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Quote#Politics & Power

Mr. Blair, I look upon secession as anarchy. If I owned the four…

Quote byRobert E. Lee · 1807–1870

Commonly attributed — not confirmed in an authoritative edition. Cited on Wikiquote to: Life and Campaigns of General Robert E. Lee (1866) page 30. Responding to Francis Preston Blair after he relayed an offer to make Lee major-general to command the defense of Washington D.C..

English (original)

Mr. Blair, I look upon secession as anarchy. If I owned the four millions of slaves in the South, I would sacrifice them all to the Union; but how can I draw my sword upon Virginia, my native State?

— Robert E. Lee

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