The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-10-02

| should have had the uiscfetVh =" "o'''"'
IL. Much of it has no relation TO the lie
of Simms, being the authors excogita-
tions regarding a condition of things OF
which he is absolutely ignorant. Deal
ing with a condition of society that he
does not understand. be has drawn a
nicture of life in the Southern States
wholly foreign to what that life,is We
cannot review the whole Of this book In
nm editorial, and we shall therefore con-
fine what we say to one passage. De
scribing the influence of slavery upon the
character Of the Southern people, he says,
p. Al:
and finally, the evil effects, mental
| and moral. Of over lordship. arrogance,
| contempt for interiors, inertia of mind
| and body continued to sap with increasing
| force the vigor of the individual aud OF
| the State Under such conditions and
| with his inherited qualities. II is no won
| der the Southerner of the days of Bulliti-
/ cation was the inferior Of his revolution
airy sire. Slavery and feudalism had
combined and done their work effect
| lively"
We here have it distinctly charged
that the Southerner Of 1875 was a de-
generate man. Let us look at bis history
since 1850 to see how the record bears
out the charge. 1t is now indelible, ire
versble history that when the war came
on the Southern States were without
arms, ammunition, tents and field sup
plies of any kind, without manufactures
in which any could be made, without
skilled artisans to work in such if there
had been any, and an agricultural peo-
pie whose ports were at once blockaded
and intercourse with the world cut off
from them. This people, enlisting
throughout the war only 100000 men,
maintained a gigantic struggle for four
years on equal terms with an immensely
superior power provided with everything
the world could supply, that enlisted and
armed in the same period 100000 men,
There was little evidence of degeneracy
in this.
The country of this people was de-
nuded of its young, active men. Those
at home were old men and boys, women
and children. The privations of the sol
der in the field were distressing, but
those at home Jared little better. Did
they whimper or whine? Not one muir
muir was ever heard. They endued theIi
cruel fate from the beginning to the end
without. complaint. There was no evil
dence of degeneracy here. No people
ever endured such injuries and hunilia-
tons as the North put upon the South
during the period of reconstruction with
a heroism equal TO that shown by our
people. Their conduct showed nothing
throughout that horrible period but grim
resolution and heroic self-restraint. In
no part of their trials and sufferings has
the bedrock of their character shown
more conspicuously than there. There
was little then in the bearing of these
people during the war or through the
period of reconstruction to justify a
charge that they had degenerated.
The world has ever and wisely taken
as the surest evidence of the virility and
manhood of people its conduct and bear
ing in battle. Hundreds of instances
might be selected from the late war to
prove the stuff the Southern soldier was
made of, but we select to illustrate it
the turning point in the great battle
called Second Manassas, because it was
terrific encounter, and an encounter be-
tween much smaller body of Southern
soldiers and q much larger body Of reg
ulars Of the United States army, differed
throughout by educated, professional sol
diers, all of whom We're graduates of
West Point. These regulars, thus Off
cered, needed to show their backs to no
soldiers in the world. The incident Sc
lected is the scene Of the picture that has
for several years been exhibited as the
Second Battle of Manassas in the great
panorama at Washington city.
On the afternoon of July 80, 1862.
General Lee had his whole army well
up and in hand in line of battle for the
decisive engagement. Foolish John Pope
thought he was running away and he
ordered his army TO attack unsparincly
a fleeing foe. The right of Jackson's
corps occupied the line of an old rail
road where a Virginia brigade, consist
Of the Twenty-frst, Forty-second,
Forty eighth Virginia and Seddon's Irish
charlottesville Second brigade of the
Stonewall diyision-was posted, com
manded that day by Colonel, afterwards
General, Bradley T. Johnson This posi-
ton was assaulted about L. M.,August
Both, by Butterheld's two brgudes, sup
ported by Sykes division of regulars.
composed of the First, Second. Third,
Fourth, Sixth, Tenth. Eleventh, Twelfth,
Fourteenth and Seventeenth regular in
fanry, two batteries of regular artl-
lery, and the Fifth and Tenth New York
infantry. We extract from Colonel
Johuson's official report of the engage
made, made at the time, an account of
what took place Rebellion Record. vol.
II, series l, part 9, p. 660), as follows:
About 4 l.. NJ. the movements of the
enemy suddenly developed in a decided
manner. They stormed my position.
deploying in the woods in brigade front
and then charging in a run, line after
line, brigade after brigade, up the hill
on the thicket held by The Forty-eighth
and the railroad cut occupied by the
Forty-second, bat as they uncovered
from the woods in which they had been
massing during the whole day / ordered
the Twenty-hrst and Irish battalion to
charge, which they did with empty guns.
i halted them under the shelter of the
cut, where, with the Forty-second. they held
back the enormous force pressing up the