Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-10-19
SOUTHERN GENIUS.
Row WAR DEVELOPED 1T IN an INDUS
TRIAL AND MILITARY WAY.
Address OF Senator II. c. Butler Before the
Association Of the Army OF
Northern Virginia.

ladies being present. Among the distin-
guished gentlemen were Governor Lee,
Mayor Ellyson. General Jubal A. Early,
General William B. Taliafefro, Colonel
Thomas Whitehead, Colonel Archer Auder-
son. General Charles J. Anderson, JUDGE
George l.. Christan, Colonel =. V. Bidgood,
Colonel John B. Cary, Captain q. :. Be-
bannOn, ". J.. Royal, E.q- jackson Guy,
ESQ. and Major Robert stiles.
At s:1j O'Clock General Taliaierro, the
president Of the society, cliied the meeting 10
order and ia graceful terms introduced Gen.
ersl Butlcr. the orator Of the evening.
GEsEsAL BUTLRR, OP SOUTH CAROLINA.
In the remarks shall submit 10 your assO-
citation shall attempt no abstract discuss ion
OF policies or principles, no phioSo oDhying on
the course and current % eycnis- or The ef-
feet and Influence of results IN The great and
stirring times Of our generation. TIE 0cc2-
sion would scarcely justify It, and such line
OF thought would be aside from the purpose
! have in view. which Is 20 present some OF
the proofs Of the powers Of our sOutherncTs
in great emergencies.
shgli do tins in plain, narrative form aDd
without an effort ai rhetoric or declsmilion.
EXPLODED FALL4CIEs.
The speaker then referred 70 the fact that
The ialacics aud Gelusions that existed before
the WIr that southern people bad noue VI
the essential qualities Of great warriors
had been exploded. Their capacity for the
conduct ~ ail frs; their genius for the or
pauizltion aud operation % large armic. and
fleets; their inventive talent for meeting
unexpected and great difficulties and pro-
vidlng for impending eXigencles had ALWAYS
been denied by their northern cousins and
were not known n Themselves.
TuE REBEL FOECE7.
when the 10000 men were first enlisted in
the northern army in the spring 81 1861 for
the term Of three months TO put down ihe SOC
called rebellion il was currently asserted az
the North that no further enlistment would
be necessary. as the "rebcl forces" would
easily be dispersed in that time. The first
battle of Manassas startled the North and
staggered the confidence so hastily snd I'm
wisely adopted by misapprchen-iOn Of the
character.
OyrR-CONFIDENCE.
The sane Lattlo WIS also damaging to the
s0u'hrTn cause beC1usc the victurs became
aud were led 10 undcresii-
mate the lehiDg qualities Of The northern
soldier.
Assuming that the personnel OF both ar
mics were equal In coura-e. IN f0rlilude IN
intelligence, and in all those qualities that
make good soldiers, II cannot De denied that
the South was greatly at a Disadvantage in
with the North IN every other
particular. The North was largely superior
IN numbers-in tle numbers oi her own
people aud unlimited In tn drafts which she
could make on foreign countries. She had
2 thOroughlYequiupod, Tegularly-OTgsn-
izcd army organized, by thc way, In its
perfect STAFF appointments Ly that greatest "
war secretaries the United States Govern
mcn' ever had-John G.. Calhoun, and de
vclopcd and improved unon by one equally
great In all ;he essential elements 81 states
Mr.. Jefferson Davis. She nl-O lad
o navy IN fighting trim; also, government
comp.ete in al its Departments. she had
for The fahrIcotion of arm. tIa-
tprisl 10 supply them, and the whole civilized
world from which 10 draw whatever vas
best and most desirable In modern improve
ments.
CONDITION or TIE SOUTH.
What had the south? She had, II Is true.
SEPARATE state governments. with power 10
cnli-t troops and defend their own borders;
hut these the North also had in addition 10
her other advantages. There was no general
government. no organized army, no quarter
master suhSl-icnts, or medical departments
or vessels 81 war; no arms, ammunition, or
other war material except such as fell into
her hands from the capture ~ United states
forts, arScnals. or magazines within her
borders 10 lcyies 10 draw upon except her
own sons.
NORTHERN ADVANTAGES.
General Butler quoted from The dlStin-
euished German sol lier, Lieutenant-C0ioncl
Won Schehher, one Of the Confederate cnH-
nccIs, IN his treatise on scac0l3t dclcncrs,
90 which that -cuticm1n spoke OF the great
advantage The North had over he South.
The latter was an agricultural see.
lion and had left 10 the former the
% an war supplies. In
fact. there was at that time very ltlIe manu-
factlriug i'm the South. Al machinery,
telcpmph-wircs, railroad supplies, medi.
cmes. cotton, and wo,llon goods were made
ln the North. But when the war began
powder mills and establishments
for thc manufacture ~ implements 9nd
or war sprang up as il bv
magic 4 great disadyantlge was encounter
ed. hOwcver,ln the fact that The tide OF inn
migration was turned toward the eastern,
middle, and western S;atcs, where the IN
duccmcnf Of higher wages to skiliul nc
chancs was offered.
WANT or SKILLED LABOR.
The South then found herself al great
disadvantage In the lack Of skilled labor,
winch was ieli during the whole war. Tnc
same writer I'm speaking or sea-cOa.t defences
says that two things resulted from this com
hlnation Of unllyorahle circumstance in the
condition Of TIE south. Southern engineers
were compelled 10 draw upon their scientific
knowledge and upon their ingenuity Tor
new ones, and by the shifts 10 which they
were reduced originating new combinations
and improved methods which IN some
cases proved to be OF the highest value.
CONFEDERATE TonrEDoEs.
The speaker. after relerringto the mode Of
dcicnces that then existed. passed
on to discuss the torpedo system OF tle
Government, which be- said
worked a revolution ia naval warfare.
The time would not permit mm TO 20
into details to prove this assertion, but all
authorities. Confederate, Federal, and
foreign, will justify II. The wonder
fully inventive genius and energetic
action Of the Confederate officers and
engineers astonished the world in their
achievements in this hitherto pTactl-
caliy untricd science in naval warfare.
They not only made il most effective for sea-
coast and harbor defence, but telnble as an
agency of attack upon hostile ships OF war.
Not only tnst. they brought the torpedo
system 70 such high state Of perfection that
li;tle or NJ advance or improvement has since
been made in it. said the speaker: Consid-
cred In the light Of the Disadvantages and
to be overcome, 10 the language OF
a distinguished United states sayBi officer
l.ieutcaaut Soloy-"these were little less
ihn phenomenal"
OUR INNENTIyENESs.
General Butler quoted from Lieutenant
Burnes. 81 the United states navy, who
liter giving history Of the torpedo in IFS
Effective use by the Russians against the
lilied fleets in the Crimean war. says in re-
garI 10 It's inyention and first use in the
army that under great pressure
lnd distress the rebels turned their attention
10 torpedofs Is a means Of defence against
such terrible odds. hoping by their use 10
render such few hsrbors and steamers -
vet remained to them inaccessible or IN
degree dangerous 10 the victorious gunboats.
And in 4 very short time after the Inception
of the design q system was formed so lar
perfect and complete that our (he FederaD
prCgr6ss upOn the water was materially