Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-08-15

ever make paihtui anu Illuminating
parc in the history ofthe Confederacy.--
SertIern History Of TIE Var, 400.
See also Pollard's Lost Cause, 6Si.
These accounts OF the African church
meeting were written in 1866, about
enc year after it occurred.
The most fiery speech delivered on
The occasion was that OF Mr.. Secretary
Benjamin. he gave the submissionists
A fearful drubbing, but in sixty days,
when the ship Of State was going to
pieces, and he came face to face with the
danger. he abandoned his confedcrates,
left his ruined country to her fate, the
81 croakers" unhung, and skipped
by the light Of the moon"
| close this review of the temper of
the people during the winter of ls64'5
with the remark of Napoleon in refer
ence TO his beloved France
"sioth was In her marts and schisms in
her halls"
Weld not to DR.. Jones or any one
else in giving need Of praise to Lee, to
Davis. to Jackson, and to the long line
of illustrious heroes who led the boys
in gray, and along with him | give
honor TO the noble men who carried the
muskets in the line, who bore the bur-
den and the heat Of the day. OF those
uncrowned conquerors OF the Lost Cause
who fell, it may be truly said that
"Gashed with honorable scars, low in glo-
Tboush they feIi. they felllIke stars. stream
ing splend0r through the sky"
And Of those who survive,
"Their honor IS without stain;
They only fought for their eonntrys~edb
And not for glory or gain"
honor also those noble missionaries
of the cross Of Christ, who, at the COM
mand Of their Heavenly Master, filled
with the divine afliatus, repaired to the
tented field and ever and anon delivered
their humble messages of "peace on
earth, goodwill toward men -; who in
the hospitals, the trenches, and on the
field Of conflict were ever ready to pill
low the pale cheek, battle the feyered
wound. bind up the fainting brow, and
whisper hope where else there had been
none.
But honor and undying love can
never reverse the stubborn facts OF
history, and the fact will ever remain
upon its pages that, when there came
from the solid land of the North TO the
disabled and drifting ark Of the South
this oliye-branch of peace and con-
ference, the well-informed Of both sides
knew full well that the struggle was
hopeless and rapidly approaching its
end. Mr.. Davis should have taken
counsel Of both head and heart, and
yielded then and there.
History is the eternal landmark OF
time by which future generations are
to be guided therefore its truths should
be indicated, its errors corrected, and
its structures rendered in an impartial
manner, and have no other motive in
penning these lines. do not seek to
blame Mr.. Davis; that would be mere
folly, and so ] agree with DR.. Jones
when he says" men may differ as to
the wisdom of some of Mr.. Dayis's
acts. but none who knew him can doubt
that he was a man Of the highest char
acter-a pure patriot, devoted to what
he believed to be the best interest of
the land and cause he loved so WELL"
will say of him lie was soldier,
patriot, Christian, scholar, but neyer a
merchant.
DR.. Jones says "the southern army
wrested from the enemy at Appomattox
far Jetfer terms than were offered at the
Hampton Roads conference" have
never seen that the terms were any bet
ter OF any worse; certainly not suli-
GENTLY better to atone for the loss of
the thousands Of our beloved country
men who, in the useless struggle from
the trenches around Petersburg to the
last blow at Appomattax, had their he
roic spirits forever quenchcd in blood.
| have never seen that the terms of APP
pomattox were better than those given to
Joe Johnston at Durham, and Of these
General Sherman afterward said: It
occurred to me that might write offsome
general propositions, meaning little or
meaning much, according to the con-
struclion Of parties, what | would
term glittering generalities, simply to
cover the pride of the southern men (;
and though they seemingly yield better
terms, yet, if studied closely and well.
it will be found that there is an abso-
lutte submission on their part to the
Government of the United States and
this was what was offered and refused
at Hampton Roads"
| regret that my trusted and we'll
beloved friend Of the Southern Histori
cal Society Papers replied so vehement
ly TO my well-meant article, and will
cay, in closing, that what | wrote was
in reply to his article of July 9th, and
call his attention to the fact that | did
not begin the controversy about Mr..
Dayis's responsibility.
am, gentlemen, respectfully, yours,
&c. G. S. MAURICE,
Manchester, "a, August IL, 1885.