The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1865-07-27


their war Of independence. But, sir, the
great cause of our failure was, that the
heart of the Southern people never was
IN this revolutionl There was not a
State, except South Carolina, in which
there was majority in favor Of secession
Even in South Carolina there were many
Districts in which one half of vAe voters
did not go to the polls
Mr. Chairman, would frankly say, as
I have often said during the past four
years, that there, was inota hn.lh in the
United States who more deeply regretted
the secession of the Southern States than
1 did, at the beginning Of the revolution ;
and there is not now in the Southern
States, any one who feels more bitterly
the humiliation and degradation of going
back into the Union than LIDO. Still, I
know that we.shall be more prosper ms S
and happy in the Union than out oft.
1t has been too common, Mr.. Chairman,
to attribute the failure of this great reyo-
4ution to the PreAideft'of thefate Confed-
eracy. This, sir, is mistake. The peo-
pie were themselves to blame for its fail
ure They were unwilling to make those
sacrifices which were essential to it's sue
cess. Many who were most prominent in
the movement, never did any thing for it
after the war commenced. Instead of
seeking their proper position, in front OF
4 the ebattle, they sought "bomb-proofs "
for themselves and their sons: There were
others who Got into soft places ",and of
fetal position, where they could speculate
and make fortunes on Government funds.
In fact, towards the latter part of the war,
it seemed that every one was trying to
keep out ofShe army, and was willing to
pay anything, and make any sacrifice, to
do so. When General .Johhston surren-
dored His army he had:on his muster roll
seventy thousand men, but only fourteen
thousand to be carried into battle Gen
eral Lees army in the same condition
Where were the abscntees? At home, on
furlough, staying over their .furloughs
deserted andstragglihg At'no tifhe dur
ing the Inst three years of the war, was
there more than one-third of the army
ready to march into battle How was ii
possible for the Southern people to sue
ceed, acting thuaY
Congress, too, Mr.. Chairman, is greatly
to blame for their exemptions. All be-
tween the ages of eighteen and forty five
should have been forced into the army and
kept there. 1t mattered not whether he
was doctor, lawyer, preacher, politician
editor, or school-teacher If an able bod,
led man, he should have been sent to the
army. But, strange to say, the three
classes Of men who we're mainly instru-
mental in plunging their country into this
mad revolution, were all exempted, by
Congress from s6shtingl I aIluae to tfe
politicians, newspaper editors and preach
ers of the Gospel. This was not fair
The man who gets up fight should al
ways take his share of'it.
1t has been said, and repeated all ovel
the Southern States, that the South has
sustained great loss in the death of Pres
ident Lincoln. I do not think SO. Presi
dent Johnson is a much abler and firmel
man than Lincoln was. He is in every
way more acceptable to the South. In the
first place, he is Southcrnman, and Lin
coin was Northern man. lie is a Dem
ocrat, and Lincoln was Whig and Re
publican. President Johnson was slave
holder, well acquainted with the institu
ton, and knows what spnper to be done
in the great change which. is taking place
President Lincoln was wholly unacquain
ted with slavery and.Southorn institutions
President Johnson is man OF iron will
and nerve like Andrew jackson ana VIII
adhere to his principles and political faith
On the other hand, President Lincoln
showed himself to be nothing more than
clay in the hands of the potter, ready tc
change his measures and principles at the
bidding of his party. President johnson
has filed all the highest and most honor
able offices in the State of Tennessee, with
great ability and satisfaction to the peo
ple. There is no stain or blot on his pri.
vate character. The ablcst speech ever
delivered in tho Senate of the United
States, on the issue between tho North
and South, was made by President john
son. He voted fer Breckinridge in the