The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-12-13

AND you, gentlemen, OF tnls aBS0clatlOn, tauu8n
SCARED with BorroWe, Still stand erect IN harness
to the last Duty; and yield your souls, seourged,
chastened, purified by Lies battle, Into His hand,
who doeth all things we'll.
At the conclusion Of Bishop Culntard's address,
General Kershaw introduced the orator Of the oc-
caslon, General ]. B. hood, asking for him a gen.
uine South Carolina welcome, which was accord.
ed in q round Of hearty and prolonged applause.
General Hood spoke as follows:
ut. President, Ladies ana Gentlemen, ana
Comrades In ATnls-I shall make no apology for
my shortcomings az IN orator: you well know
public speaking has never been within my
provlhce. must rely upon Tho good will OF those
with whom I have shared 80 many trials in camp
and battle to bear With nae whilst I assume the
difficult yet pleasing task OF addressing them. l
am not unfnindful that there are those amid this
chosen assemblage who have been, I may say,
nurEursd upon that rare eloluence which has
been the gift OF so many sons OF theirjustly proud
and noble State.
I viii, however. In my own simple manner:
state in brief what I conceive 10 be the principal
causes OF failure In the revolution OF 1851, refer at
the same time to the difference Ia method and
practice Of the tWo sections L. utilizing Cne re.
sources at their disposal for the prosecution OF
the var, oud conclude with what l regard the
true philosophy which should govern those OF us
who are left as monitors or the past, whose mis-
sion should be 10 guide and teach the young how IN
the future 10 achieve greatness as o people sur;
passing that OF our day, and thereby ADD stlll
greater repown to our much loved country OF the
south; coupling the whole vita such facts. and
furnishing copies OF such records ss may be or
Interest to you as gatherers OF material for Inc
| assume that the war was unavoidable on our
part; that aside from oil questions Wnicn did ana
must continue to arse with people occupying
80 vast q territory as t Ina OF. OF t a,Im UaisG mo sss ys5ies
Ihan that Of any united dominion on the globe;
lis mineral re- sources, although as yet out par.
TALLY developed, e1celling thoEe OF the Old Worldi
the mills and Valleys giving i ,stn, ~ que c ssasSs'
a sTop,c ssP 70 tn s'd Iriaid zone; thus giving Unusual
activity and energy to ae 1ss INGREDIENTS rs On On , fanns ana M
the busy world Of commerce, and causing eacn
section to stand with outstretched arms, ready
and anxious to reap advantages not enjoyed oy
causes Of difference, slavery. for which we
are not accountable, was the secres MOTOR,
the handspring OF The war. the people OF tne
North. thoroughly imbued WIN tue teacnln9s OF
New and Old England, determined 10 force the
issue, and to arms was sounded from the shores
OF Maine 10 the Rio Grande. In their struggle 10
bring freedom to the b0ndman. they enslaVea inc
white man; and from that hour passed away mat
liberty, aWhose influence Is more benign IMAM
zephyrs, covers the rugged rock With soil, ana
clothes the Drown heath 10 v rdnre, dresses the
face with smiles. ond makes nim oenolo
his increasing family with delight aud ex1lta.
tion;'' that liberty which onc, orougas 10 us
these blessings, but which wells no longer IN our
The North began Its crusade against the South
with all that ecergy and teaaclty OF purpose
lion In all lts undertakings. at an early period
the Federal Government wasiuVested with IN e4-
trsordlnsry power, almost equal to that OF the
car Of Russia. 1t was supporter by congress
eager to make every APPROPRIATION. am 70 e9aSs
administrator. q vernors OF different States
wed with ono another as to VINO would
prove most co operative, ana supply tne
greatest number OF men and me lsrges
again and again they FASTENED to Westinghouse
learn what more they snould do to crush the
mighty rebellion. Deserters iouud NO security at
home, and ned 10 Canada TO escape arrest oy tne
civil oIilcers OF State, to sly nothing Of the
military. Volumes were searched for Information
Al TO the best rules TO he observed IN the practice
OF war; oficets were dispatched TO foreign coun.
