Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1874-05-07
GEN. JOHNSTON on THE LATE WAR

Much has been written and much more
said of the cause of the overthrow OF the
Confederate States in their great contest
for independence. One class, and much
the large.t-for it includes the people who
we're victorious in the war, and those
Europeans who watched the struggle with
interest, as well as many Of the Southern
people-ascribe it to the superior popula-
iion and resources Of the Northern States.
Another. n class of Southern people. at
tribute our defeat to want OF pcrsever-
ance, unanimi,y, and even of loyalty on
our part. and the consequent abandon
ment Of the government of the Confcde-
racy in its efforts by the people them
selves. In my view both are far wrong.
The cause Of the sutjuga:ion Of the
Southern States was neither want OF wealth
and population, nor Of devotion to their
own cause on the part Of the people OF
: those States. That people was not guilty
of the high crime of undertaking a war
without the means Of waging it success
: fully. They had ample means. which,
unfortunately. were not applied to the OBJ
ject of eqnipping great armies and bring
ing them into the field. A full treasur,
Il was necessary to defray the expenses OF 1
n great war. The South had the means o
}, making one in its cotton alone. But it
d government rejected those means. an
IS limited its financial efforts to printin.
II bauk-notes. with which the country va
IS soon flooded. The necessity of actual mo
l. ney in the treasury. and the mode ofrais
ing it. were generally understood in tn
ne country. 1t was that the governmer
~ should take the cotton from the owne,
Il and send it to Europe as fast as possibl,
10 be sold there. This was easily pract
cable, for the owners were ready to q,
n cept any terms the government might Fl!
IS. aud sending to Europe was easy in all Il
ur first year of tie Confcderacy's existehc
,s- It's government went iuto operation ca
,ut " in February. The blockade Of 4
ret Southern ports was proclaimed in Ma
or but not at all effective until the end oft
ith following winter. so that there was 7
od riod Of about twelve months for the opt
to alton Of converting 1000. 900 or 5000
ha, 600 bales Of cotton into money. The 81
DIST raised in that way would have enabled
on War Department to procure at once ar
nal enough for Eve hundred thousand m,
md and after ,ha, expenditure the Conteder
our treasury would have been much rici
than that Of the United States. BY
plying the first money obtained in I
-, way to the purpose of arms aud mili''
r, accoutrements. or using for the purp
-. the credit which such au amount OF ?
perty would have given, the War Dep;
~, men, would have been able to equip tro
-. as fast Us they could be assembled and
- sanized. Aud, as the Southern peo
were full Of enthusiasm. five huud
thousand men could have been ready
~, IN the field had such n course been 7
- sued NJ the time when the first battle
IL actually tought-the 2lst July, 1861
s. s. Such force placed on ths northern
- dcrs OF the Confcderacy before the Uni
""" States had brought a fourth Of the n
Der into the field. would probably
prevented the very idea of coercion.
well. Such disposition of such an army.
i his the possession Of financial means OF ca
ocial ing on the war for years would have
forte cured the success of the Confederac,
macy The timely adoption of such fuar
way system would have secured TO US
ring. means OF success, even without ;he e,
aceo, ordinary importation of arms and the
, and mediate organization Of large armies.
met. would have given the Con.ederacy q
nd in ury richer than that Of the United st
gen We should thus have had. to the er
Ic;er- the war. the means Of paying our sold
and tha, would have enabled such OF
: on as belonged to the laboring class 70
pas main in the ranks. TLis class, in
,weli. Confcderacy. rs in all other coun
don't formed the body Of the army.
In all the earlier part Of the war.
the Confederate money was not muc
low that of the United States in ,
our troops were paid With some reg
s one ty. and the soldiers Of the laboring
in my who had families fed and clothed
intro with their pay. as they bad formerly
priugs with the wages Of their labor. Al
ith me long rs that state Of things ccnsinu'
,e to- strength Of the Confederate armies
! LAP. little impaired; and those armies
socia. m main,ained on such footing as to
,he hone which wss general in The