Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1861-03-28
COMMUNICA TION,S.

enclosed notice of a speech of COL Alexander
u. Taliaferro, Of Culpeper, made by the Mad
son Southern Citizen. 1t refers to matters
which Virginians should know and UNDER
stand. heard the speech 1t was master
ly and eloquent, and the within is but faint
outline lie laid bare the utterly defence.
less condition in which the State is placed
from her defective Military Organizations
MADISON.
"On last Saturday afternoon Col. Taliaferr,
of Culpeper, addressed the soldiers and c,;''
tizens of Madison in front of the Madisor
| Hotel, on the subject of the present distract.
ted condition OF public affairs. After claim.
| ing the indulgence Of Il few remarks, he be-.
gan by stating his own position--he loved
the Union if it could be maintained with
honor, but we could not be separated from
the South without disgrace. Without at.
tempting to review the causes which have
brought our country to the brink of ruin, he
would simply look 1T matters as they stood
and examine il we were prepared TO Meet
the exigencies of the times How stood vir-
ginia in point OF military defence? As
| Firginian he was ashamed IL tell it, Col.
L. then went into facts and figures and laid
bare 10 public gaze some distresS!ngly I'M
wholesome truths. He showed that the
whole available military force OF the great
State Of Virginia ut the present time was but
| Z ,34U men. and they scattered over the broad
face Of the whole State. The whole militia
ry system of the State was disorganizei. -
| lt trp f,nr " fbr,u,,,, -, -.
defatlgable eXertions Of the gallant and
worthy Delegate from Madison, Gen. KEN.
per, sume reformation was effected in the
| infantry department Of the service, but IN
| the artillery and cavalry departments, it
was dlsorganization worse disOrganized -~
| lie cited cases to prove this, and insancel
himself as similarly situated to others in The
! State as holding commissions without COM
mands. lie had no authority to call ou'
single man under his command, vet if the
| Governor should order him to bring his diyi.
sion into the field, and he utterly poweress
to do 80, he could be tried by court martial
and dismissed the seryice--so impcrlectiy
organized were these branches Of the milita.
ry. Col L. next reviewed the consequences
OF this dlsorganiZatlon in the service, and
showed what Roadway an enemy invading
our territory could make before they could
| he checked. An army Of 5000 well dI-ciI-
| lined troops under skilltul commanders. he
said could march through the State Of Er.
ginia into North Carolina, through North
Carolina into South Carolina, arrive y,
| Charleston aud beseige that city before the
military forces Of Virginia could be concen-
trated and prepared for active service. He
asked his hearers what they thought of that:
Could they believe it? But it was even
so. 1t was mortiying to him, but such were
the facts. Col. Taliaferro then investigated
the relative strength of the South in militia
ry point of view. The opinion had got
| abroad that the strength of the South laid IN
waging defensive war, but nothing he said
could be more preposterous or more absurd
| A defensive war was the weakest point OF the
| South, but IN offensive war was her strong
| hold. The battle ground should not be on
| the soil of Virginia, nor on that OF any other
slaveholding State. The Sittering of bay
0nets, the clash of arms and the artiIlery's
! thunder must be seen, heard and felt at Phil
adelphia, at New York, and at Fancull Hail.
The war must be %aged on yankee land
they must be made to smell Southern powder
and feel Southern steel.
Col. Taliaferro was frequently applaudcd
during the delivery of his speech. His Re.
marks were truly eloquent. and his views ey-
acty conceded with the sentiments of our
people; every word he uttered was attentive
ly listened to by host of eager spectators
who had crowded around him. Col. Tal!a-
terro may he Justly considered a soldier Of
the right stripe, an orator and patriot. Az
the conclusion of his remarks three cheers
were proposed and given for Col. Taiaierro.'
DGsUNIoS-THE WHY OF IT.--Though the
opinion has heretofore generally obtained
at the North that not even South Carolina,
however aggressed upon, could abe kicked
out Of the Union" yet that chivalric State
-maugre the threat that she "would be
| mhipped into obedience" has, with others.
as Mr.. Brent admits, ''established Il govern
ment with means and armies sufficient 10
maintain its independence against the
world" While the successful secession Q!
seven States is thus conceded the rhy OF II
is far more diverse than the hues Of the
rainbow.
Mr.. Brent thinks it has been caused by "the
philosophy Of tree trade, understood by lead
ing Statesmen of the South"
Mr.. Carlile believes il is because Of "a violation
Of our plightcd faith to the savage Indians sol.
EMMY made lay treaty..
Mr.. Clemens suppoSes it is all owing to the
spells principle Of ms and outs.
Mr.. Bolts attributes it TO a contest for "moncy.
place, and power between the 'N0ntagueS' aai
'Capulcts' of nation
Mr.. Crittendeu imayincS that il is all owing 10
the absence of a GomrrDtDiSp has sol ~