The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-05-21

Northern people have viewed with dis
gust, and Southern people with indigna-
tion,- the quarrels which Confed crate
Chieftains are carrying on over the grave
of the sslost cause" The censure which
attaches to so disgraceful and humilia-
ting a spectacle belongs TO Gen. j. Z.
Johnston. Whatever personal grievances
against the Confederate administration
and It's chief, other officers may have
had, or supposed they have had, have
been kept secret in their bosoms; and
bv universal consent it seems to have
been agreed that if animosities and party
iealousies and rivalries existed during the
war they should be consigned to the
same grave in which the dearest hopes
of brave and generous people were en-
tombed.
Gen. Johnston's book seems to have
been intended to open afresh these
wounds, and to arraign Mr.. Davis for
supposed injustice to him. The injustice
is alleged to have consisted in his fail
ure to accord him rank above Gems.
Lee and Albert Sidney Johnston, and
to assign him to commands commensu-
rate in Importance to the rank which he
claimed The public will never be made
to understand how this com.
plant is just in view of the fact that at
different times during the war Gen.
Johnston was assigned to three Of the
most important commands in the Con
| federate forces-the Army Of the valley
| of Virginia-the control of the depart
| ment including the districts of Tennessee
Alabama and Mississippi-and the com
mand of the Army to which WAS en-
trusted the defence of Georgia, and the
recovery of Tennessee.
These positions afforded great oppor'
tunities for the display of military skill
| and of usefulness. and were certainly
important enough to crafty ordinary
ambition. How these opportunities were
improved, is not a question for US tC
discuss. We mention them to show
how preposterous the pretence that the
writer OF this book of complaints, was the
victim of neglect by the authority tc
which he owed his preferment.
In assailing Mr. Davis, other
persons have come in for large share
Of criticism; and among them Gen.
Hood, from whom reply has been eliei-
ted-a chapter of which will be found on
our first page. We will anticipate the
second chapter, by publishing its con-
Guiding paragraph which OF itself is vol
ume:
Since | had only about 10, 900 troops,
whose morale was impaired by constant
retreat, opposed to an army Of 100000,
or more, during the seige of Atlanta,
and Gen. Johnston, whilst at Dalton,
had over 1000, available troops, tull
of hope and spirit, against $4,000, it
may prove of interest to know the relative
strength of Confederate and Federal
armies in the principal battles of the
revolution. 1t was about as follows: In
the seven Ud}S OdIllS dEOuuU 4OlCumOHu,
from Gaines Mill to Malvern Hill inclu-
sive, 5000 Confederates against over
$50, 900 Federals; second Manassas,
$4,000 against $4,000; Sharpsburg, or
Antietam, 10000 against 100, 900; Fred
ericksburg, 5000 against 100, 900;
ChancellOrsvillc, "a, 900 against lac, 900;
Gettysburg, 10000 against 95, 900; Will
derness to the surrender of Petersburg,
As, 900 against 40, 900; Shiloh, 40, 900
against $4,000; Chickamauga, 1914
against $4,000 Notwithstanding this
glorious record, our army of over 20, 900
''at and near Dalton" was made to turn
its back upon $4,000 Federals on the
night of the 18th Of May, 1864.
j. B. HOOD.
1t is probable that Mr.. Davis will
maintain the dignifed silence he has i'm
posed upon himself since the close of
the war, since he cannot speak without
having his simplest utterances perverted
to the injury of his countrymen in af-
Fiction, content to abide the impartial
verdict of history; but it is still more
probable that Gen. Johnston who has
produced all this untimely controversy
will regret that he did not smother the
viper in his bosom and let bis complaints
sleep.