Tries to examine and report upon the improve
meats In the art. Drlll ana alsclpMne, Tue roa ad'
hered to, and from these ;oncentraeea ennu'
united with our blindness and neglect, resulted.
at the close OF the war, not on, success; out iom
raw recruits and mobs Rad hrlsen Weitequippea
and disciplined armies.
And now. m comrades and countrymen, let Us
turn rom this well built structure homeWard. l
viii arst venture the assertion that. II you were
40 unfortunate az to be forced lotto revolution 10.
morrow, you would at once secure the service OF
ali onicers who knew nat OF the organiza-
ton and drill CT companies and reglmentsil e.
you would secure men who had passed through
the last war. ln>tead OF those who were totally
inexperienced and nn1t fox the great ensuing
struggle. You would require the machinery, ol
an army; in other words lleutenants. cIp.alns
and oolonels OF prac icai knowledge 70 inStrucs
schools furnish ouch orncers. IT, true they 40
not necessarily produce generals; as q proof
thereof we have but to look back upon our own
history, or to glance at the Old World, and marx
the few Instance, Ut success amid the many fall.
ures OF kings and emperors, with every advan-
tlge or a military education. to prove themselves
competent to conmaud Q great army: Genius ls
q divine Gift, and Ia not ~ be taught, Dut exp ~
ded by cultivation and experience. You would,
however. II throWn into the field secure beside the
veteran soldier the young mar VINO mao receiVed
military instruction. 10 order to ASSIST In the
WORK OF organization.
But 10 1861 and 1852 some Of our political lead.
ers. backed By daily and weekly Journals. pro.
claim ID that we wanted no sucn aid. but merely
TO know where the enemy lie, that we might go
forth and destroy. With the hangnty prlue OF
the old florentioes. they, too, would nave
have rung 1t day and uight 10 give due warniog
OF their coming. Some-even men OF large intel.
lect-took tho ground that the army OF q great re.
public should be as easy TO get out OF as to get
into; /. e., we should have the right to go to our
homes at pleasure, and return to the ranks at the
approach or the enemy. And 80 st ongIy at one
time were these views upheld that l almost re-
GREETED l had been educated 8 soldier. Soon,
however, the bullets be ian TO whistle; and one
politicians exchanged their swords and muskets
FOR seats within the halls OF Congress-an assem-.
bly, upon which your eyes were often h1eu Win
pain and mortihcati0n-8u assembly whose re-
cord will show 80 much OF evil and 80 little or
good lin which passion ruled In lieu or sober judg.
nent-an assemble CONT ollsd by men whose tai
ents had been used more to destroy than bui d up
governments. Its leaders. supported oy 9 few
penny-a.llners within and Without Richmond, ap-
oil ed their whole enc giles to ward throttitng those
In authority, seemingly devoid OF all idea Of that
cooperation 30 essential In time OF war. On the
other hand, It should be remembered, there was
hardly q soldier In the Army Of Northern Virginia
who did not know AMI feel that our only hope Of
success was In sustaining the government;
that to Wrangle In Congress was to cripple
our efforts; that q change Ill the cnle1 .maglstrd-
cy, at such 40 hour, meaoT toter11r VolutloD
and with It certain defeat. Ye. such change WAS
boldly attempted. Among tn members thereof,
however. were noble exceptions: mel VIII were
equal Ito every sacrifice, who would nave dJne
honor tn the roman Senate in It's prou'ie't days
OF wisdom and patriotism. But as q national as
sembly no historian can oIerestlmate the grave
misfortune 1t proved to the Southern Coniederacy.
From this ongIess the poison OF dis;ens,on
and Decentralization, whion Is SO easily di.trlbu.
ted, soon found its way to every quarter OF our
beautiful land. Governors. IN some INSTANCES
srubboraly refused TO cooperate with the aonLn-
istratlon, thus RnawIng at Dur very vita!s. Hsreiy
fault.nndlng, and complaining That they mad oeen
rennfred to furnish more men or money than
another state. Describes were but seldom re.
turned to the ranks; they had but little to fear
for, without much cifacnlty, evade the
military authorities Many planters and
farmers became lukew arm, and began to
dream OF the flesh pots they had once enjoy.