--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sir, if you ever presume again to speak…" description: "\"Sir, if you ever presume again to speak disrespectfully of General Grant in my presence, either you or I will sever his connection with this university..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/088/robert-e-lee-2368_civil-war_sir-if-you-ever-presume-again-to-speak-d_981955.png" --- # Sir, if you ever presume again to speak disrespectfully of… ![“Sir, if you ever presume again to speak disrespectfully of General Grant in my presence, either you or I will sever his connection with this university.” quote by Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/088/robert-e-lee-2368_civil-war_sir-if-you-ever-presume-again-to-speak-d_981955.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/088/robert-e-lee-2368_civil-war_sir-if-you-ever-presume-again-to-speak-d_981955.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/088/robert-e-lee-2368_civil-war_sir-if-you-ever-presume-again-to-speak-d_981955.png) > “Sir, if you ever presume again to speak disrespectfully of General Grant in my presence, either you or I will sever his connection with this university.” [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A stern warning that disrespect toward a revered figure will result in severe academic consequences. **In simple terms:** Disrespect leads to serious penalties. Key Takeaway Respect authority to avoid conflict. Themes authority respect discipline academic freedom Mood formal warning Type institutional historical When to use this quote - University settings - military academies - public debates Key Concepts ethics institutional power historical context Questions to Reflect On - When is dissent justified? - How to balance respect with free speech? A Different Perspective Such threats can suppress legitimate critique. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) [Connections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connections/) [General grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general-grant/) [University](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [In her opinion, Alexander Graham Bell and Clarence Birdseye are the two greatest Americans that ever lived excluding Robert E. Lee. 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He published General Grant's Memoirs (a big success) and had a hand in the publishing of many of his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-holbrook/mark-twain-was-a-publisher-he-published-general-grant-s-memoirs-a-big/) [Hal Holbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-holbrook/) > [“To speak disrespectfully of love is, I know, high treason against sentiment and fine feelings; but I wish to speak the simple language of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/to-speak-disrespectfully-of-love-is-i-know-high-treason-against/) [Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/) > [Every time you treat an Iraqi disrespectfully, you are working for the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-r-mcmaster/every-time-you-treat-an-iraqi-disrespectfully-you-are-working-for-the/) [H. R. McMaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-mcmaster/) > [Never speak disrespectfully of Society, Algernon. Only people who can’t get into it do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/never-speak-disrespectfully-of-society-algernon-only-people-who-can-t/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Never treat the audience disrespectfully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bennett/never-treat-the-audience-disrespectfully/) [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) > [There is nothing left for me to do but to go and see General Grant and I would rather die a thousand deaths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/there-is-nothing-left-for-me-to-do-but-to-go-and-see-general-grant/) [Robert E. 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Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulysses-s-grant/) > [“\[During this winter the citizens of Jo Davies County, Ill., subscribed for and had a diamond-hilled sword made for General Grant, which was always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ulysses-s-grant/during-this-winter-the-citizens-of-jo-davies-county-ill-subscribed/) [Ulysses S. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulysses-s-grant/) ## More by Robert E. Lee > [Live in the world you inhabit. Look upon things as they are. Take them as you find them. Make the best of them. Turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/live-in-the-world-you-inhabit-look-upon-things-as-they-are-take-them/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [Alabama soldiers, all I ask of you is to keep up with the Texans!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/alabama-soldiers-all-i-ask-of-you-is-to-keep-up-with-the-texans/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [You must study to be frank with the world: frankness is the child of honesty and courage. Say just what you mean to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/you-must-study-to-be-frank-with-the-world-frankness-is-the-child-of/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [...the framers of our Constitution never exhausted so much labor, wisdom and forbearance in its formation if it was intended to be broken up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/the-framers-of-our-constitution-never-exhausted-so-much-labor-wisdom/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [My trust is in the mercy and wisdom of a kind Providence, who ordereth all things for our good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/my-trust-is-in-the-mercy-and-wisdom-of-a-kind-providence-who-ordereth/) [Robert E. 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Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [A man may manifest and communicate his joy, but he should conceal and smother his grief as much as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/a-man-may-manifest-and-communicate-his-joy-but-he-should-conceal-and/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [We poor sinners need to come back from our wanderings to seek pardon through the all-sufficient merits of our Redeemer. And we need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/we-poor-sinners-need-to-come-back-from-our-wanderings-to-seek-pardon/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [Life processes take place in an aqueous medium. All organisms are composed mostly of water, whether they dwell in the oceans, lakes, and rivers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/life-processes-take-place-in-an-aqueous-medium-all-organisms-are/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [We cannot afford to be idle, and though weaker than our opponents in men and military equipments, must endeavor to harass, if we cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/we-cannot-afford-to-be-idle-and-though-weaker-than-our-opponents-in/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [We must forgive our enemies. I can truly say that not a day has passed since the war began that I have not prayed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/we-must-forgive-our-enemies-i-can-truly-say-that-not-a-day-has-passed/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [Lee tells his troops. After four years of arduous service marked by unsurpassed courage and fortitude the Army of Northern Virginia has been compelled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/lee-tells-his-troops-after-four-years-of-arduous-service-marked-by/) [Robert E. 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