The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-07-22
The Best Speech at Richmond.

To the Editor of the Ne,rs and Cour-
ricr: Without intending in the least
to detract from the merits of the num-
ber of really fine addresses delivered
at the Richmond reunion the assertion
may be safely made that the address
of Gen. Stephen D. Lee at the laying
of the cornerstone of the Davis mon
ument was the grandest of all.
1t is, so far as the writer's knowl
edge extends, the finest tribute to the
high character, great ability and un-
finching courage of Mr.. Davis that
has yet appeared, and it ought to be
carefully read and preserved by all
the Southern people, especially by
those who fought so heroically for the
short-lived Government Of which he
was the distinguished head.
No cause has ever been championed
and led by more unselfsh and in
corruptible patriot, and in reveriDg
the memory of Mr.. Davis the people
of the South simply honor themselves
and show themselves worthy that he
should have suffered Imprisonment
and obloquy for their sakes. When
time shall have obliterated the pas
sions and prejudices of the present
day he will receive his due need of
praise, and his name go down in his
tory as one of those great spirits who
would have reflected credit upon any
age or any country, and who, in all
conjunctures, have been "true to
themselves, their country and their
God"
1t is true that Mr.. Davis made mis-
takes, but when the difficulties that
surrounded him are considered it is
matter for wonder that he made so
few. His military mistakes were as
nothing as compared with Mr.. Lincoln,
and to prove this assertion it is only
necessary to mention the fact of the
latter putting such men as Pope,
Burnside and Hooker in the field
against Lee.
When the great Napoleon, by his
mighty genius made himself master of
the destinies of the martial Empire Of
France, and with its brilliant generals
to select from he did not gather around
him a more brilliant array,of military
talent than did Mr.. Davis when he
placed the destinies of the Confederacy
iu the hands of leaders not one of
whom had ever commanded an army
in the field. Even as far back as the
time when Mr.. Davis was Secretary of
War he showed his remarkable judg-
ment of men in appointing the officers
of newly organized cavalry regiment.
The field officers of this regiment,
which, by the way. furnished re-
markably large number of able men in
both armies, were Albert Sidney
Johnston colonel, R. E. Lee lieutenant
colonel and W. j. Hardee and George
Fl. Thomas.
The most striking proof of the mill
tary ability Of the Southern generals
and the indomitable courage of their
soldiers is shown in the fact that at
the time of Lee s surrender the Federal
Government had more men in the field
to crush the South than the Allies had
when they gathered their mighty
armies for a last great struggle with
| Napoleon and the French Empire.
If there be any who are disposed to
criticise Mr.. Davis it will be well for
them to bear in mind the fact that he
selected the leaders whose genius
made our struggle the grandest in all
military history.
In erecting this beautiful monument
to our great leader we but perform a
duty we owe ourselves and to those
who are to come after US, for this is a
visible sign of our love for the illustri-
GUS dead, but the most imperishable
memorial we can give him is to enshrine
his memoryin our hearts and to so live
as to prove ourselves worthy to have
been his countrymen.
w. D. WOODS.
Darlington, July 8, 1896.