South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1892-09-09

eighty thousand French, Germans,
Italians, Turks, or Russians.
"Yet such was Lees election at
Antietam;- and such looking to
numbers and results the compare.
tive value CT Northern and South
ern soldiers upon the whole
throughout the war;
"The Confederates standing on
the defensive, two to five,. held their
own, and only by their permission
could the Federal army bury their
dead or remove their wounded"
Lee remained in position as long
as he chose, and retired at his leis
ure. carrying with him q mass of
spoils, sending his trains before him
in perfect safety. Between the
two Generals there can be no CON-
parison. IL Lee had not made the
very most Of his SO, 900 men he
could not have won the day. IL
Mcclellan had made the most of
his $4,000, If his attacks had been
Simultaneous instead OF successive,
he had no business to lose IT."
So il the Southerners had not
fought incomparably better than
their opponents 1000 men COM
ing up pell NELL could not have
beaten back 100000; one corps
could not have conquered four"
Comrades have detained you so
long In quoting what the English
historian has said Of your valor anu
courage, in order that you may,
know that your deeds of heroism
are beginning to be appreciated.
Though the South was over
whelmed bysuperior numbers and
resources, and though the brave
men who bore the flag of the Con-
federate States have had to contend
with poverty since the war often
MANNED and disabled by wounds /
want them to know that they have
achieyed'in the eyes Of the world q
name and a. fame which is better
than riches, AMI which they will
leave as a precious heritage to
their posterity.
Nor are we rebels and TRAITORS as
has been ignorantly asserted. This
unfounded assertion has been ut
tered in the halls of congress, on
the hustings, from. the pulpit, by
the press, and on every hand until
many believe'it. Even some good
southrn people accept it as truth
and call themselves rebels.
The charge 10 plainly false and
easily refhted. L do not now raise
the question whether Jefferson Da-
Wis, or the members,of his cabinet,
or the officers Of the old army who
resigned andcame south and fought
fortheir native States were rebels.
That question has been exhaustive
ly argued by the ablest minds both
North and South.
That many of the ablest constitu-
tonal lawyers,of the North did'not.
believe that Jefferson Davis could
be convicted CT treason on the in
dictment foundi against him In the
u. S: court at Richmond. in 1865
is we'll known.
HIS trial, conviction; and execu-
ton were resolved on by Andrew
johnson then President of the U.
S., Southern man and a political
and personal foe of Mr.. Davis.
The failure to- bring him, to trial
and to an ignominious death on the
gallows was not out of tenderness
for him or regard for the Southern
people, but on account of the
legal and constitutional difficulties
in the way.
But conceding for the sake of
the argument that Mr.. Davis was
traitor and q rebel, the soldiers
from Virginia and her sister states
were not rebels.
The case of the Hampshire Guards,
or of the Border Rifles, two compa-
niegcomposed Of as gallant boys as
ever responded to their country's
call to arms will serve to illus
trate the argument.
Those companies were organized
and differed under the laws of Vir-
ginia. They were Volunteer Com.
panies of Virginia Militia and be-
longed to the army of the state Of
Virginia and not to the army of
the United States.
Their Captains and officers held
their commission from the Govern
or of Virginia under the seal of the
Commonwealth.
By the constitution and laws of
the State of Virginia the Governor
was in 1861 as he is to-day, the
commander in chief CT the militia
of the State just as the President
Of the United States was then and
is now the commander in chief Of
the armies and. navy of the United
States.
In Aprl, 1867, the State Of Vir-
I ginia was a de-fscto as we'll as q de.
jure Government, having all the
powers OF a.sovereign, not express.
/ ly granted TO the General Govern
ment by the constitution Of the u
nited States.
The Government Of the United
States, its President, its Congress,
! IFS army Of officers, had no more
authority or power over the Virgin
ia militia or over it's officers or over
the individuals composing its rank
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