The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-01-26

cxUedlcuccs, commander whose mOueta-
ton and frmness could restrain. AMI whose
iofiy passion and courage could inspire; a
pnblicist whose Intellectual powers and at
ttnments made him the peer Of ary states
man who has cnampionet the rights OF So ,.l-
munwcnlths I'm debate or TODD nj the heim
when the ship Of STATE encountered the
tempest Of civil connection.
a CONSTITUTIONAL PRESIDENT.
In the Tremendous storm which has scarce
yet subsidized. Jefferson Davis never once ivi
got that he wa, n constitutional sieslue.,,
under the limits Of the fundamental iam -,
the Confederate republic. some thougnt th -.
be might have impaired a nercer eheIks ~ ~
his sore pressed hattaiiOns had ne klnel,tl
the purse and the sword, seized the rem, 80, VI
dictator. aud pushed the enteipi.,s -, o,,er
10 It's utmost cxlgcnt eudesNof. but hcNc'
once did ambition tempt or stress on SllS.ii ~.
stances drive him 60 admit the tnousht, ~
war. as 10 was, with the ~ inc ot siao
luton which lac led and with the genius OF
The southern people lie stood for cOusttu-
fiOmai fizht. To him 10 WIS the ltock OF Ages.
Who does not now rejoice thai ne was lhheA-
inle2 He truly represented the Souln III no'
NEGOTIATING for peace on other terms than M
dpDoudeuce. Had man less sober-m inded
aud less strong than he been I'm his place. Inc
tonfederacy would not only have gone down
/ in material Iuiu-it WOu have been buried
in disgrace. Excesses, sure 10 bring retrlpu-
rLOn ia the end. would have plotted us ca
r>tr. and weakness would have stripped lts
I bio 81 ignitv. ] di-mss. therefore, the UNI
worthy criticism that he should have nego-
flHfed peace in February, 1860, wheh non
Francis Blair came Informally 10 klchihvhu'
mud when. as the result Of his hlss,"pll
I Nr.ers STEPHENS. Hunter and ttmppth
MOI PRESIDENT Lincoln and secretary sew
ard in conference 40 Hampton honus. IL
rlffs have been circulated thel az inat tiiht
uoacc could have been secured upon ussls
+ of "a return 20 the Union, with payment OF
f some sort 10 -ouihcru owners for their emau-
rinareI slaves There is no foundation for
such belief. The idea which led 10 the con-
ference was that OF Mt Bar, thhl the Non-
. ..lrfafo cause being hopeless. the tontedeI-
atr leaders could be induced 20 wheel tnei
I O. lIumus into line with those OF the union
I army now laundering 40 their gntes ana iheh
march of 20 Mexico 10 assert lhe Mvli oe
I doctrine and cXrcl MHNimillnn, the usurplnE
4 Emperor. from his throne But when fresi-
/ dent Lincoln and Secretary Seward appeared
uO proposal of any kind was mnde but un.
conditional Surrender. This was reported
and OF course declined. Even had compen
ssti0u Tor slaves been proposed the NOhleu-
crate soldiers would have rcpudiated sucn
terms as conditions Of surrender. true they
/ were BOO dire distress. With scarce n handiui
Johnston could only harass sherman IN the
south. and the men Of Lee could see rom
I their trenches The mighty sWarme marshal-
. lug Ia their front. The sinrNatloE thal
f ciuichcd at their Threats plunged It's dagger
90 their hearts as they thought of loved ones
furnishing af home.
NAUGHr OF SURRENDER.
But the brave men who still chung
i0 their taftcrcd standard knew naugnl
of The arr or practice OF suiIeh-
der. They thought of valley Forge anu htN
beyond DO Yorktown. Had not asningtun
Thought OF the mountains 81 west Augusis
when driven from his strOnghOlds2 why MOI
they? Had not Jackson left ne ieeacF
" "a bat is life without honor blshohoi u
wore than death" They could not cOmpfc
hcud the idea ~ surrender, for ware they
not their fathers sonss
They would rather have died than surren-
der ihen, and ihev were right revolution
imply the impOssibilify % comproinise. they
never begin until Ovcrfurcs are ended. once
begun there is no hallway house betWeei
victory and death, and they can only dls
with honor in the last ditch.
Had surrender come before its necessllA
WAS manifest % AN mankind, reproach, de-
rslOu, and contempt feud, faction, ana Ie
elimination would have brought an AFTER
math OF disorder and terror and had 10 peeI
based on such terms as those which critic
nave suggested "a glorious revolution Woult
have been snuned out Ike a farthing candle
in "a miserable barter about the ransom o
slaves.
FOUGHT TO A FINISH.
10 was wei for all that 10 was fought 20 th'
finish without compromise either tendefe'
or eutcftlincl. The iact that 10 was so iougn
ont gave nnality 20 jus result and well-nis
cNtiugul-ncd Us emDers with its flames NJ
drop OfbiOOd hetWeeu Petersburg and Apo
maltOX-uOt one boo the last charge was sie'
.
IuIce. even fthat price be life itself and IL IL
because the south paid that price with nd
mlsei's hand that her surviving soldlers car
rcd nome with them the consciousness o
duty faithfully performed We should re-
'0ice that 10 weak men waVered before thl
end neither Jefferson Davis. nor Robert Lee
nor Jos ph johnston Wayered. Though thel
'ald their compeers could not achieve the In
dependence of the Confsdemcy, they dld prC
serve the Independent and unsnamed spin
Ofthcir people. And lt is in that spirit nov
that men OF The South ind their shiei
a-ainst ca'umny. their tie % respect, thei
welcome 90 the brotherhood OfIOble men
and their incentive TO noble and unselhsl
deeds.
"Ify0u would know why Rome was great,
says the student 81 her history, "conside
tnut Roman soldier whose armed skeleton
was found in a recess near The gate or Pom
p-i. When burst the sulphurOus storm IN
undauutcd hero dropped the visor OF his ncl
met and stood there 90 die"
Would sou know why the south is great
Look ON the ncw-made grave ia LOuisian
and consider tne ragged soldier OF Benton
vile and AupomaituX.