Mississippi Democrat. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1875-1???, 1876-06-10
NO. \.

dependence. The first American
Congress met ia Philadelphia on the
ith of September, l77i. Peyton
Randolph, Of Virginia, was chosen
President because of his familiarity
with all tho-e questions Of state pol
'cy aud state Grant that might arise
On the 10Th OF May. the next year.
the Scotch Irish oi this county made
the hrst declaration OF independence
and on the 18th of April Of the fol
lowing year the Provisional Con.
gre~S of North Carolina took the
lead oi all the states in passing rcs-
olations of independence. Aud
when the Congress nf all the States
met Ia Philadelphia, u was a NIr.
ginian, Richard Henry Ice, who hrst
moved that the States should be free
and independent STATES. II Was a
Nirginian, Thomas jefferson. who
wrote the national declaration oi IN.
dependence. And when our indie
pcndenco had been won under the
leadership ot a Southern General,
aud "a convention was held in order
To form Federal constitution. the
draft OF Charles CotesW orth pinck
ney, Of South Carolina, was aecept.
Ell by that bOdy. 80 one southern
statesman hal the honor Of writing
the declaration Ct independence,
aud another southern statesman ha /
the honor Of writing the Federal
constitution.
hope that this brief AMI impcr.
feet sketch has established the point
] made at the outset, that the South
has cXcelled in two department, ia
whlch she sought pre-eminence-the
only Two ~ which an agricultural
people have ever gained rcnown.
The world has never seen finer hight
ing u aterial than our own ragged
rebels. They united the clan OF the
fTnchman with the doggcd ob-tl.
macy ut the Engli,hmau, the careless
gaietN ut the Italian with the IN
complaining iJriltu le ot thc Russian.
How chceriully they bore hunger
THIRST, heat, cold, aud all wretchcl-
ness, and how magniliccutIy they
moved forward under the storm of
shot aud shelf An English officer
who had been on Longstrpet's stltf
Witnessed the battle OF Sadova aud
gave Il a hi- opinion that 10000 Of
Lees ragged, baretootcd veterans,
could have swept the 2OD, ,OsD yictors
oh the field. I have compared 80
Ear a. | cnuiI thr losses su,taiucd ia
the great battles 81 the world since
the introduction 81 ac-arms, and |
iiud only ia rare eases have they
been "a much ~ a tourth of the
troops engaged, and they range from
that mp tO twentieth. The COnfcd-
crates theugh that battle was
almost u skirmi,h in which
their Ios-c. did not exceed
a fourth. The British nj Watcrloo
were pounded Tor hours by the
French artillesy, but their loss was
but l0,6S'i ont of 10000 engaged, or
not quite u sixth. Al Magenta. the
Anstrian-, out Of l20,OO0 lost but
a.6l9, or but one thirteenth the
French. the victors, lost but 5000
0ut OF l20,ODD. or one twentieth. Al
Sadewa the pru>sians lost but 10000
out Of 20O,0 In the battle, or one
twentieth. The AustrianS, with an
equal number engaged, lost much
more heavily, bat they were thanked
aud suffered severely after they were
routed. And here | would remark
that To- make a comparison fair be-
tween the losses in different battles,
II should bee between the victprs aud
not the vanquished. The loss of the
defeated, where cavalry is efficient.
or where flank movement has de
cided the battle, is always greater
after defeat than bctore IL. The true
test of the oh~iiLaey of the battle l.
the boss up the moment when the
shouts of victory rcnd the sky
Tried BY that test, European fighting
has been child's play IN comparison
with Confederate. Il am ashamed
for strangers 10 see my barefoot,
ragged boys ia camp" said General
Lee Ia aR English visitor, "but
would be glad for all the world Ia
see them on the deld oi battle. :
This tribute iroin the great command.
er Is alone sufficient to establish my
hrst point, and | consider II estab.
l,shed therefore.
| Under the second head. have shown that
The Southern statesmen were the hrst q, pro-
claim the great principles - Independence
that Southsrn-beFn msn have held the Pres,
tdentlal ofhce for nearly three-fonFths " ths
life of the nation, that southern pslicy ha,
doubled the area u the United Staies. AM
that Southern men have always hal, up q
the inirodurtisn % the new voting element
unknown b. our ANCESTOR, a controlling in
Aaencs in the councils Of the nAtian. twill
only add now that up 10 that time ther,
never was a stain upon Southernor. wheth
er q. President Oabinet offsceF. ForeiWr
Mlni=teF. Congressman. or other employee q
the Government Our Southern siateslnes
wer often rash. hot-heasled and intemp~rai.
IN lsagua-e. but they would not steal ans
they could not be bought by O ring. Thi
Southern heaven leavened the whole lump
The supreme Court was inoorruptible. sn.
not ~ now, partisan body. The Senat
wss more dignihed than the English H0us
~ Lords. Sehemes of public plumber wen
not devised and executed Ia The H,ass o
Representative. No one vas ever charge,