--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is a terrible war coming, and these…" description: "\"There is a terrible war coming, and these young men who have never seen war cannot wait for it to happen, but I tell you, I wish that I owned every sla..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cf/robert-e-lee-2368_civil-war_there-is-a-terrible-war-coming-and-these_2866483.png" --- # There is a terrible war coming, and these young men who… ![“There is a terrible war coming, and these young men who have never seen war cannot wait for it to happen, but I tell you, I wish that I owned every slave in the South, for I would free them all to avoid this war.” quote by Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cf/robert-e-lee-2368_civil-war_there-is-a-terrible-war-coming-and-these_2866483.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cf/robert-e-lee-2368_civil-war_there-is-a-terrible-war-coming-and-these_2866483.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cf/robert-e-lee-2368_civil-war_there-is-a-terrible-war-coming-and-these_2866483.png) > “There is a terrible war coming, and these young men who have never seen war cannot wait for it to happen, but I tell you, I wish that I owned every slave in the South, for I would free them all to avoid this war.” [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. Predicts a terrible war; expresses a wish to own slaves to free them, revealing conflicted moral stance on slavery and war. **In simple terms:** Foresees war; wishes to free slaves if owned. Key Takeaway Consider moral complexities of slavery and war. Themes war morality slavery Mood somber thoughtful Type historical ethical When to use this quote - historical analysis - moral philosophy - social justice Key Concepts civil conflict human rights personal ethics Questions to Reflect On - How do personal morals conflict with societal norms? - What alternative actions could have prevented war? A Different Perspective Perspective reflects personal bias of the era. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Avoid War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoid-war-365085/) [Civil war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Owned Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/owned-slave-3416178/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Slave South](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave-south-506274/) [Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible/) [Terrible War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible-war-1442708/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Coming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-coming-249012/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) [Young men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-men/) ## Related quotes > [What great interval is there between him who is caught in Africa and made a plantation slave of in the South, and him who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/what-great-interval-is-there-between-him-who-is-caught-in-africa-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“At the age of eleven, I owned a slave I couldn’t free.O”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/at-the-age-of-eleven-i-owned-a-slave-i-couldn-t-free-o/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [“What most upset her, was the widespread use of slave labor. ...It is true Republicanism that drives the slaves half fed, and destitute of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-withey/what-most-upset-her-was-the-widespread-use-of-slave-labor-it-is-true/) [Lynne Withey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-withey/) > [Everyone wants peace - and they will fight the most terrible war to get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-kington/everyone-wants-peace-and-they-will-fight-the-most-terrible-war-to-get/) [Miles Kington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-kington/) > [“To those who fought World War II, it was plain enough that Allied bombs were killing huge numbers of German civilians, that Churchill was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-kirsch/to-those-who-fought-world-war-ii-it-was-plain-enough-that-allied/) [Adam Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-kirsch/) > [War, at the best, is terrible, and this war of ours, in its magnitude and in its duration, is one of the most terrible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/war-at-the-best-is-terrible-and-this-war-of-ours-in-its-magnitude-and/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Terrible as is war, it yet displays the spiritual grandeur of man daring to defy his mightiest hereditary enemy--death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/terrible-as-is-war-it-yet-displays-the-spiritual-grandeur-of-man/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [Death, whether it regards ourselves or others, appears less terrible in war than at home. The cries of women and children, friends in anguish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-home-lord-kames/death-whether-it-regards-ourselves-or-others-appears-less-terrible-in/) [Henry Home, Lord Kames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-home-lord-kames/) > [“The sanest judgment that can be passed on the genesis of this terrible war between two groups of friends is that it was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-michener/the-sanest-judgment-that-can-be-passed-on-the-genesis-of-this/) [James A. Michener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-michener/) > [“In the beginning there was a war. Before there were men or green fields or the untamed sea. Before there was anything at all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/in-the-beginning-there-was-a-war-before-there-were-men-or-green/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) > [“Mr Lincoln suggested that the Lord sent us this terrible war as punishment for the offense of slavery and that the war may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-chiaverini/mr-lincoln-suggested-that-the-lord-sent-us-this-terrible-war-as/) [Jennifer Chiaverini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-chiaverini/) > [We hoped for a happy termination of this terrible war long before this; but God knows best, and has ruled otherwise. We shall yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/we-hoped-for-a-happy-termination-of-this-terrible-war-long-before/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [The whole of organic nature on our planet exists only by a relentless war of all against all. ... The raging war of interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-haeckel/the-whole-of-organic-nature-on-our-planet-exists-only-by-a-relentless/) [Ernst Haeckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-haeckel/) > [ The very same British and American families who had combined to wreck the Indian textile industry in the promotion of the opium trade \[...\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-coleman/the-very-same-british-and-american-families-who-had-combined-to-wreck/) [John Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-coleman/) > [We have to risk a nuclear war in order to escape capitulation to Communism. For all I know, we may stumble into this terrible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/we-have-to-risk-a-nuclear-war-in-order-to-escape-capitulation-to/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) ## 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. