May God guard and protect you and yours, and shower upon you every blessing, is the prayer of your devoted brother, R.E.

LEE.
The expression used in this letter--"though I recognize no necessity for this state of things"-- conveys very clearly the political sentiments of the writer.

He did not regard the election of a Republican President, even by a strictly sectional vote, as sufficient ground for a dissolution of the Union.

It may be added here, that such, we believe, was the opinion of a large number of Southern officers at that time.

Accustomed to look to the flag as that which they were called upon to defend against all comers, they were loath to admit the force of the reasoning which justified secession, and called upon them to abandon it.