The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-04-09
The Downfall of the Confederacy.

| Gen. Stonewall Jackson, who was the most
brilliant genius developed on either side during
the war, set at defiance all rules. He struck
whenever and wherever he saw chance to
strike. When his little army of two or three
thousand men were camped around winchester,
in 1851. before his genius had blazed out, a
Brigadier General who had fought under Scott
in Mexico, and who was genuine lover of
tactics. went to Richmond and reported that
Jackson had his army SO stationed that the
enemy at any moment could destroy it; that he
knew nothing about commanding a brigade,
and that he ought to be removed at once.
Jackson won an imperishable fame, and, had
he lived would have won independence for the
| Confederacy. while the tactician remained in
1864 what he was in 1861, Brigadier General
It is significant, too that the first generals of
history. from Hannibal down to Jackson, were
men who made tactics for themselves, and did
not conform to the tactics of Others Success
depends more on the adventure and mastery
rapidity of genius, untrammelled by routine or
circumspection, that it does upon the dull and
wearisome operations of the tactician. Daring
and dash kindle the minds OF soldiers to en-
thusasm, while routine exhausts them without
results. NJ. Thiers, in his admirable history,
shows how, "the unimpeached skill and won
derful elaboration" of the leaders of the allied
armies came to naught before the blazing in
spiration of Napoleon. He shows how worth
less routine is when opposed by originality and
daring.
How far Gen. Johnston's situation and the
situation of the Confederacy made it necessary
for him to adopt the policy he indicates, we
will not undertake to determine. There may
be a good deal-there is certainly something
in his conviction that either the North or the
South "could have raised armies stronger, both
in numbers and in spirit, for defensive than for
offensive war" It is certainly true OF the
North. It is not true, to the same extent, how
ever, of the South, whose population more
nearly resembles that of France, and whose
spirit lis of the martial and aggressive type.
This can be said ofGen. J0hnston's situation
He was sent to the Mississippi department at
time when affairs were involved in the most
serious, if not hopeless, perplexity. He was
ouack doctor had shattered his system with
the most deadly nostrums. Much may be said
in his defense and much may be said on the
other side. There is no doubt that Mr.. Davis
was obstinate, imperious and selt-wllled.
There is no doubt that he was almost criminal
" so and there is no doubt that Gen. Johnston
suffered terribly in consequence of these unfor-
tunate characteristics, which were certainly
deyeloped in the president to rank maturity.
But the downfall of the Confedeacy was hardly
due alone either to Mr.. Davis bigotry or in
competency. Success is virtue; defeat all
crimes in one Prophecy is easy after the fact.
Gen. Johnston says the Confederacy fell because
of the mismanagement of the finances of the
South by the Administration. He says 1t was
not due to the overwhelming resources of the
North. The fact is, it was due to both but it
was not due alone to those two causes. A
thoughtful biographer of Ignatius Loyola
declared that 'the discerning of spirits is the
foundation of power" Mr.. Davis lacked that
discernment, and what aggravated the mis-
fortune he did not know that he it. He
had shielded Gen. Lee when the public consid-
| cred his West Virginia campaign as failure,
| if not disaster. He had clung to Jackson
when most persons regarded him as lump of
commonplace dullness, with no inspiration and
no skill His opinion of these two men had
withstood the ignorant clamor of vast ma
iority of their countrymen. He heard with
pride the fond peans which subsequently arose
from every part of the South, confirming the
correctness of his judgment. He began to
think himself infallible. Hecung to favorites
who we're far less worthy who had shown in
competency on every field; who we're only
heroes of defeat, and toward whcm the people of
the South pointed angrily, and said "You
are sacrificing thousands of brave men for these
incapables." Soldiers are superstitious. They
had lost confidence in the capacity of such Off
GERS. and when they marched to battle they felt
sombre and painful conviction that they were
marching to defeat and death. To these three
causes is due the downfall of the Confederacy
Courier-Journal.