The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-09-25
The Southern Historical Society.

HlSueS Dilel ulsIotJ, CoSeIei "lCh VIC oiiii' e'
objects, of this Society in the following letter
to the President, Gen. Early. He is the chair
man of the Executive Committee, and from
his appreciation of the work before the Society,
we NAV conclude that he will render important
service
LYNcHBURa, Va, Sept. 2, 1873.
Gen. Jubal 4. Early, President Southern Hts
torical ,Society-DEAR SIR: The recent con-
vention of our Society at the Montgomery
White Sulphur Springs has awakened new in
terest in its objects, which will, hope, enable
us to accomplish important results. Although
we have been in existence now over five years,
I find that very few people in Virginia have
been aware of the fact; and fewer still know
what we have been doing, or what it IS we seek
to do
therefore desire in this letter, addressed to
yourself, to give brief account OF the origin
of our society, Of its history up to this time,
and to explain its objects, for the information
of the general public.
Soon after the war closed, my attention was
called to the fact that not only had we been
subiugated to the power of the North, but the
history of our revolution was being written
exclusively by our conquerors,. and every effort
was being made by them to misrepresent US,
our cause its principles and our conduct du-
ring the war which was forced upon us in the
defense our country The whole power Of the
newspaper press, of the pulpit, magazine liter
ature, the makers of history books, of the
school teachers, and most potent of all, of the
school-book makers, was combined to falsify
and degrade us in the eyes of posterity.
The effect of all this was painfully manifest
ed upon the character and demeanor of our
people. We had become so familiarized with
the odious names and the odious light in which
we we're presented, that we were fast losing our
self-respect, and seemed ready to acquiesce in
all the degradations thus prepared for US, and
to be ready to transmit, without an effort at
retrieval, our names to our children with all
the odium a malignant, unrelenting, active
and unscrupulous enemy could throw around
them.
The policy of rendering treason odious," !"
which was announced by Andrew johnson
when he manacled our President and cast HIM
into prison to die of slow torture, when he ju-
diciaIly murdered Wirz, and hanged an aged
and innocent woman contrary to the evidence
and without the forms of constitutional law,
had reached such practical result as must
have been satisfactory to the most exacting
"loyalty." We had been called "rebels" until
nine-tenths of us felt we had been rebels; and
it was impossible to recognize in the anxious,
cowed aspects of the men of the South, whose
only care seemed now to be to avoid every
thing which could give ofense or which would
not be entirely pleasant to our Northern mas
ters, the gallant spirits of the once proud
Southern Confederacy, who had challenged the
admiration of the world by their heroic defence
of their country.
All that was now left to us was to rescue the
true history of that defence from oblivion and
destruction, and to leave posterity to judge us
and our cause by the testimony we should
place before it. This, and this alone, is the
scope and object of the Southern Historical
Society. And FOR this inaugurated in New
Orleans, more than FIVE years ago, the first step
in movement which now at last seems likely
to produce the result we have aimed at.
I at first procured an informal meeting OF
eight or nine friends, who had served in the
Confederate army, in the office on Commerce
street of Hewitt & Norton. We separated on
that occasion to re-assemble in weeks time,
at the same place, each OF US agreeing IN the
meantime to enlist others from amongst those
who would have most at heart the great object
in view. At our next meeting there were
nearly forty gentlemen present. provisional
organization was effected, committees appoint
ed and the preliminary measures taken which
in a few weeks developed the organization
which recently convened at the Montgomery
White Sulphur Springs.
Our experience has convinced us that New
Orleans, for the reasons set forth IN the able
paper addressed to the Convention by our
president, the Rev. DR.. Palmer, of New Or
leans, is not 80 we'll suited for the domicil of our
central organization as Richmond will be, and,
furthermore, that the financial means OF the
society have been inadequate to its efficient
We found, during several years. experience,
that the voluntary efforts of q whole commu-
nity in such a work avail but little. We then
deyolyed all the functions of the association
upon an executive committee, made up from
those most active in the work. DR.. b. NJ.
Palmer, General Beauregard, Hon. B. j. Sage,
General C. NJ. Wilcox, Morgan Harrod and
myself were on this committee and though
we all had the work much at heart, we came
to the conclusion that it can only be accom-
plished by making one man Responsible ior inc
diligent collection, assortment and preservation
of the historical material; that he must be
frst.class man: that his exclusive time and
services shall be dedicated to the work, and,
therefore, that he must be adequately salarled
and furnished with all that is necessary to en-
sure his efficiency.
To do this the first step is to provide the
financial means requisite. I believe our Con-
yention has very practically dealt with the
questions before it, and before the beginning of
the next year we may expect to have our new
machinery at work and to realize the impo2r'
tant results which all who desire to see the
truth of history unfolded will rejoice to see.
Those who fear it have and will continue to
deride our work, and to fnisrepresent its inten-
ton and in every way hinder its'success:
I think the time is favorable to the renvigo,.
ration of our efforts, and for the awakening of
the sympathics of the best people of the South,
which will attend us, and l hope we will now
go on with unhagging interest till we see our
new machinery in good, working order and
great results accomplished.
With high respect, am truly yours,
DABNEY II. MAURY.
r.,,, ,r,c>r u\Vhat kenns orr friend