The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-08-15
TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.
Meeting of tho Southern Historical
Convention.

| MONTGOMERY WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, Au
gust 14.-The Southern Historical Conven
ton, called by the Southern Historical So
ciety, convened here to-day at II o'clock il
the parlor. 1t was pleasant to witness the
meeting and greetings of old comrades, and
hear them revive "reminiscences Of the days
that tried mems souls. The meeting was
called to order by General Early, who stated
that Dr.. Palmer, of New Orleans, was neces-
sarily detained, and moved that General e.
L. Beauregard be called to the chaif. %
On taking the chair, General Beauregard
briefly and appropriately expressed his graf
ifcation at the privilege of greeting again SO
many comrades whose faces were familiar in
other days, and his thanks for the honor
done him in calling him to preside over this
Convention.
On motion of General Early Rev. j. Will
liam Jones, of Richmond, was elected secre-
tary of the meeting.
On motion of Admiral Semmes, the fol-
lowing committees were appointed
On Notwithstanding Semmes, Gene
raj Early, General Wilcox.
Orgdnisdtion.--Colonel r. E. Withers,
Colonel Mckinney, General Martin.
The secretary then read communication
signed by DR.. Palmer, General Hays, and
General Beauregard, the Executive Commit
tee of the Southern Historical Society.
The paper gives the origin of the Southern
Historical Society in 1863; sketches their
effort to obtain material for true history of
the war; gives the reason for the fact that
their success has been only partial; and
urges that the work is too noble, too pa
triotic, too necessary to be abandoned, and
the thought is intoerable ofleaving the vim
dication of our principles and of our brave
and martyred dead to the honesty of some
chance antiquarian of the future, who may
mourn over the loss of records which it
should be our business to preserve. The
Society had called this convention in the hope
that something might be done to promote
these grand objects, and made two practical
suggestions:
First. That the headquarters of the pa
rent Society be removed from New Orleans
to some central locality.
Second. That general agent be employed
who shall give his whole time to the collec-
ton and preservation Of historic material, ,
and that funds for this purpose be raised by
the Society.
The Convention then took short recess
to give the committees time to report.
During the recess there was most pleasant
social intercourse among the delegates
and upon the reassembling Of the ConVen'
ton the Committee on Credentials reported
the following delegates US present:
Louisiana: General G.. L. Beauregard,
General P. o. Herbert, Captain Charles E.
Fenner, w. A. Bell, General c. NJ. Wilcox,
Hon. Charles A. Conrad, George 3. Frost,
II. Y. T. Beauregard.
North Carolina Hon. R. Fl. Smith.
Georqia Judge D. A. Vason, Major John
A. West.
Alabama Admiral r. Semmes, Colonel
Roy, Colonel G. A. Henry, Jr., Captain L.
Thornton Taylor.
TEXAS: Colonel A. w. Spaight, Major +.
C. Hume, Major D. F. POLAND. 49,.
South Carolina: General NJ. c. Butler,
Major c. Ii. Suber. "
Kentucky: Colonel William Preston John
ston.
Maryland: Fl. c. Turnbull.
Mississippi General w. Il. Martin, Colo
mel D. NJ. Flowree.
Missouri Colonel W. Fl. II. Russell.
Tennessee: General w. L. G. Humes, A.
w. Campbell, Rev. j. II. Bryson, W. A.
Collier, Samuel Moorefeld, Colonel Polk
johnson.
Virginia: General Henry Hetll, General
D. II. Maury, Governor John Lctcher, Cen
eral Fitz Lee, General Eppa Hunton, Gene
raj Thomas II. Munforl, Colonel r. h.
Wilhers, General William Terry, General
james Ii. Lane, General Gabriel Wharton,
General r. D. Liey, Rev. DIR. j. L. NJ. Curry,
Rev. J. William Jenes, Colonel G. ). Nene'
Bile. Colonel John a. Sloan, General w. h.
Terry of Bedford, General William Terry
of Wythe, Colonel William Preston John
stop. Colonel Robert Preston, Captain }. W.
C. Davis, Colonel f. r. Farrar, General B'
III. Robertson, General j. \. Early.
The. Committee on Permanent OrganIza'
ton made the following report of perma
nent officers, who were unanimously elect
ed President, Ex-Governor John Letcher,
of Virginia; first vice-prcsident, Admiral
Scmmcs. of Alabama; second vice-presdent
General Beauregard, of Louisiana; third
vice-presdent, General w. 7. c. Humes, OF
Tennessee; secretary, Rcy.J. William Jones
Of Virginia; assistant secretary, Major John
4. 4. West. of Georgia.
\ committee, consisting Of Colonel With
ers, General Early, and Admiral Semmes
was then appointed to conduct Governor
Lctchcr to the chair.
|. On taking the chair Governor Lctcher re-
turned thanks for the unexpected and un
merited honor OF presiding over this body
of distinguished Confederate soldiers. He
regarded this as most important meeting
If was intended to vindicatc the truth Of his
tory Accounts have been published and
widely circulated which falsiiy our course IL
the origin. conduct. and close of the war. II
is our duty to rindicate both the living and
tbe 6ead--to show to the world that we be
onn the war with pure motives, that we con
Quoted it upon the highest principles o
Christian civilization, aud that at its close We
had in good faith accepted the situation and
c,rrisd ont the terms OF the surrender. Our
task is a difficult one. No man likes TO write
e aosnnt uhiln at tho North his