The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-10-14


wishes or intentions. He was the most
pleasing and persuasive ora
tor the South ever produced, not even
excepting Patrick Henry. 1t was like
to a beautiful poem 70 hear him
speak, and he would enchart and hold
spell-bound for hours the attention of
thousands who hated him personally and
How clear and distinct ev-
cry word fell from his full round mouth.
There was no hating, no hesitating, no
failure for want ofeither words or ideas, -
no rant, or adcaptas,ds.na. He scorned to
practice deception, or to attempt to hide
his meaning in confused mass of flow
cry periods. He came straight to the
point, and told the people the truth as
it was seen from his standpoint. He
was an original disunionist, and did not
disavow it in Boston. He saw but this
solution to the question: that we must
divide the Union if we would perpetu-
ate the institution Of slavery. Nor
was he blind to the probable con-
sequences of the course he recon-
mended. He believed that there would
be a war. but he said twas the only
hone of the South. He looked to Euro
pean assistance being offered, to united
South and divided North, to COMPEL
arecognition Of Independence, and con-
sequently, after he had done so much to
precipitate the Cotton States into revo-
luton" as he called it, when he found
that the Border States had failed him,
and that Europe was content to be
a mere spectator to the conflict, and that
even cotton did not possess the miracu-
lous powers attributedto it, Yancey had
the wisdom to foresee the failure of the
revolution" and to even predict 1t
upon his return from Europe, when he
declared in New Orleans that Europe
would not interfere" He knew then
that 1t was a failure, but the people who
hated him first as q seeessionist, would
not trust the man now who had
done 20 much to bring on their sui
ferings; and as they would not believe
him when he prophecied war, neither
would they believe when he pre-.
dicted failure. It is scarcely to be
doubted that had his advice been fol.
lowed, the struggle would have beer
yielded even before the capture Of New
Orleans, for he knew then that all wai
lost--he thing had been so bunglingly
managed from the first by those having
charge of affairs. No army was raised
till Sumter had fallen, and the Nortl
was aroused and in frenzy, and TO
months after the battle of Bull ltun NJ
effort was made to I'll up the army, Il
secure Missouri, Kentucky, Delaware
Maryland, or to build a navy. They re-
lied upon England and France TO do the
work for them, and those powers, though
still holding uthopes to lure them fur
Their towards destruction, never conteln-
plated any interference in their behalf.
This Yancey discovered, and so could
most any clear-minded man have dis
covered 1t; but the blindness of passion
kept the leaders from the light, and 50
they fought on, even against hope it
self. Few men outside of the actua
government in 1882 believed in the sue
cess of the Confederacy, and thousands
predicted its speedy downfall. But Vir
ginia had hope, and still fought on.
The original secessionists, with Yancey al
their head, had lost all confidence, and
would have yielded to save what they
could, including their wealth, their
honor, and the price of their slaves from
the impending wreck, which they fore
saw but the so-called Union men OF
the South had now changed to rabid Sc
cessionists. The men of wealth had
become interested in Confederate bonds,
and in the scheme to build up CONNER.
eial independence for the Southland
they who could not foresee war could
not foresee its disastrous termination
Madly they fought, and Yancey and 9th
ers who could not rule the storm they
themselves had raised, retired to pine
away and die in obscurity. Few great
er orators or more powerful thinkers
than VIM. L. Yancey have lived, and
few men have died suffering under s
heavier burden of disappointed hopes
He was honest in his convictions Of
duty, and had no wish to profit by per.
sonal political advancement. He was
an enthusiastic believer in disunion, in
order to perpetuate slavery and thegreat
est leader, in fact, the very father, of thu
secession movement.
fSoR TIE NORFOLK POST