Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-17
JEFF. DAVIS AND JOE JOHNSTON
THE TRUTH OF HISTORY.

ding at 164c.
JEFF. DAVIS AND JOE JOHNSTON
THE TRUTH OF HISTORY.
The Washington correspondence of
the Cincinnati Enquirer states that the
narrative by Gen. Joseph E. Johnston
of his campaigns is now ready for dis
tribution, and adds: 1T is said that
the book reveals good deal that has
been hitherto mysterious in regard to
Confederate military operations. The
General goes largely into the contro-
versy between himself and ex- President
Davis" We have seen nothing yet to
indicate the nature of Gen. Johnston's
defense; nothing to indicate whether
he attacks other parties or confines
himself simply to his own defense. The
announcement some months ago of the
early publication of the history of his
campaigns, written by himself, was ac-
cepted by the friends of other Confed-
crate Generals as an attack upon those
officers. This resulted in elaborate de-
fenses and attacks, which was spiced
largely with personalities. The ad-
mirers of Gen. Hood, for instance, seem
to have received the announcement of
the forthcoming book as an in
direct challenge, and they straight
way set about defending him from the
supposed attack of Gen. Johnston.
Two noteworthy features of the contro-
versy, so far as we have observed, have
been its irrel evancy and its Stiffness.
Courtesy, to say nothing of fairness,
would seem to have suggested little
delay IN setting up so rancorous a de-
fenee-a delay that might have proved
that there was no necessity for any de-
fence at all. Only the other day Mr..
Ben. H. Hill, IN an Grafton before the
Auxiliary Southern Historical Society
Of Atlanta, Ga, related some personal
"reminiscences of the Confederate Cab
met, in the course Of which he exoner-
ated Mr.. Davis from the charge of re-
moving Gen. Johnston from the CON-
mand of the army around Atlanta.
This assertion of Mr.. Hill was merelYa
mild supplement to the discussion, and
as such has been met and fully an
swered by a Macon correspondent of
the augusta Chronicle and Sentinel in
the following letter:
MACON, March IL, 1S74.-"Historic
truth" said Napoleon III. In his ad.
mirable life of Julius Caesar, Ought to
be no less sacred than religion. If the
rrecepts of faith raise our soul above
the interests Of this world, the
lessons of history, in their turn, inspire
us with the love of the beautiful and
the Just, and the hatred of whatever
presents an obstacle to the progress of |
humanity. These lessons, to be profit |
able, require certain conditions. 1t is
necessary that the facts be produced |
with a vigorous exactness, that the
changes, political or social, be analysed
philosophically, that the exciting in
terests of the details of the lives of |
public men should not divert attention
from the political part they played, or
cause US to forget their providential
mission" I'm writing history" he |
adds, truth must be arrived at by the |
rules Of logic" In his late address
before the Historical Society Mr.. B. H. |
Hill asserted that MIR. Davis actually |
opposed the removal Of Gen. Johnston |
from the command Of the Army of |
Tennessee when it was suggested in |
his Cabinet and by his councillors,
and that he was the last to give his |
sanction to 1t. All who remember |
the famous speech of Mr.. Davis, |
in the Second Baptist Church at Ma
con, delivered Just after the dismissal |
of Gen. Johnston cannot reconcile the |
statement with the rules Of logic" |
which the late Emperor says must be
applied by the historian seeking for
truth. Mr.. Hill himself was present |
and followed Mr.. Davis in an address
to the large audience assembled. He |
has not forgotten that Mr.. Davis not !
only spoke In a vein of sarcasm about |
the disgraced General, but was even
bitter. He constantly complained
said Mr.. D., chat the odds of the en-
envy opposed to him were too great to |
risk a general battle. But the dispro-
portion was equally as great, if not
greater, In Virginia as in Georgia"
After deprecating the Fabian strategy |
of the General in falling back from the |
mountains Of Northern Georgia
and surrendering all its natural
defences, he said, Il have fire.
quently been asked if pontoons have
not been forwarded to allow his army
to cross over to Cuba" And |
again, whether it resulted in vic
tory of defeat, l determined to put
general at the head of that army who |
would at least strike one manly blow in |
the defense Of his country" This Ian
guage and much more of the same char |
acter fully convinced every one who
heard 1T that the removal, if not the d.
rect act Of Mr.. Davis, fully and freely
met his approval. What impressed it
upon the writer more wildly, he took
the speech down IN short hand at the
time of its delivery and furnished
copy of it for publication. The imme-
date cause which led to Johnston s re-
moval was his reply to dispatch from
the Secretary of War in these words:
''Do you intend to make stand at At
lanta?" ''The enemy" said he, ''are
two to one in my front, and my action
must be governed by his He was at
once ordered to turn the command over
to Gen. Hood That Mr.. Davis CON-
United many errors he himself often
and frankly admitted. Had Hood
been successful in his Tennessee cam
paign the dismissa al of Johnston would
have been considered a wise measure.