The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-11-16

Of the parties TO this conflict, we OBJ
serve that he takes account OF their re-
sua,.tive aptitudes for war. lie CONSIDERS
that the South undoubtedly possessed
a more military population than the
North a poulatiOn when, almost wholly
occupied in Agricultural! pursuits, was
necessarily accustomed To NE III tne
onen air 10 horses. to hunting ana nsh-
INC 10 exposure to unusual physical eX-
erfion from time 70 time. Then, again,
the aristocrauc regime when preValleu
i'm the slave holding States was con-
ductve 10 the preference OF military over
civil pursuits which has been generally
chaTacteris;ic of aristocracies. Inc
Young men OF the better classes eagerly
embraced the profession OF arms;
They made excellent officers. while those
below them IN the social scale. sharing
as they Ola largely In the same feelings,
and possessed by the same ideas OF
life, and duty: made admirable private 9ds
its own sake. and no more willing troops
ever responded TO thu call of their leader
That Is one side Of the picture, the
other is depicted no less correctly
"In tie North there was very little OF
this enthusiastic sentiment about n mill
tary life The poetry Of war
hardly entered into the mind Of the
gaudium certaminis did not influence his
decision 10 enlist. His course was deter
mined wholly by a sense Of duty, for
he looked upon the war as grievous
interruption 10 the course Of his own
life as well as 10 the normal develop
Inent OF his country's history All this
is undu-StiOnably true. and. IN what fol-
lowe. there Is something profoundly
touching 10 those VINO are acquainted
with the motives actuating the young
men of Boston whom the author has in
In mind. His devotion 10 his country
was a. deep and strong and unreserved
as was that Of his southern opponent;
he Was as brave, as patient, as uhfdlter-
ing, az persistent; but h did not take
so much interest In the game, he went
into camp: he drilled, he marched, he
fought. without a thought Of saving him
self either labor or danger, but IL was
all weary work to him, distasteful, IN
his Judgment the whole thing was uube-
fitting "a country as Tar advanced IN civ
ilizatiou as the United States was. il
was a sort Of andchTOLlSm.' Here was a
fundamental difference of attitude, and
MI Ropes perCelVes IL to have been in
evitablc that the southern volunteers
should frequently have scored successes
over their northern adversaTies FOR the
simple and sole reason that, to them, the
game of war was not only a perfectly
legitimate pursuit, but one of the no.
biest, if not the nOblest, that could
claim the devotion Of brave and free
men. They went into il con amOre; they
gave 10 its duties their most jealous
attention. and they reaped tn full meas
urc Of the success which those who throw
themselves with all their heart into any
In view Of all these considerations, the
author deems IL plain enough that the
task Of subiugdting the South was GER
tain to be one Of great difficulty. even
though the resources of the North Were
so much superior to those of the South
lie adds that il was unlikely that the
resources OF the North would be en-
Iloyed with any great amount of skill
and judgment, at any rate at first" The
President Of the United States was
known 10 be man Of no military train
ing or experience, the southern PreSi-
dent, on the other hand. had been grad
uated from tn Military Academy, had
distinguished himself at Monterey and
Bucna Vista, and had been Secretary Of
War. His army list UaS certain 10 be
made out intelligently, and il was known
that he had the choice of excellent Otii-
GERS from among whom 10 select his
ranking generals. ON the whole, IL
could safely be predicted that i'm the
war between the States, the advantage
would not always be on the side of the
heaviest battahons.
That certainly exhibits a much fairer
and more liberal spirit towards tho
South than We should have expected
from one with Mr.. Ropes sympathies
and surroundings.
Mr. Ropes denies the right Of secession
as a constitutional right. We want 10
see DR.. Curry get hold of his book and
review it upon this theme Come, Doc
tor, take it mp for The Times.