New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-04-10

of afrns They not guilty Of tho crime OF cn-
gazing in war which they had no means
of conducting successfully. Bat tho ample means
which they possessed were not applied TO the EQUIP
ment of great armies and bringing them
into the field. There were also fatal financial piuh
ders. The South had sufficient resource ior the
expenses of the war in their cotton alone But that
resource was neglected by the Government, which
limitedgits financial efforts to flooding the country
with paper money There was period of nearly
twelve months before the enforcement of tho block
ade when four OF five million bales of cotton could
have been converted into gold This sum would have
procured arms enough for half a million of men. and
after that expenditure leave the Confederate
treasury much richer than that of the United States
The war department would have then been able TO
equip Troops as fast as they could be organized.
With the enthusiasm of the Southern people, 1t
would have been easy to place five hundred thousand
men in the field at the time of the first battle IN
July, 1861 Such force placed on the border OF the
Confederacy, before the United States had brought
fourth Of the number into the field. would have
checked the progress of the war; the author firmly
believes and have secured the success OF the south
The timely adoption of such financial system
would have secured to the means OF success, even
without an extraordinary importation OF arms, ana
the immediate Organlzatlon of large armies ~ "ou
that OF the United States. We should thus have had,
to the end OF the war, the means OF paying our
soldiers and that would nave enabled such OF then as
belonged to the aborng class u remain In the Taks
This class in the Conlederacy, as IN all other countries
formed the body of the army Ia all Tue carrier par y,
the war; when the Confederate money was not lnucn
below that of the United States in yalne our TROOPS
pald with some regularity aIi Tue % t
laboring class who had families fed ana clo'nen men
with their pay as they had H % state q" tings
continued the strength OF the Confederate aImes MAS
little dnins s sf TO nsy the hope which was general
in the South until the Fail OF 1854 that we were 10 VIII
in The contest But after tue Confederate currency nd
become almost worthiess-wneh Solust inontn ,Pt
would scarcely buy meal for MS falnlly-dnu tntt
ma5tbsothose soldiers Of the aborng class who mad
families compelled to choose between ther mn
their duties TO wives and children. They obeyed the
strongest of those obligations, left the army, ana re-
turned TO their homes to support their families ,
The wretched impressment laws deprived the
army Of many valuable men Of class less poor than
that lust referred to. Those laws required the I'M
pre- ssinent OF all articles of military necessity that
could not be purchased. The GQyernmept had tne
nower regulating the prices TO be paid by " Tor AL
such commodities aud its commissioners appointed
for the purpose fixed them much below the marley e
course he could get from his negh0ors twice the
Government price for his horses or gram consequently
the Officers of the Government could never purchase
but had always TO procure suppiles py impress
ment. No rules for their guidance were pre-
scribed; none least, that were observed by them
or known 10 the public, and they we're SUBJECTED 10 no
snperyision All the property of Confederate citizens
applicable to military purposes was therefore, nhuor
their absolute control The bad and indifferent 8eers
i'm the manner least inconvenient TO themselves
usually on the nearest plantations or FARMS or
those where opposition was not to ne apprehehdeu'
The farms OF soldiers generally under tine manage
mcnt OF women, and therefore were, not unusually,
drawn upon for much more than thelr proportion
Hence IL was not uncommon for soldier to he written
TO by his wife, that much of the food ne had PROVIDED
herself and his children had been impressed at
il was necessary that he should return to save them
from suffering or starvation such summons IL may
The uferugs of the soldiers themselves produced by
the OF proper clothing Foye many OF he G 'S 30
have had the effect, especially III the army peIoe
Richmond, in the last Winter of the war .-
Il was by such causes all due TO an empty treasury,
that armies were 50 reduced IN me last mohIhs Vi
the war
The author contends that there was no want of
LOYALTY on the part of the South No people ever dis
played SO much and for so long time under similar
circumstances The troops accepted long service
without pay, and under great hardships. Every dis
trict that furnished regiment sent voluntary con-
tributions of food and clothing to the army. They
even submitted to the tyranny of the impressment-
"a tyranny such as no other high-minded people
ever endured" THIS spirit continued not only after
all hope of success had died out but after the final
confession of defeat by their military commanders.
Even if the men of the South had not been ardent in
the cause the patriotism of the women would have
shamed them into zeal
The work of General Johnston makes no preten'
sions to literary excellence The writer is evidently
not Caesar, nor Turenne. He is less familiar
with the pen than the sword. His narrative is the
loose disOnted story of the soldier rather than the
polished composition of the scholar 1t is desultory
in method, and diffuse in detail, 1t has, however
AN air of ihomespun frankuess and freedom from
captious remark which tend to disarn criticism. As
lucid and not aggressive exposition Of the South
ern view of great historical movement, it Will be
welcome TO intelligent readers on both sides, and
afford important and valuable materials to writer's
1rboca da has not vet come.