Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1897-07-03

Every line then becomes an appeal
TO passion. President Lincoln, Sew
ard and their colleagues are placed in
a most discreditable light while the
leaders OF the Confederacy are sp- |
plauded and accorded q recognition
which IL all the more noticeable by |
the unkind references TO those who
opposed them.
The work contains some excellent
portraits of the "old time Negro"
To this element Prof. MAURY ac-
cords faint praise for their faithful
service during those dreAry years OF
war.
The author proceeds to shift the re-
sponsibility for slavery upon the New
England states and unusually caustic
in his remarks with reference to
them.
he comments at length upon the re-
fusal of the North to surrender to the
South fugitive slaves, and criticizes
the fourteen states of that section,
which by legislative enactment de-
i
party to such . crime.
With Prof MAsRY, all of the slave
owners were kind and indulgent to
their human property. He is severe
in his denuncistion of the JOHN BROWN
Raid.
AS an evidence of how he states his
side OF the case, he places the strength
Of the Federal armies at (2,772, 00O)
two million, seven hundred and seven
ty-two thousand men and Confederate
armies at only (6OO, OOO) six hundred
thousand men.
! Butsthe most surprising portion Of
the whole work is that which relates
} to the firing upon Fort Sumter.
Although the United States Govern
} ment was reinforcing its own troops
J upon its own territory, and fort of the
aforesaid government was on that ac-
J count fred upon by men who at that
} time had not been recognized as belli-
} gerents and owed allegiance to the
national flag. Prof. MAURY coolly
: says:
, The responsibility OF the war was
shifted from those who begun it by the
attempt TO forcibly reinforce Sumter
to the CoHfederates, who, having due
notice of the coming invasion took
such measures a. would prevent the
Judgement of . hostile army in the
strongest fortress within their terrific
~.
This is the argument of the high
. wayman-robber in dealing with hii
!, victim he (victim killed himself BY
refusing to hold up his hands.
One amusing conclusion in this worl
is that on the soil of Virginia, the Fed
eral troops never won . victory.
It is ascerteined too that even thu
Merrimac was never defeated by the
Monitor. 1t simply withdrew because
it got tired fighting ana was "a little
leaky."
PRoF. MAURY does not deign to cal
the vessel by its latest name, but ad
heres to the title, Virginia"
As an illustration Of this partisan
spirit on page 1877, he says, "Undel
Generals Joe Johnston and Lee, the
, Army of Northern Virginia was al
ways victorious. 1t never lost a bat.
tie in Virginia."
The defeat at Gettysburg ia thereby
skillfully excluded, because that,wss il
Penusylvania, and the retreat from
Antiedam to Appomattox is turned in.
to one series of victories by stroke o.
the pen.
1t was these kind Of victories which
proved so disastrous to the Confeder.
ate cause and resulted in the subjuga-
, tion of the states composing the com
binAtion against the government.
Prof. MAURY declares that "the wal
had been conducted with extraordina-
~ cruelty by the Lincoln government
He omits all reference TO the order
of the Confederate officials instructine
its troops in the field to take no Ne
groes prisoners and TO infiict the death
penalty upon all white Union officers
found in command of such soldiers.
, He does: not publish the extract
from the letter of General r. E. LEE
advising the organization Of Negro
regiments, and guaranteeing freedom
to the members thereof as o reward
for their services.
From magnifying the strength of the
Union armies to more than one<nillion
soldiers, he makes the number twenty
million and throws in the world as q
source from which they could hire
man OF war.
The author pays . tribute to General
U. 8. GRANT. In fact this is the only
page which illumines his record of the
Civil War.
We regret that Prof. MAuRY does
not measure up to the standard of q
historian. His work would serve its
purpose in being read to camp of
Confederate Veterans. It would in
spire them no doubt, and serve as a
glorious record of their side of the
controversy. But even they would
ultimately tire of the sameness of the
narrative. 1t is q repetition of the
LIMOGES" declarations 1T the begin
ming of the war that one southern man
could whip four Yankees.
The world is searching after the truth
and even southerners tire of their own
men who wilfully misrepresent facts
and portray victory where there was
defeat; prosperity. where there is hard
times.
We regret that good history in the
beginning should be made poor one
, at the end.
3. f. JOHNSON PUBLISHING Co.,
Publishers, Richmond, Va.
u LYnched in Mississippi.