Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1873-09-25
letter from General EARLY.

Letter from General Early.
Editors Petersburg Index and Ap-
peal Having just returned from the
mountains, take an early opportunity
to thank you for your very manly edito-.
rial (so promptly written) in reference
to the brief speech made by President
Davis Mt the Montgomery White Sulphur
Springs. 1t was what would have ex-
pected from the soldier editors of true
Virginia journal. I will Improve the
occasion by adding a few observations,
which, I trust, may not be out of place
It seems thai the utterances of Mr.. Da-
Wis before the Southern Historical Con-
yention have greatly stirred the "@bile"
of "loyal" northern journals, and that,
lbya sympathetic process, the serenity
ofa few ofour excessively discreet Con-
1servative organs has been disturbed, eau
Lsing them to protest their dissent from
MIR, Davis views. and to express their
apprehensions that. the harmony of the
i Conservative party of Virginia may be
interrupted, and its success jeoparded by
his indiscreet declarations. :
Twill not insult the gentle sex by cal
ling these fears womanish- are,
in fact, unwomanly, as we'll as unmanly,
being puerile, childish and ridiculous.
What is it that Mr.. Davis has said,
which has rendered some of our faint
hearted editors SO eager to purge them
selves ofall completely in his sentiments,
after (and not until after) northern Jour
mails had indicated their disapproval?
Why, he said that eve were cheated
rather than conquered" and he declared
his opinion that if the results of the sue
cess of the Washington government and
OF our overthrow, which have taken
place, could have been conquered He
had reference to the resolution of the
United States congress, the diplomatic
circular of Seward, and the proclama-
tions of Lincoln, declaring that the war
would be conducted solely with view to
restoration and preservation of the
Union, and that the State governments
would remain intact, with their constitu-
tions the same as before; and it was in
this connection that Mr.. Davis said ma
ny of the people of the south had been
cheated. Is this not truep If it had
been anticipated that it was the purpose
OF the Washington government, not only
to abolish slavery but also to destroy the
regular State governments of the South,
benfranchise the negroes, and subject the
white people to their rule, does any sane
man, north or south, doubt that tho Con-
federate government and its armies in
the field would have been far more thor
oughly sustained than they were7 Nay,
is it not more than probable that, if the
true objects of the war against US had
been boldly avowed in the beginning,
many thousands of those who took sides
against US in that war would have with
held their support from the federal gov
cFnment, if they had not given it to us ?.
In that event would not our chances
of success have been far greater than
they we're, if not indeed certainty? {?
Where. then, is the harm or the impru-
dence in Mr.. Davis declaration of his
opinion, that, but for the fraud prac-
tised we would have been successful {?
The pitiable attempt to. distort this de-
claration into an assault upon the fame
Of Generals Lee and Johnston, is too
absurd to require repetition. No one
who heard Mr.. Davis utterances had