Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1874-11-10

the conqueling party, that they should
see what thing is civil war, aud learn
| to realize its trials, it's sufferings and
anxeties, and understand how dam
| gerous it is to sow the spirit of disaff-
| ectiOG to the whole in any section of
this Union 1t is due, too, 10 all man
kind, for the highest interests of hui
man nature are those of Truth. 1t is
history which makes the lesson of the
Past useful guidance for conduct in
the future. Without history there
can be no advancement in knowledge,
| no progress in mankind. Truth is
the champion, and history the trump
ct, before whose blast the battlements
of error fall. whether reared in bigotry
or ignorance. After all, too, history is
great protector to the weak against
the strong. All nations respect the
verdict of public opinion. At that
great bar everything depends upon the
pleading, if great offenders be brought
before it, Uuder its adverse Judge
ment all civilized nations quail.
Let, then, the story be told how a
weak section of this Union appealed
in vain to the others to respect its
chartered rights and constitutional
privileges. How a Senator from
Kentucky, who desired constitution
al amendment, which for the most
part was only to make more certain
what few doubted before; how so
many Southern votes were cast for it
as to make it probable that the breach
might thus be healed and how, in
stead of adopting this small measure
of compromise, it was annulled by a
proposition for which / think every
Republican Senator voted, that the
constitution was sufficiently plain and
required no amendment-as indeed
1t was, if it could have been interpre-
ted and executed with impartiality
and justice. But so far from this, it
was declared by Senator from New
York, who was generally considered
the leader of the republicans. that up
on the subj ect of slavery there was a
law of God higher than any of man."
which was of more obligation, and he
also declared that upon that subject
there was
AN IRREPREsSIBLE CONFLICT
between the sections which nothing
could settle but the absolute submits
sion of the one or the other. When
the South declared, in consequence of
all these things. they would leave the
Union unless something was done to
assure their protection and justice
within it, the whole air resounded
with the taunts of Northern members
of Congress and the northern press.
haunting them for their weakness and
impotence, and threatening to over
whelm them by their sup: rior power,
until State after State fell from them
in utter despair. Let it be told how a
COnfederacy was thus formed, small
in point of numbers, consisting of
5000, $50. of whites and about 1000. 000
of slaves, without commerce, without
manufactures and almost without ac-
cumuiated capital. and without allies
which COufederacy STAKE its all
upon an issue of arms with union of
more than 10000 900 of men homoge-
neous in character and pursuits, and
which, Astounding in all those things
of which the others were so much in
want, and although nominally with
out protested allies, was yet substan-
TALLY assisted by the whole
world. which, although protesting to
be impartial, respected a paper bloc
kade, which of itself was almost fatal
TO pee pie with ships of war, and to
which they had not quietly submitted
heretofore. Nor could they have done
50 then but for the idea that they were
indirectly assisting in war against
slavery. What was to be the effect of
all tins, foreigners did not then under
stand or their course might have
been different; nor did the North fore
see the terrible nature OF the contest III
which they were about to embark or
they might have pause before entering
into it. But let the whole story be
told, that the world and the country
may behold the entire consequences of
such strife before they provoke an
other like it. Let us hear the history
of that famous day at Bull Run. when
Northern men and Northern women, |
as ifupon some review or gala occa- |
sion. followed their army out from |
Washington to see it Overwhelm the |
poor, desplsed South, whose sons were |
recklessly assembled together. as they !
supposed, to be routed and ruined by |
the superior forces which they stood |
up to encounter Let all mankind
hear how bloody was the reception
which they met, until they broke and
fled in wild despair, even more sup
prised than frightened, if possible, to
find the men III gray capable of such
stern resistance. Let the course Of
these heroic men be followed after they /
fell into the master hands of Lee, 70 |
more than four years over the soil of !
Virginia. as they trod in triumph with |
feet red with the blood of their ene- |
mics, and as they hurled back the in
vading forces, sometimes four, some |
times three, a2d never less than two |
to one, reeking with their own blood |
and red with courage. Now driving
1gfN tnll na int hn ixrrr "A
clear away from Richmond; now
hurting Burnside across the Kappa
hammock River in bloody repulse from
the good town of Fredericksburg
Let it be told how the same
MEN IN GRAY
flanked the superior hosts of the north /
under Hooker, and drove them away /
in wild and bewildering flight, having I
lost their confidence in numbers, and /
believing it impossible to make them |
selves superior in strength so long as |
there was a Lee to plan, or Jackson |
to lead these brave men in the !
charge, whose wild cheer always beto- |
kened courage and victory so long rs |
they had food and clothing, and main d,
tanned heart and hope; or still follow
ing them in their bloody march, let US |
pause with them at Cold Harbor, |
where they repulsed Grants assaultaud
piled so high the Federal dead, that,
as the rumor runs. the authorities at |
Washington despaired of success, and /
resolved to abandon the contest and |
agree to a division of the Union, a
determination which they only re-
voked upon the receipt of encouraging
news from the Southwest. But we
must not leave the story there; we
must follow it to the last sad results,
uatil the tapestry is quite reversed
We must follow it TO its final close,
when without food, without clothes,
and an insufficient supply of arms -
Lee surrendered his hardy and batter
ed regiment with 5000 muskets in
their hands, whilst the rolls bore D.
600 upon their face. And thus when
it was impossible to maintain any fur
Their contest upon even plausible terms,
81