Opinion of Robert E. Lee

[KaiserDave]

Lee believed that slavery was a great evil for white people who were “burdened” by God with the duty of civilizing the “inferior race.”

[KaiserDave]

Lee believed that slavery was a great evil for white people who were “burdened” by God with the duty of civilizing the “inferior race.”

In the quote I posted, he said it was a "greater (italics mine) evil" to whites than to blacks.  That means that it was an "evil" to blacks as well, albeit to a lesser degree in his eyes.

Sure, but it doesn't mean much to me. Displays a sickening ossification of his moral compass, which is one of many reasons he is a big HP.

[KaiserDave]

Lee believed that slavery was a great evil for white people who were “burdened” by God with the duty of civilizing the “inferior race.”

In the quote I posted, he said it was a "greater (italics mine) evil" to whites than to blacks.  That means that it was an "evil" to blacks as well, albeit to a lesser degree in his eyes.

Sure, but it doesn't mean much to me. Displays a sickening ossification of his moral compass, which is one of many reasons he is a big HP.

But I don't think it makes Lee at least any more of a HP than any number of other people at the time.  The Wiki article on Lee quotes Elizabeth Brown Pryor, the author of an important book on him, as saying that Lee's views on slavery and African Americans, "which today seem startling, were entirely unremarkable in Lee's world. No visionary, Lee nearly always tried to conform to accepted opinions. His assessment of black inferiority, of the necessity of racial stratification, the primacy of slave law, and even a divine sanction for it all, was in keeping with the prevailing views of other moderate slaveholders and a good many prominent Northerners."

40% of American voters had the moral wisdom to support Abraham Lincoln in the election of 1860, the most anti-slavery and anti-racist candidate by far. Most Americans did not support the secession which was plainly driven by the interests of a pernicious slave power. Perhaps his attitudes on race were similar to most Americans, indeed most Americans were strongly white supremacist. But all of this said does make him much more of an HP.

[KaiserDave]

Lee believed that slavery was a great evil for white people who were “burdened” by God with the duty of civilizing the “inferior race.”

In the quote I posted, he said it was a "greater (italics mine) evil" to whites than to blacks.  That means that it was an "evil" to blacks as well, albeit to a lesser degree in his eyes.

Sure, but it doesn't mean much to me. Displays a sickening ossification of his moral compass, which is one of many reasons he is a big HP.

But I don't think it makes Lee at least any more of a HP than any number of other people at the time.  The Wiki article on Lee quotes Elizabeth Brown Pryor, the author of an important book on him, as saying that Lee's views on slavery and African Americans, "which today seem startling, were entirely unremarkable in Lee's world. No visionary, Lee nearly always tried to conform to accepted opinions. His assessment of black inferiority, of the necessity of racial stratification, the primacy of slave law, and even a divine sanction for it all, was in keeping with the prevailing views of other moderate slaveholders and a good many prominent Northerners."

40% of American voters had the moral wisdom to support Abraham Lincoln in the election of 1860, the most anti-slavery and anti-racist candidate by far. Most Americans did not support the secession which was plainly driven by the interests of a pernicious slave power. Perhaps his attitudes on race were similar to most Americans, indeed most Americans were strongly white supremacist. But all of this said does make him much more of an HP.

It's very misleading to say that 40% of voters chose Lincoln without noting that almost all of those voters were in the North and West.  In Virginia, Lincoln got 1.13% of the vote (and Virginia then included what is now West Virginia).

Of course, this narrowing of the group being considered goes both ways.  After all, as Gallagher has pointed out, not only did many people in Lee's extended family remain loyal to the U.S., but roughly a third of all Virginians who had graduated from West Point did so as well, and Lee was the only one of the six colonels from Virginia in the U.S. army in the winter of 1861 who resigned his commission. 

My point is that a lot of Americans had far stronger moral character than Robert E. Lee. I am comparing him to his far superior contemporaries.