The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-08-28
The southern Historical Convention.


A Convention of prominent Confederates,
called by the Southern Historical Society, con-
vened at the Montgomery White Sulphur
Springs, on Thursday, 18th of August Ex'
Gov. Letcher was chosen President OF tht
Convention, and delegates from twelve State;
were enrolled. South Carolina was represented
by Gen. NJ. c. Butler and Maj. G: ID. Suber
The Convention was in session for several
days. and the deliberations resulted in the
transaction of much important business.
The Committee on the appointment OF per.
manent officers for the Southern Historical
Society, which is hereafter, to be located al
Richmond, reported the following names, and
the report was adopted, viz: President, Gen. j
A. Early, of Virginia; Secretary, Col. George
w. Munford, of. Virginia; Vice Presidents,
Hon. r. NJ. T. Hunter, of Virginia; Gen. j. R.
Trimble, of Maryland; Ex-Governor Vance, OF
North Carolina Gen. Butler, of South Caro-.
lima; Gen. Colquitt, of Georgia Admiral
Semmes, of Alabama; Gen. Hood, of Louisi-
ana: Col. Jack, of Texas; Ex-Goyernor Har-
ris. of Tennessee Gen. Buckner, of Kentucky
Gen. Marmaduke, of Missouri; Hon. A. ii.
Garland. of Arkansas Gen. Martin, of Missis-
sippi: Col. w. Call, of Florida; Hon. w. w.
Corcoran, of District of Columbia.
The Committee on Business made report,
which was adopted The chief object of The
association seems to be to preserve the records
and incidents of the war, and the report pro-
vides for the collection of: l, The histories OF
the Southern States; 2, files of newspapers,
periodicals and magazines 8, geological, agri-
cultural and commercial reports; 4, sermons
and speeches relating to the late war; B, official
reports ;a6, the military mass; reports of mu-
nitions and arms; s, reports of adjutant gen
erals 9, naval operations; 10, operations OF the
nitre and mining bureau; II, commercial oper-
ations; IL, foreign relations; 13, currency; "a,
medical statistics; Is, names OF officers and
men; 16, names of wounded and dead; II, re-
ports relating to- civil prisoners; IL, all matters
relating to Treatment of diseases" Is, con-
duct of the hostile armies; 20, Southern poet
~, ballads and songs.
The resolutions adopted provide:
/. That Richmond be adopted as the locality
of the parent association, with auxiliary socie-
ties in States and districts; 2. That the society
proceed to elect officers with the objects and
purposes set forth in the report; 3. That the
organization retain its present basis; 4. Each
vice president ex-oficio president of the State
society; IS. The secretary to have fixed salary ;
6. That the society adopt some financial plan
to carry out the purposes of the organization ;
7. That the fee fer annual members be three
dollars, life members fifty dollars s. That the
publication of material collected be made by
magazines or occasional volumes of transac-
tions.
During the progress of the Convention, a
number of interesting addresses were delivered,
furthering the objects of the Historical Society,
and recognizing the importance of perpetuating
a true history Of the recent war. We select at
random from our exchanges summary OF re-
marks made by Gen. Jubal a. Early, Admiral
Semmes and Ex-President Davis, preserving
the order in which they were delivered.
In introducing General Early, Governor
Letcher said that he was as remarkable for
intellectual yigor as for heroic gallantry during
the war.
General Early was greeted with loud ap.
plause when he came forward. After cordial
welcome to his comrades from other States, he
spoke ably for the Importance of preserving
the truth of history in general, and of the late
war in particular. He denied that success is q
criterion of right, and cited various historic
examples in refutition of this theory. He de-
MED the proposition that we had submitted
everything to the arbitrament of the sword,
and had lost all, and drew vivid and amusing
picture of the newly pledged loyalist trying to
keep step to the music of John Browns Soul
is Marching On" he believed that day of
retribution to the North would come, and that
the present demoralized condition OF the poll
tics of the country was but token of the
coming storm. The South cannot escape the
verdict of history We will 60 down to pos
terity either as rebels and traitors or as patriots
and we must see to it that the record is right
He would not trust either our enemies or the
non-combatants among ourselves to tell the
story for posterity. He alluded to various
Misrepresentation on the part sdf Northern
historians, and dwelt especially upon the claim
thew make that the Confederates outnumbered
the Federals in nearly every battle of the war.
He scathingly reviewed the claim of Mcclellan
that Lee outnumbered him before Richmond,
and of Gen. Humphrey that Lee outnumhered
Meade at Gettysburg g-triumphantly refuted
them by facts and figures, and said that he
wondered that some Northern man did not
claim that Lee outnumbered Grant at Apo
mattox. He quoted from Halleck's and Pope's
dispatches illustrations of how Northern his
tory is manufactured. He was very severe up
on so-called Southern histories written by nom
combatants facetiously showed the difference
between fighting battles on paper and in the
field. and insisted that the true history of the
war ia vet to be written by Southern men who
foupht IL. He insisted that we had examples
of true heroism unsurpassed in all the annals
of history, and touchingly compared the;devo.
Moorfeld who devoted noble boy to the
service of the country, with the story of Cor,
nelia the mother cf the Gracchi He admitted
that that there her was dark side to the picture in the
lives Of those who skulked ed during the war
deserted to the enemy since the war; but elo-
quently argued that people who had given to
the world Stonewall Jackson, Albert Sydney
Johnston, and Robert E. Lee, with living men
worthy to be their cOmpeers, need .s not fear to
have their true hi0tory. given TO the world. He
said that this Convention was called to put on
foot some plan by which these grand ends can
be accomplished. =. -.
very imperfect idea Of General Early'ss
address, which abounded IN sf good things, and
plause.
Gen. Early called the Society to order and