Gods and Generals

---

Welcome, Colonel Lee.

Welcome to my home.

Make yourself comfortable

there, colonel.

Allow me to get to the point, sir.

I have been authorized by

President Lincoln himself...

...with the full blessing

of the War Department...

...to offer you full command of the Army

with the rank of major general.

This Army being raised to quell this

rebellion and to preserve the Union.

I assume this Army is to be used

to invade those areas...

...to eliminate the rebellion by force.

Yes, sir, the Federal government

has been challenged by these rebels...

...who have been most effective

in changing...

...the sentiments

of state legislatures...

...challenging our Constitution and

challenging our central government.

The attack on Fort Sumter

cannot be ignored.

General, my home is right there

across the Potomac.

Why, you can see Arlington House

from your front door.

My family is spread all

over this part of Virginia.

If you invade the South, your enemy

territory will be right across that river.

Well, sir, there is no great outcry

for secession in Virginia.

It's not a foregone conclusion that

Virginia or Tennessee or Arkansas...

...or Kentucky will join the rebellion.

My friend, may I humbly submit that

you're mistaken about Virginia.

As you know, the legislature is

convening in Richmond this very day...

...to discuss the very

issue of secession.

Now, perhaps you know their mind

better than they themselves.

And I regret to say the president's

hasty calling up of 75,000 volunteers...

...to subdue the rebellion

in the cotton states...

...has done nothing to ameliorate

the crisis. It has only deepened it.

I trust you're not being

too hasty yourself, colonel.

This is a great opportunity

for you to serve your country.

My country, Mr. Blair?

I never thought I'd see the day

the president of the United States...

...would raise an army

to invade his own country.

No, Mr. Blair, I cannot lead it.

I will not lead it. No.

I'm sorry to hear you say that, sir.

I fear you're making

a most dreadful mistake.

Sir, please convey my deep sense of

honor and gratitude to the president...

...but I must decline his offer.

Please tell him.

Please be clear. I have

never taken my duties lightly...

...but I have no greater duty

than to my home, to Virginia.

Thank you, sir.

Gentlemen, if you are going

to succeed at this institution...

...you have one common goal:

To learn your lessons.

If you are placing

your energies elsewhere...

...you will not succeed either with me

or in your careers as military officers.

I had hoped you'd see that with a

proper grasp of the artillery principles...

...I've laid before you today,

you would learn to apply...

...these principles with great

effectiveness in your field experiences.

But since you seem unable

to grasp these principles...

...I'm forced to conclude I must repeat

this lesson tomorrow, word for word.

Word for word.

Major, listen to them. The leaders

of our intellectual future...

...screaming for the destruction

of our nation!

Sir, President Lincoln is raising

the troops.

I will not stay in a place where my

students dishonor their country's flag.

Major, I'm leaving

for Pennsylvania tomorrow.

War is the sum of all evils.

But if I know myself,

all I am and all I have...

...is at the service of my

home, my country.

Your country, Thomas?

Your country, my country. It's all one.

All one, Thomas. All one.

So that in the midst of the searching

of souls and the gnashing of teeth...

...the delegates of this convention...

...harried by the actions of a belligerent

Rate this script:(0.00 / 0 votes)