Lee's Honorable Surrender and Newt's Path Forward

Grant’s army cut off Lee’s supply lines, forcing Lee to withdraw from Petersburg. Lee desperately flung his army westward, hoping to reconnect with Lynchburg, with Grant’s army in hot pursuit and attempting a pincer movement. In the final stage, Confederate General Gordon (Georgia) pushed forward only to find the Union 5^th Corps entrenched in the heights to his front, and otherwise surrounded by Union elements on three sides of a geological bowl formation. Union artillery was amassed for a fish in the barrel shoot. Knowing when to quit, Lee sent forward a Confederate horserider carrying a white flag.

 

Lee seriously considered scattering his troops to the four winds and persisting in a guerilla war. But Lee thought this was the worst option. In his heart, he wanted to be a positive player in bringing about peace between North and South. He met with Grant. Grant treated him with the dignity he deserved. As General Gordon, dejected in defeat, marched his troops in procession, General Chamberlain formed his 5^th Corps and honored his counterpart with a dignatory salute. Thus began the healing of a nation.

We Conservative Republicans, we heirs of the Reagan legacy, have likewise engaged in an epic struggle to put forward our candidate as the one best suited to turn our country around. Newt Gingrich has fought as valiantly as any candidate and is worthy as much honor as any commander. But the way forward for him has come to an end. To persist is self-destructive. It is time for a truce  with Rick Santorum, who holds Gingrich in high respect. It is time to unite this Republican party behind one conservative candidate to defeat the Massachusetts Moderate who will otherwise go the way of McCain and Dole, and would give Obama 4 more destructive years. Together, there is much that can be done, and Gingrich can play a major role therein.