The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-10-17
Obstruction and Resonstruetion,"

Obstruction and Reconstruction"
Is the somewhat startling title of work from
| the pen of the late Gen. Richard Taylor, recent
ly issued by the Appletons Of New York. Gen.
Taylor was gallant Cenfederate soldier, an
accomplished scholar, AMI q chivalric gentleman
Whatever may be said ofthe merits of the work,
no one can deny but he was terribly in earnest
| and conscientious in his beliefs The book is
written in n bold, dashing style, abounding in
classical illusions culsd from the fields of war;
poesie and romance. The descriptions Of the
battle scenery are very interesting. Nothing
could be more dramatic than the sketch of the
campaign in the Valley of Virginia, under Jack
son, during which many lights are thrown upon
the character of the ''Great Captain" Gen.
Taylor's sketches Of character are bold and
striking. BY O fewstrokes of the pen the salient
points OF the individual character ore brought
out in bold relief worthy masters PENCIL
There is q grim FQnSkellian coloring about
Abe sketch xof sSt0Dks al JpcSson that slis
| you with awe, grandeur about Lee, q spir-
| spirited life-like picture of "Dick Ewell," who,
| with "his fine tactical eye on the battle field,
| was never content with his own place until he
| had secured the appreciation of another's judg-
| ment, was the boldest Of horsemen, invariably
| leaving the roads to take the timber and water.
In fact, all the sketches of character are done
| with n frankness and skill which cannot fail to
| interest. Mr.. Stephens, the "greater common
err as the Georgians love to call him. is fearful
|
the witty canon of st. Paus of Francis Jeffery,
"his mind is in a state of indecent exposure"
trained and skilled politician, he was fer
many years before The war q member of the
House of Representatives and his s.6evice'
| seems always to have been fiat Justicia ruat CO.
elum. In December 1S49, though ON ardent
whg, his independent notions secured the con-
troll Of the house to his political adversaries
During the exciting period Of secession he
avowed moderate opinions, but, swept along by
the rcsistless torrent he discovered and pro-
claimed that 'Slavery was the corner stone of
the Confederacy. As the struggle progressed,
with oil the impartiality of an Equity Judge, Mr..
Stephens marked many of the virtues of the
Government North Of the Potomac and all the
vices of that on his own side of the river. As
to the military operations in hand he entertained
and publicly expressed original opinions. The
war was for principles and rights, and it was
in defence of these we'll rs of their property
that the people had taken up arms They could
always be relied on when battle was imminent,
but when no fighting to be done they had
best be ut home attending to their families aud
interests. AS their intelligence was equal to
their patriotism they were as capable of judging
of the necessity of their presence with the col.
ors rs the commanders of the armies who were
but professional soldiers, fighting for rank and
pay, and most of them without property in the
South. With MIR. Stephens, like other ills, fee
Bile health has its combinations, especially for
those who unite restless vanity and ambition 10
q feminine desire for sympathy, sc. Mr.. Ste
phens seems determined to play the same role of
independenism to the end. His Delphic opin-
ions, delivered on various occasions of late have
puzzled his admirers, and the people Of his own
State do not know where to place him and stand
in dread Of his independentism. X.
CONFEDERATE MITE.-We opened q note,
says the editor of the Columbia Register, ad-
dressed us editorially which, though marked
private" is too touching and tender tribute
to a noble old private of the Confederate ranks
to be withheld. We are not ashamed to soy il
beaded our eyes with tears of sympathy. God
tless the poor old bare-footed soldier. We feel
his twenty-iv cents will be the means of OPEN
ing many purse which would have otherwise
been closed against the orphan children left to
the care and sympathy of the Confederate SOL
diers. There must to-day be left no less than
1000 men in South Carolina who were attached
to the Confederate service. If all were anima-
ted by the same splendid sentiment Of this one
armed, barefooted veteran, and should give only
twenty-five cents each, South Carolinas contr-
button to the Hood orphans would be S7.5oO.-
We appeal to our fellow citizens to take up such
contributions, and again offer the services of the
Register freely TO receive and faithfully forward
all amounts which may be intrusted to us for
this noble purpose. None of US have much to
give. All of US can do something to help these
helpless children without doing hurt to our own
Here is the letter, which no old soldier can
read without brimming eyes. This contribution
comes from Oakland p. o., Clarendon County :
(Priuate.)
SEPTEMBER IT, 1870.
j. ". r. Pope, Esq, Editor Register, Columbia,
s. c.:
DEAR SIR-As the Register has offered its SER
vices in behalf Of the children of Gen. Hood, |
forward the enclosed twenty five cents to you.
1t is q small amount, but, considering who sent
it, and ho'0 he got it, it almost equals the wild.
ows famous mite
A one-handed, barefooted, poor old "Confed'
worked at cotton picking to get it. lie served
well and faithfully through the "great war;
and came back broken in health and purse He
is the only survivor of six brothers the other
five with brother in-law) fell before Appomat-
tox closed the scene. Armies and poor, he
wanders about earning precarious living as
best he can.
am, dear sir, respectfully, your obedient
servant.
GoDEY's LADYs Book FOR OcroDER-Wil be
received with pleasure by its subscribers, being
an unusually beautiful number of this ever pop.