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [All military history records the triumphs of discipline and courage far more frequently than numbers and resources.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/all-military-history-records-the-triumphs-of-discipline-and-courage/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [A true man of honor feels humbled himself when he cannot help humbling others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/a-true-man-of-honor-feels-humbled-himself-when-he-cannot-help/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [I will attack no matter what and win the war!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/i-will-attack-no-matter-what-and-win-the-war/) [Robert E. 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. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [Obedience to lawful authority is the foundation of manly character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/obedience-to-lawful-authority-is-the-foundation-of-manly-character/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) [Explore all 170 Robert E. Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) ## More Civil war quotes > [“Time overlaps itself. A breath breathed from a passing breeze is not the whole wind, neither is it just the last of what has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/time-overlaps-itself-a-breath-breathed-from-a-passing-breeze-is-not/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [“Whatever happened in those more than one hundred years, from the time my great-great-great grandfather studied law to the time when my own father…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwenn-wright/whatever-happened-in-those-more-than-one-hundred-years-from-the-time/) [Gwenn Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwenn-wright/) > [“AUSTRALIA, LIKE THE UNITED STATES, experienced a different path to inclusive institutions than the one taken by England. The same revolutions that shook England…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daron-acemo-lu/australia-like-the-united-states-experienced-a-different-path-to/) [Daron Acemoğlu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daron-acemo-lu/) > [“These are all good things, I said. But no one knows where your country is or who you are. You don't have a familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/these-are-all-good-things-i-said-but-no-one-knows-where-your-country/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [“Thinking about the weather was one way of shutting out of his mind the appalling bloody human mess sprawled out over the bed of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ellis/thinking-about-the-weather-was-one-way-of-shutting-out-of-his-mind/) [Mark Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ellis/) > [It cost about 75 cents to kill a man in Ceasar's time. The price rose to about $3,000 per man during the Napoleonic wars;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer-bone/it-cost-about-75-cents-to-kill-a-man-in-ceasar-s-time-the-price-rose/) [Homer Bone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer-bone/) > [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/) > [“ “In the South, football is confused with religion, chivalry, the Civil War, and women.” -Diane Roberts, The Quotable South ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/in-the-south-football-is-confused-with-religion-chivalry-the-civil/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [“By the following morning, September 15, Jackson had positioned nearly fifty guns on Maryland Heights and at the base of Loudoun Heights.  Then he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/by-the-following-morning-september-15-jackson-had-positioned-nearly/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [Strange, (is it not?) that battles, martyrs, blood, even assassination should so condense - perhaps only really lastingly condense - a Nationality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/strange-is-it-not-that-battles-martyrs-blood-even-assassination/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [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/) > [“Civil wars...are the best wars for the writer...because they have a way of continuing long afterwl wars between nations are resolved; because, with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-ellison/civil-wars-are-the-best-wars-for-the-writer-because-they-have-a-way/) [Ralph Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-ellison/) > [I am out of money,we are all out of money,but we dont need money down here- Dont need anything but Men , Muskets, Ammunition,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-connolly/i-am-out-of-money-we-are-all-out-of-money-but-we-dont-need-money-down/) [James A. Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-connolly/) > [Affirmative action was designed to recognize the uniquely difficult journey of African-Americans. This policy was justifiable and understandable, even to those who came from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-webb/affirmative-action-was-designed-to-recognize-the-uniquely-difficult/) [Jim Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-webb/) > [“Only twenty - nine years in the entire human history had been without warfare, and now here he was too, travelling between the episodes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadeem-aslam/only-twenty-nine-years-in-the-entire-human-history-had-been-without/) [Nadeem Aslam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadeem-aslam/) [Browse all 1,714 Civil war quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is a terrible war coming, and these young men who have never seen war cannot wait for it to happen, but I tell you, I wish that I owned every slave in the South, for I would free them all to avoid this war.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert E. Lee" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/there-is-a-terrible-war-coming-and-these-young-men-who-have-never/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Civil war" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/there-is-a-terrible-war-coming-and-these-young-men-who-have-never/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cf/robert-e-lee-2368_civil-war_there-is-a-terrible-war-coming-and-these_2866483.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cf/robert-e-lee-2368_civil-war_there-is-a-terrible-war-coming-and-these_2866483.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cf/robert-e-lee-2368_civil-war_there-is-a-terrible-war-coming-and-these_2866483.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is a terrible war coming, and these young men who have never seen war cannot wait for it to happen…” — Robert E. Lee", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Robert E. Lee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is a terrible war coming,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/there-is-a-terrible-war-coming-and-these-young-men-who-have-never/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/there-is-a-terrible-war-coming-and-these-young-men-who-have-never/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```