Gods and Generals - Jeff Shaara [41]
“I am not very political, Captain. God would not allow . . . I always had the faith that this country would elect those who knew best, who could follow the best course through any situation. I certainly never thought what happened at Harper’s Ferry would be seen as such a political—”
Thomas interrupted, “The problem, Colonel, is that the army is becoming divided as well. What Mr. Barlow is saying is that we may be asked to take action where we may find it difficult. I have talked to men from South Carolina. . . . There is much talk that if the Republicans are elected, South Carolina will withdraw from the Union, will secede. If that happens, what would you expect the officers from South Carolina to do? What would we do if it were Virginia?”
Lee was becoming overwhelmed. “Surely you gentlemen are overstating the situation. I cannot believe that one state would withdraw from the Union just because a Republican is elected President. And, Virginia . . . Gentlemen, I have heard nothing of this kind of talk. Virginia is certainly not a part of this destructive talk, talk that does nothing but stir emotions. No, gentlemen, I believe you are wrong, I believe reasonable men will find a reasonable path and that all this talk of secession is just talk. What of Texas, what of right here?”
The older man spoke again, in a quiet tone. “Colonel, there is no support for Mr. Lincoln in Texas. We consider him to be quite the enemy. And that, sir, is the point.”
“The President of the United States is your commander, Lieutenant!” Barlow had stood, and his voice boomed.
Lee looked at the man, then rose, moved his chair away from the table, said, “Gentlemen, please. I am a soldier in the United States Army, as are all of you. I cannot believe that any of us will be called on to fire upon any state. I would never allow myself to bring violence upon my home of Virginia, and I believe there are enough men of reason in this country who feel the same way.”
Barlow glared at Lee and leaned forward, his palms down on the table. “With all due respect, Colonel, I am not sure I understand your blind loyalty to your home, but my home is the United States of America, and I believe that what is going on in the South is a threat to our country, and I will do everything I can to preserve the integrity of the Union. If there is a rebellion against a legally elected President, whether he be Lincoln or Breckenridge or my aunt Mary, then I will serve my country by putting down that rebellion!”
Now the gray-haired lieutenant stood, said to Barlow, “Captain, there will be a rebellion against a government that illegally inserts itself into the private, constitutionally protected affairs of the states. . . . The Federal government has no right—”
The two men faced each other, and Lee raised his hand, looked into Barlow’s black eyes, felt helpless, saw a deep chasm between him and these men who carried such passion. “Gentlemen, we are all officers here.”
They looked at him, stared, waited. He wanted to say more, to end this, but there was nothing else he could say. He had calmed them, however, their tempers softened. As he turned and moved toward the door, the men sat down again, watched him leave, then resumed their discussion.
ON NOVEMBER 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected President. Within a few weeks the state of South Carolina had called a convention, to vote on withdrawing from the Union.
The governor of Texas, Sam Houston, was in San Antonio to confer with the army. Lee had been summoned to the meeting, and made the dusty trip back from Fort Mason once more.
General Twiggs sat behind his huge desk, reached out and with a flourish of motion straightened an imposing stack of official papers. When Houston wired him of the need for a meeting, Twiggs insisted it be here, in his office. So, the three men sat, with Twiggs clearly in control.
Lee had great admiration for Houston, the great hero of Texas’s fight for independence from Mexico, and the first to defeat Santa Anna’s army, ten years before Scott. In person, Lee could see