The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-16

fian.isAmoFniun and political evft IL 4 needless
to expatiate on IT, disadvantages I think u q
greater evil to the white than to TIE colored
race, and, while my feelings are strongly In
terested in the latter. my sympathies are even
moro deeply engaged for the former" In the
Memoirs OF etoneWall Jackson" By his wife.
wa rond: II am very confident that he
would never have fought for the sole OBJ
joot OF perpetuating slavery. He Found
the Institution q responsible and troublesome
one, and I have heard him say that he would
prefer to see the negroes free, but he believed
that the Bible taught hat SiaZery was sane
toned by the Creator Himself. who maketh all
men 20 differ. and. established laws for the
bond and free. He. therefore. aecepted hlavery
as Il existed in the South, not AZ q thinR desir-
able in itself, but as allowed by Providence for
ends which II was not his business TO deter
mine" Touching accession. jackson held the
view which had long been dominant, in the
South. that any State had q right to withdraw
from the Union. Throughout the early months
Of 1881. nevertheless. he held that It was inex-
pedient for Virginia to- exercise the right. He
deprecated the hRsty action Of South Carolina.
ut IL better" he said. for the South to night
for her rights in the Union than out Of It,"
Believing. nevertheless. that any State had q
right to withdraw from the Union, he deemed
himself bound by logic to hold also that other
States had no right to coerce her to remain in
It. Consequently. when Virginia, after the
firing upon Fort Sumter. was called upon to
furnish her quota OF regiments for the Federal
Army. he thought that the demand should be
resisted, and when the Convention Of his State.
agreeing, with him In this particular. passed an
ordinance Of secession he. at once offered to
take .his share In the defence OF, her liberties,
even were It only as a private soldier. His
work thereafter was constant and absorbing.
The Governor Of Virginia informed the Super
intendent OF the Institute that he shouldn need
the services OF the moro advanced classes AZ
drillmasters, and that they must be prepared
to leave for Richmond under the command Of
Major Jackson at q moments notice. On the
Sunday following he passage OF the ordi-
nance OF secession the notice came. and at
/ O'Clock, after divine service. at his request.
had been performed at the head OF the. COM
mAnd. the battalion OF cadets were on their
way to Camp Lee. the rendezvous of the Vir-
ginia army. At Richmond. finding himself
without immediate occupation. Major jackson
volunteered TO assist In the drilling OF the new
levies. Some Of his friends in the Confederate
Congress presently proposed that he should be
sent to command at Harper's Ferry. There
was some opposition. which called forth q re-
mark that showed the estimation in which he
Woo y W NiAOoO WiO AhOW AAiAAAt b. "a 10
this Major jacksonp" it was asked. HE is
one.", was the reply. who. IL you order him
to hold a post, will never leave It alivo to
be occupied by the, enemy" Having been
commissioned by the Governor a Colonel
Of Virginia volunteers. he proceeded to
Harper's Ferry. where he ound assembled
some $500 men. Of whom all but 400 were
Virginians. The new commander seemed
a sorry substitute. for the gayly. attired
mill tia Generals whom he superseded. The
quiet man who came and went unnoticed. who
had nothing to say. and was even anxious to
avoid observation. was q typo OF soldier un-
familiar to the volunteers. At the same time.
the troops felt instinctiyely that the absence OF
ostentation meant hard work. They began to
realize the magnitude OF the obligations they
had assumed. Here was q man In earnest. who
looked upon war asa serious business. and who
was completely oblivlous to what people said or
thought. oflcers. as well as men. discovered
that they had to begin as recruits. and that
jackson was by no means inclined to cut short
essential preliminaries. Seven hours drill
daily was o heavy tax upon enthusiasm. but
It was severely enforced, and the garrison Of
the frontier post soon learned the elements of
Discipline was . lesson more difa-
cult to administer. Undue severity mighthave
produced, the very worst results. The OBJ
servance, therefore. OF those regulations which
were not in themselves Indispensable to eff
lcieney or health was not insisted on. L.Apses
in military etiquette were suffered to pass un-
noticed; no attempt was made to draw q
hard -and-fast line between officers and men:
many things which. in a regular army. would
be considered grossly irregular, were tacltly
permitted. At the same time wilful misbe-
havior was severely checked. NeGlect,o duty
and insubordination were crimes which jack
son never forgGve. and deliberate disobedience
was, in. his eyes. az unmanly an offence as
cowardice. He knew when to be firm as we'll
as when to relax. and it was not only in the
administration Of discipline that he showed
tact. He was the most patient OF instructors.
So long as those under him were trying to do
their best no one could have been kinder or
more forbearing.
Nv. p,
, Aside from the steady conversion Of his men
into soldiers. the capture of q large number OF
trains on the Baltimore and Ohio Railway was
Jsckson's only ach8 vement while in command
at Harper's Ferry. On May "a. 1881. he was
relieved by Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. who
assigned him to the command Of the First
Brigade OF the Army OF the Shenandoah. On
June 20 Jackson's brigade was ordered to de-