Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-09-25
TIE HON. JEFF asoNsnAv1s.
His Late speach-A Vigorous Letter From
Cen Early The General Lasass the Weak
Kneed. Etc go

i VIVA
Kneed, Etc
By special request of several friends
we give place to the following letter
from General J. A. Early. It is in ex-
PLANTATION of the speech of Mr.. Jefferson
Davis, recently made at Montgomery
White Sulphur Springs before the
Southern Historical Society. We pub
lished this speech Immediately after its
delivery, and we embraced the oc-
casion to say that it contained
nothing TO which any freeman, or advo
cate Of Constitutional liberty, could
take exception. We are still Of the
same opinion, and it is gratifying to
have the concurrence of one so gallant
and distinguished as General Jubal A.
Early. The letter is dated at Lynch
burg, Va, August 26tb, %.and was ad-
dressed to the editors Of the Index and
Appeal, Petersburg, Virginia:
Having just returned from the
mountains, I take an early opportunity
to thank you for your very manly
editorial--(so promptly written9 in re
ference to the brief speech made by
President Davis at the Montgomery
White Sulphur Springs, 1t was what
[ would have expected from the soldier
editors Of a true Virginia journal i
will Improve the occasion" by adding
a few observations, which I trust may
not be out Of place. It seems that the
utterances Of Mr.. Davis before the
Southern Historical Convention have
greatly stirred the bile of 'sloyal'
Northern journals, and that. by sym
pathetic process, the serenity Of a few
Of our excessive Discreet Conser
vative organ >has been disturbed, caus-
ing them to protest their dissent from
Mr.. Davis views, and to express their
apprehensions that the harmony of the
Conservative party of Virginia may be
interrupted, and its success jeoparded
by his indiscreet declarations.
will not insult the gentle seq by
calling these fears oomasish-they are,
in fact, urwomanly, as well 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 of all completely in his senti-
ments after, and not until after, North
ern journals had indicated their dis
approval? Why, he said that "we were
cheated rather than conquered, and he
declared his opinion that if the results
of the success Of the Washington gov
eminent and Of our overthrow, which
have taken place, could have been
foreseen. we would not have been con
quered! He had reference to the reso
luton Of the United States Congress.
the diplomatic circular of Seward, and
the pr ordinations Of Lincoln, declar
ing that the war would be conducted
solely with view to a restoration ane
preservation Of the Union, and that tht
State government would remain mac
with their constitutions, laws, customs
and institutions the same as before; ant
it was in this connection that Mr.. Dayi
said many Of the people of the Soutl
had oeen cheated. Is this not true
If it had been anticipated that it Wa
the purpose Of the Washington gov
eminent not only to abolish slavery
but also te destroy the regular State
governments of the South, enfranchis,
the negroes, and subject the white
people to their rule, does any sane maj
North CT South, doubt that the Con
federate Government and It's armies il
the field would have been far more
thoroughly sustained than they were
Nay, is it not more than probable thai
if the true objects Of the war against u.
had been avowed in the beginning
many thousands of those who took
sides against us in the war would have
withheld their support from the Fedora
Government, if they had not given il
to US? In that event would not ou1
chances of success have been far greater
than they were, not indeed certainty
Where then is the harm or the impru
dence in Mr.. Davis declaration of hi
opinion, that, but for the fraud practic-
| ed we would have been successful? The
| pitiable attempt to distort this declara
ton into an assault upon the fame O.
General Lee and Johnston is too absurd
to require, refutation. No one who
/ heard Mr. Davis's utterances had the re
hottest conception that such and ides
was intended. ..,ss.
The other declaration objected to, il
/ the one, that he had never seen 6
| Southern woman who was reconstructed
and though the men Of the. present day
may yield the principles for which they
[ contended, the children who succeed
them will cherish and maintain them.
If any have the right to complain Of
this remark, they are the women of the
| South sDd thov p,aLo no f,sa aL4 :.