Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-08-26
Meeting of the Southern Historical
Society.

Society.
fcondensed IRON the ], ynchburg Nirgfnianl
NfoNTeoMERY .yVHirR SuhpHuR SPR1sas,
August Z, 4 S7lSS "A The Southern Historicsl
Society assembled here5at l o'clock, a. NJ.
ahe5 meeting was called to ORDERLY Gen
Early, who explained its object.
Gen. Benuregard. as Senior Vice President.
was called to the chair, and Rev. j. William
Jones, of Richmond, was appointed secretary.
The Committee on Permanent Organization
made tho following. report:
President-Goy..J john Letcher,, Virginia
list Vice President Admiral Semmes
Ala; I'd do. Gen. IT. Beauresard. La; Sd
do Gen. w. Y. O. Humes, Tenn.
Secretary-Rev. j. W. Jones. Va; As
sistans Secretary, Major Fl. I'll. West, Ga.
Messrs. Withers. Early and Semmes es-
corted the President, Gov. fletcher. to the
chair, who proceeded to address the Conven>
tion, thanking them for the honor conferred.
The, objects of the Convention, he said, had
been fully explained in the communication of
Dr. Palmer. The purpose is to vindicate the
truth of history Facts have been distorted
The objects of this association are for the
preservation of the truth and in vindication
of the dead. The sole purpose of the war
was to vindicate our principles. Few men
love to write history of defeats They may
write history at the North. IF they have not
the facts, they can hire the hounds to hunt
them.
A letter from w, Hand Browne was read
by Gen. Early, prefaccd with few appropriate
remarks on Southern Literature, in which he
advised the support of Southern papers and
periodicals in preference to those Of the North.
and presented in strong terms the claims OF
the Southern Magazine Of Baltimore. which
was referred to the Committee on Business
Gen. Lilly moved that committees be ap-
pointed, consisting of three from each State.
to select material, and the Vice President
from each State, to beschairman of the com.
mittees.
Pendiuga motion of Colonel Johnston to re-
quest General Early to make his address at 4
o'clockth evening, General Early made some
tacetious remarks. in which he said that he
objected to running against circus or a fancy
ball. 1t being replied that he had better go
before than after ball, General Early Welded
the point, remarking that he had grown Of
late very harmonious
Regrets at the necessity of their absence
were received from Generals Hood and Picket,
and the Convention adjourned until 4 2. NJ
AFTERNOON SESSION.
/ The Convention assembled this afternoon
in the large ball room, which was crowded to
its utmost capacity.
In Introducing General EARLY Gov. Letch>
er said that he was remarkable for intel>
lectua vigor as for heroic gallantry during
tho war.
General Early was greeted with loud ap-
plausa when he came forward. After corr
dial welcome to his comrades from other States.
he spoke ably for the Importance of preserv-
ing the truth of history in general, and of the
late war in particular. He denied that sue
cess is q criterion of right, aud cited various
historic examples in refutotion of this theory
He denied the proposition that we had sub
| mitted everything to tho arbitrament of the
sword, and had lost all, and drew vivid and
amusing picture of the newly pledged lovalist
trying to keep step to the music of "John
Browns Sonl is Marching On" He believed
that day of retributiou to the North would
come, and that The present demnralized cons
oitlon OF the country was but token of the
coming storm. The South cannot escape the
verdict of history. We will 90 down to pos
terity either as rebels and traitors or ae pa
trots, aud We must see to it that the record
is right. ilc would not trust either our enc
mics or the non-combatants among ourselves
to tell the story for postority TIe alluded to
various misrepresentation on the part of
northern historians. and dwclt especially upon
the claim they make that the Coniedcrates
outnumbered the Federals in nearly every
battle of the war. lie scathingly reviewed
the claim of Mcclellan that Lee outnumbered
him hcf"ro Richmond. and of General hum-
phrey.that Lee outnumbere} Meade at G ttys
burg triumphantly refutcd them hy facts
and figures. and said that he wondered that
some northern man did not claim that Lee
outnum bered Grant at hpnomattoX Tie
quoted from ilalecks and Pnpe's dispatches
Illustrations of how northern history is manu-
featured He admitted that there was dark
side to the picture in the lives of those who
skulked during the war, and of those who.
with good war record, had deserted to the
enemy since the war but eloqueutly argued
that people who had given to the world
Stonewall Jackson, Albert Sydney Johnston.
aud Robert y. Lee, with living men worthy
to be their compeers, need not fear to have
their true history given to the world. Tie
said that this Convention was called to put on
loot some plan by which these grand ends can
be accomplished.
The above is bare outline, and gives onlv
very imperfect idea of General Earlv's adj
dress, which abounded in good things. and
was frequently interrupted with rapturous ap-
plause.
AT the conclusion of General Early's nd
dress the Convention adjourned until 10
O'Clock next day.
The next morning Admiral Semmes read
very interesting paper in vindication of his
own career as commander of the Alabama.
citing from our own and well known princi>
pies of the law of nations Analogous cases
from English history in the revolutionary era,
as his warrant for all he did on the high seas.
A committee was appointed to meet Presi>
dent Davis, who was expected on the night
train.