. I am willing to yield my place to these best generals, and I will do my best for the cause in editing a newspaper.”
In the same strain he once remarked to one of his generals: “Even as poor a soldier as I am can generally discover mistakes after it is all over. But if I could only induce these wise gentlemen who see them so clearly beforehand to communicate with me in advance, instead of waiting until the evil has come upon us, to let me know that they knew all the time, it would be far better for my reputation, and (what is of more consequence) far better for the cause.”
― Robert E. Lee
“We failed, but in the good providence of God apparent failure often proves a blessing.”
― Robert E. Lee
“Get correct views of life, and learn to see the world in its true light. It will enable you to live pleasantly, to do good, and, when summoned away, to leave without regret.”
― Robert E. Lee
“It is well that war is so terrible: we should grow too fond of it.”
― Robert E. Lee
“The time is not come for impartial history. If the truth were told just now, it would not be credited.”
― Robert E. Lee
“A land without memories is a people without liberty.”
-Robert E. Lee
“If you have any fault to find with anyone, tell him, not others, of what you complain; there is no more dangerous experiment than that of undertaking to be one thing before a man’s face and another behind his back.”
-Robert E. Lee
“I am A man, not a sponge! If god wished a sponge to think, A SPONGE WOULD THINK!”
-Robert E. Lee
“It is well that war is so terrible, or we would grow too fond of it.”
-Robert E. Lee
“We have but one rule here, and that is that every student must be a gentleman.”
-Robert E. Lee
“The education of a man ( or woman ) is never completed until he dies.”
-Robert E. Lee
“Everyone should do all in his power to collect and disseminate the truth, in the hope that it may find a place in history and descend to posterity. History is not the relation of campaigns and battles and generals or other individuals, but that which shows the principles for which the South contended and which justified her struggle for those principles.”
-Robert E. Lee
“Respect is based on Friendship,and friendship is based on love and love is so accidental isn’t it ?”
-Robert E. Lee
“You must be careful how you walk and where you go, for there are those following you who will set their feet where yours are set.”
-Robert E. Lee
“There is scarcely anything that is right that we cannot hope to accomplish by labor and perseverance. But the first must be earnest and the second unremitting.”
-Robert E. Lee
“Marry…into a family that will enable your children to feel proud of both sides of the house.”
-Robert E. Lee
“Wisdom is nothing more than healed pain.”
-Robert E. Lee
“What a beautiful world God, in His loving kindness to His creatures, has given us! What a shame that men endowed with reason and knowledge of right should mar His gifts….”
-Robert E. Lee
“I consider the proper education of our youths one of the most important objects now to be attained and one from which the greatest benefits may be expected.”
-Robert E. Lee
“Duty, then is the sublimest word in our language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more; you should never wish to do less.”
-Robert E. Lee
“I did only what my duty demanded. I could have taken no other course without dishonor.”
-Robert E. Lee
“A nation which does not remember what it was yesterday does not know where it is today.”
-Robert E. Lee
“It is good that war is so terrible, or we should become too fond of it.”
-Robert E. Lee
“I have thought from the time of the cessation of the hostilities, that silence and patience on the part of the South was the true course; and I think so still. Controversy of all kinds will, in my opinion, only serve to continue excitement and passion, and will prevent the public mind from the acknowledgement and acceptance of the truth.”
-Robert E. Lee
“Life Insurance trusts I consider sacred. To hazard the property of the dead & to lose the scanty earnings of fathers & husbands, who have toiled & saved that they may leave something to their families deprived of their care & the support of their labour, is to my mind the worst of crimes.”
-Robert E. Lee
“Why, it appears that we appointed all of our worst generals to command the armies and we appointed all of our best generals to edit the newspapers. I mean, I found by reading a newspaper that these editor generals saw all of the defects plainly from the start but didn’t tell me until it was too late. I’m willing to yield my place to these best generals and I’ll do my best for the cause by editing a newspaper.”
-Robert E. Lee
“I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union. It would be an accumulation of all the evils we complain of, and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation.”
-Robert E. Lee