Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1865-11-08

FORE systematically sacflllceu q"
he selfish policy Of the North But
when the southern people desired TO
a,nerpe non this state, and TO take the
position Of an Independent power 1t
should have been seen that this change
involved other changes. A nationality
would require a metropolis, a literature @
substantial middle class itwOuld attract
immigrants, enterprise and capital nom
Furope. But every n of these would
he an anti-slavery element; and against
these Al home, with the hostile opinion OF
Furope in 'front.' and the whole weight of
/ Che North upon the flank, it was mere
se~lf-delusiOn 10 imagine that such a sys-
tenn eouIG be maintained. The great
( minority Of the Southern people had no
( interest whatever in slavery many OF
I the hest men Of the South were opposed
I ~ t,c system; indeed the first Secretary
NJ War in the Cabinet Of Jefferson Davis
Gen. RANDOLPH, was well known as an
Abolitionist. Throughout the history OF
the United States, the abiest opponents
NJ slavery. such as Thomas Jefferson and
Henry Clay, and its mos' %rancorous foes,
sueh as Bruwnlow and Helper, have all
p. been Southern men. Ha2 It ever been
pIaced before the Southern people that
either slavery or independence must De
abandoned, there cannot be a doubt what
the choice would have been.
slavery was doubtless the real cause
/ why the independence of the South was
not recognized by the European powers
when the great effort Of the North for
the capture Of Richmond, made after
ample preparation and in enormous force,
ended in utter failure. Unquesuonahiy
AZ that time the South possessed all the
attributes of an independent State "a
State at war with its neighbor and block
/ AIDED by it's fleets, as other Independent
| powers have been before. Recognition
would have been warranted by the facts
and by the precedent most closely i'm
point-the separation Of Belgium from
lis union with Holland. The step was
! dictated, so far as this country is con-
| cerned, by the most obvious considera-
1 tons of seIfinterest. But it vas thought
! bv those with whom the decision rested
I'VE do not here inquire whether they
/ thought rightly-that until forced to it
I BY circumstances, our Government ought
| on principle to abstain from action. It
was not permitted to weigh political ad-
vantage against what seemed TO be a
moral obligation. Few in America are
1 likely to understand this. In the North
eru literature Of the war there may be
found appeals TO glory, to nationality, to
the flag, TO self-interest, to future safety,
but never an appeal to any such thing as
d1tu. In a country where the doctrine
is accepted that anything is fair in poll
tics, and where a popular phrase is our
country, wright or wrong, - itmay be diff
1 fcult to realize the belief that a great
political decision could be formed, not by
/ considering whether the step would be
/ advantageous, but whether it would be
right.
Another cause Of the failure Of the
South was excess of confidence. This
| Occasioned the loss Of New Orleans and
other early disasters. II may bee fairly
said that the men we're over-brave. Al
though the life % each -Uuthorl =7ldivr
/ was clearly worth more to his country
than those of three men 10 the North
though it was plainly the true policy 20
husband every drop Of blood, to use as
weapons the difficulties of the country,
and never to fight a battle in the open
field except from necessity, the reverse
Of this was always the rule. Throughout
the war there was an inee=sant thirst for
battle. Lives Of Southern soldiers were
expended, not as if they were precious,
but as if the supply was i~neXhaustible.
A General like Johnston, who adopted
the true line Of strategy, was discarded
for a fighting man. From this fiery val0r
sprung those aggressive movements across
the Potomac, into kentucky and Mis-
souri, which lost more men than w0uid
nave saved Richmond. The last and
most fatal Of the movements, that Of
Hood into Tennessee, appears 20 have
been ( lsed upon calculations wholly in
applicable % the light Of facts before Us,
except as an act Of despair. If such it
was, then peace should have followed the
failure without loss Of time.
"And it was a fatal error to permitthe
mountain region 20 fall into the enemy's
hands, almost without an effort 70 pre-
serve it. The great range running from
Chattanooga to Lynchbury, the back
bone Of the country, was the true line Of
Southern defense; and the seaports
should have been held only as outlying
posts. Under the system of strategy
pursued, when the storm burst through
the coast-line, there was nothing within
70 rally upon. But it is easy now to crit
icise. According TO the great master of
the art Of war, the difference between
Generals is in the comparative number
Of their mistakes. II we consider rather
was accomplished, and with what
scauty means, then, without any dispar-
agement Of the energy Of the Northern
people, or the courage of their soldiers,
shall be forced TO say that throughout {
the history Of modern times no efforts }
more amazing, no sacrifices more un-
bounded, no achievements more glorious
are on record, than those OF the people z
and armies Of the South.
"The efforts made by the Northern J
people have indeed been wonderful. The 4
mmense armies they sent into the field; q
NE great feet they called into existence }
Inc vast expenditure they sustained the ,
great expeditions, frequently dispatched .
when IL seemed as if every resource had d
been strained to the utmost; the q
perseverance with which they sur "
mounted defeats, depression, despond- {
.ncy. will be forever memorable. No d
me in Europe, or probably in America,
would have believed, five years ago, that
such efforts andresults were possible. But
with the North, as we have seen, the war D
was a sOurce Of unb0unded profit. By the g
tern test Of suffering, it was never tried: J.
md some Of its Own speakers have said
hat it would not have stood that test. T.
70 the South this was soon applied. ?
Never was war encountered by a people Z
u~npreuared. When South Carolina
.eceded there was not, belonging.to the
country, a single company Of infantry or
ouadron Of horse. There wasnoI piece q
f field artillery tae bells Of the churches
we're taken down and cast into cannon. q
There was no shot the roofs Of the houses
we're stripped Of their lead. There was
powder; sulphur was sought in the p.
minerals. aud artificial beds were formed
n thousands Of cellars to produce salt
,eter, each householder contributing his
mite TO the officers Of the Niter
Bureau There were no medicines
he woods were secured for medicinal a
There were no shoes tsnyapds q
we're constructed, and trees stripped Of z
heir bark, to make leather. There was D
40 cloth soon in the cottages throughout e,
he country every woman had a spinning a.
Wheel a WOrk. There were no blankets:
were cut up, even from around
be communion alters Of the churches. y
sd cont q, the soldiers Vbpro Evara ~ n