Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1892-01-26

ukHteTS. OcDOlu tue EeCtut civil WhI
and how we did amaze the world
Amaze it We certainly did, but not in
the manner we would like our children
to believe. Whenever the civil war
is mentioned the South mounts to the
top rail OF the fence, flaps its wings,
aud crows lustily-.for what reason it
were difficult for an unprejudiced
critic to discover. 1t is now more
than a quarter of a century since
Lees surrender; high time surely
that the foolish falsehood that for four
years the South contended against
fvetold odds was relegated to desue.
tude instead of being ostentatiouslv
paraded by 'able editors and aspiring
Ciceros on all occasions.
"Such fables but make us the
laughing stock Of the world; cause
our Northern brethren to feel like
thrashing us again instead of helping
TO develop our country. 1t is fact
patent to all the world, fact that no
honest man possessing any knowledge
OF the subject will dispute, that the
backbone Of the Southern Confe''eracy
was broken, that the cause was hope
Iessly and irretricvably lost in 1868,
when the Confederate armies aggre-
gated between 100000 and 7,OO0,-
900 fighting men-almost, if not
altogether, equal in point Of numbers
to the Federal forces. 1t was in 1868
that Vicksburg fell, that Grant tore
the Confederacy in twain, that Lees
magnificent army was rolled back a
wreck from G ttysburg. With those
reverses the Southern people became
discouraged, and theno. forth gave
to the new Government but half
hearted support. Naturally the Con
fsderate armies rapidly dwindled,
while the Federal Government con-
tlnued to push men to the front to
hold the conquered territory and
overawe the people, as we'll as to
speedily crush the decimated legions
of Lee and Johnston and end the war.
Practically it was man to man in 1868
when the Confederacy received its
death blow. Furthermore, we were
acting chiefly on the defensive. We
were in our mountain passes, behind
our own magnificent Notifications.
It was the business Of the Yankees to
dislodge US. How in the DEVILS name
they managed to accomplish it matters
not; they did it. Really he.,wonder
if wonder there be, is not that we held
out 50 long, hut that those despised
Yankees "bested" us SO quickly, and
then magnanimous!y turned us loose
to give to the world our own explana.
ton Of how it happened.
"These may be unsavory truths to
some OF the chanticleering swash-
buck!crs and tuning Fa'stafls, but
truths Just the same, obvious to all the
world. Southern cbi,alry rolled up
against Northern valor and got the
worst Of it. That is the whole story.
1t was not that the former lacked
courage. No drawer men than those
who followed the stars and bars ever
won the mural crown. But they were
opposed to men equally fearless, Of
superior physical strength, Injured to
toll and hardship, and who knew how
to use tools, to bridge rivers, make
roads over the mountains, and crumble
bulwark and bastion into dust. 1t
was contest Of a lower with higher
civilization, and the former town had
to down. The naughty but INDECENT
stakeholder and the 'possum hunting
poor white struggled desperately but
vanly against men whose heads aud
hands were educated in the exacting
school of Northern industry. The
men who had outstripped us in the
field of labor fairly outfougLt US on
the field OF war.
"lt were well for US now to cease
our foolish boasting, con well the stern
lesson taught at the cannon's mouth.
The first ana greatest of these is that
only by honest labor, by earnest en-
deavor, can a people become truly
great. The war swept away the curse
that was our weakness-negro slavery.
1t broke in upon our old exclusiveness,
shattered the foolish caste that held
US in iron thrall; made labor respect
able and progress possible. 1t brought
energetic Northern people among us
to teach that the way to greatness lies
through the workshop; to incite US to
shake off our Incidence and enter the
race for preferment. Grants red
throated batteries did more than break
the skackles from the wrists of tie
blacks. They tore the cursed letters
of caste and custom from the minds of
the whites-a nobler emancipation!
They Get the heart OF Southern ohiv.
airy to beating with ,ruer, stronger
life. In the mad tempest OF battle
the new South was born. The crash
OF arms was the groans OF maternity;
the de!uge of blood her baptismal rite.
From the ashes of desola,e homes aud
ruined cities she sprang phnnix>like,
and is now mounting the empyrian