Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1889-06-27

lies ID failing to reach out after the
fruits Of our victory at First Msnas-
as had especially discouraged me. I
seemed to hear the voice Of history
and Of Cad at once demanding, in
view OF that fatal omission, How can
ys escape who neglect % great salva-
ton r This inaciion at First Ma
masses the General pronounced - ter
rible blnnder." emphasizing the phrase
with stern frown aud forcible ges.
turs.
But he replied to nae by reminding
me Of how much had been done BY the
Confederate government in the FIRST
year in creating resources and armies.
He spoke Of the victories already
gained hopefully. and Of the kindness
Of the good Providence in which he
believed. ] proceeded further to ar
que my apprehension, when he turned
himself towards me in the saddle and
said. with q smile more sad than
cheerful stop. Major DAbney; you
make me low-spirited." /. of course,
ceased to speak. with an apology for
my insolsnce. After riding in silence
for twenty PAGES be said. with an air
and tone of profound seriousness ::
SWELL. ! do not profess any romsntic
sentiments a. to the vanity OF life.
Certainly, no man has more that should
make life dear to him thaa ! have in
the relations and affections OF my
home. Bat + do MT desire to survive
the Independence Of my country"
The conversation, when resumed.
turned upon soms recent threat Of
bloody retaliation which Mr.. Davis
had been compelled to make by some
one Of the numerous outrages. The
General said, ia words to this effect,
that such an emergency would net
now appear had the war been begun
on that plan which commended itself
to his Judgment. / exclaimed. with
much interest. that q runor had fit
ted through the army that he would
have begun the war under the black
flag, and that / was curious to K .ow
from him whether it had any founda.
ton. or what. Re replied, very
squarely: Yes. he believed we should
have not begun to take prisoners in
this way, and that he should have
adopted this plan distinctly. IN The in.
terest Of humanity. Because he felt
sure the war would have thus ended
with far less effusion of blood. He
added that this could not be, like 9th.
er diplomatic wars. a struggle for
boundary or q province. but for our
people, struggle for life and death,
and it would have been best for the
people to have its true character un.
masked to them from The frat. This
war. before its eud, will certainly dis.
close its piratical character. Thus
Mr.. Lincoln 10 reported as now de-
claring that it is not war Of aboli.
ton. But whether he knows it or not,
it is surely destined to become such.
Then they will proceed to arm our
own slaves against us. Then, said he,
when these outrage. are perpetrated
of course it will be absurd and impos.
sible for us to treat that war as civil.
lied war; To do so will be psrditiou
to our cause. II will be the practical
admission of claims damnable to our
pretsnsions of right and ruinious to
the morale and self-rsspect Of our PEG.
Piles Thus. before the war 10 ended,
Mr.. Davis is going to find himself in
this dilemma The enemy will adopt
such means that he will be obliged TO
meet them with extensive bloody re-
taliations or be ruined. But then
these enemies will have in their hands,
it may be. thousands Of our friends, 90
that it will be attended with the fear.
full consequence Of thereby consigning
our soldiers to massacre. Now, he
added, foreseeing these things. I would
have advised taking no prisoners. and
teaching our volunteers at the outset
that when they went into action it
must be victory or death literally for
them. as it is going to be for their
country. Since the administration
had adopted other ideas he obeyed.
He had all along been as careful and
scrupulous to preserve the lives and
health Of his prisoners as Mr.. Davis
himself could have been.
Such were unquestionabiy General
Jackson's thoughts at that time. How
prophetic they were any well.informed
man must Judge for himself.
r. L. DABNEY. Prof. of Philos.,
University of Texas.
L