Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-11-19

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was a success as a field general, or even
AS department commander Nnr
army aud our adversaries agree tbsi
he failed TO follow up the advsn.
tages gained by the Confederates
at the battle of Shiloh. when
Gen, Albert Sidney johnson was
killed. The enemy confess to a total
rout, on that occasion, which faet at
the time WAS well known by our men
In The front. Yet that rnut and dis.
cnmtture was not followed up by G. m.
beauregard, though Mr.. Davis was too
lar away TO interpose his restraining
orders. Impartial history in after
years, when the events of the preat
/ war are shorn of all embellishments,
VIII related the truth to those who
| come after us. The potent fact will
stu appear that the Confederate sta es
| Except In a few Instances of un, I'll cial
tokens of sy mpathy and kitchen.c abi-
net expressions of friendship by few
OF the foreign pOweTs) was opposed by
the most powerful nations OF tue world
and that TO the want of men and
munition of war was mostly attributa-
BILE the failure of our armies TO "a.
tablish our independence, Our re-
sources were inadequate to the great
undertaking, but there are many in
stances when those resources, few az
they were, were not properly husband
ed and wisely utilized, 81 no one per-
son, statesman orsOldler, Is answerable
for the calamitous result, and future
history will % decide Mr. Davis was
called to the presidency OF the G MED
eracy by an unparalleled unanimity. II
was Ia proud people VINO chose him as
| nd d. a.. ~. r i
was carved off from the Union it car
ried with its ime OF the brightest lights
of the age; some of the wisest states
men and most promising soldiers of
the nation. But with all the wisdom
\ of our statesmen, the accomplishments
of our officers, the patriotism of the
people and the undeveloped resources
of our favored land, IL must be admit
ted that there were inharmonious and
discurdaut elements for material
| whereof TO compose q nation. The
supply To fill high positions was large
! ly over the demand. There were too
many aspirants at home and la the
field; many of our statesmen OF world
vide reputation In tue national assem-.
blies chung TO the "wayward sistern
when she departed, many of them
with insatiate aspirations; aud to have
| furnished each of those who Thought
themselves properly deserving of the
office OF president with principality
would have required each Of
the Confederate states to be
psrceled out by townships. The same
was true in the military department.
There was scarcely cOrporalis guard
| In our armies for each OF those who
thought themselves snubbed because
they were not placed in some imppr-
tant military position. II is fact
that some OF the most prominent
statesmen in the South, proverbial for
their wisdom and eloq uence before the
disruption, lost their usefulness under
the new state of affairs. The new
theme furnished no inspiration to
their eloquence and they retired to
private life aud dwindled down into
chronic faulJ-hnders, all on ace Junt of
disappointed aspirations, aud these
men had made 1t lifelong labor to
! precipitate this war upon the country.
This genius homo" and the disap-
pointed military aspirants spent the
latter part of the war nc home mark
ing in the sand, by way of demon
strating to the gaping home gHa ID,
how this and that ba tie should have
been fought and won, and producing
widespread disaff -ction.
1t must be remembered that Mr
Davis was not a type of the EXTREMIST
faction of the states rights party, nor
was he the exponent OF that portion
which had for 80 many years, in con-
nection with party of extremists on
the other side (of the Wendell Phillips
and Helper type, kept up continued
excitementOn the question that was
at issue; bat he was u representative of
the conservative South, and the expo
nent of principles in our government
which are as eternal rs the hills; the
very cornerstone of our free institu-
tions. So he was called on at short
notice TO preside over this people; 10
quell all tine discussions at home; to
shape system of diplomacy
to be carried out abroad, TO org 4nize
and equip an army out of a population
who had for years permitted even their
militia laws TO become q dead let ter,
and who were producing and not 3
manufacturing people. Is there or wa,
there at that time any other intellect
on this continent that could have
tamely led this mighty giant which, as
Ii were, sprung into existence In mo-
ment, and for four long years battled
against the combined powers of the
earth, against odds by sea aud land.
and discussions in the camp and ia the
council? Many persons whose luig
ments are entitled to full faith, decide
that Mr. Davis proved himself emf
nently qualified for the high trusts inn
posed upon him, and il human power
could have successfully battled
against the overwhelming combina-
tions and obstacles thar con-
fronted us every where. even now the
ever-imitative world would call him
patriot instead OF rebel.
II cannot be denied that some of our
campaigns we're failures and some Of
our battles defeats, mostly on account
of the chickering's and jealousies of our
commanding officers, who brought
with them from the old army n devo-
ton TO military ethics and camp Ell.
quette, q code which, IL framed at all,
wGs intended for Sunday soldiers aud
dress parade, and not applicable to tue
| cana ~ or hattIa fiald Rut fhav f,uqhf