Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-10-22
MgRe,,es eA1-
THE CONFEDERACY'S HOPE.
Was There Ever Good Reason 10
Relieve We Would he Successful:


Believe We Would he Successful
To the Editor Of the Dispatch.
/ Ii is quite common In these latter days
/ TO hear the remark that the South In its
struggle with the North had no reason
/ able prospect of success-that. as these
/ wise men express il. at was hopeless from
/ the beginning" ] have lately read. with
satisfaction Il letter from Mr.. Minor, OF
the University of Virginia. in which he
/ controverts this belief and proves from
/ indisputable facts of history that il Is
! unfounded. ] am glad that some one com
petent 10 the task. az Mr.. Minor mas
proved himself 10 be, has undertaken 10
arrest such an error. which. though not
now prevailing TO large extent among
/ our people. may. If not opposed, attain TO
/ large proportions and affect injuriously
/ the truth Of current and future history
The dissemination of such an opinion
/ IS AN insult to the memory and slur
and stigma on the intelligence Of our IL
ustrious leaders, both civil and military
/ who entertained and often expressed
/ confident and unwavering faith in the
/ final success Of our cause.
! our statesmen and generals, in their
| addresses and proclamations, and in their
REPORTS and general orders 20 the army,
]
! 10 the Almighty Ruler of events I'm Hea-
ven and i'm earth. often declared their
! confident and unfaltering assurance in
/ the final success Of our cause. President
| Davis wrote 10 General Johnston: IN
/ that event an opportunity will be afforded
/ 10 make a flank attack i'm conjunction
| with General Beauregard, and with COO s
/ BLESSING 10 achieve victory alike slo-
/ rious and beneficial" And at the unveu-
/ ing Of the statue TO General jackson In
/ New Orleans he said: General Jackson
/ died confident If the Righteousness or MS
country's cause and never doubling ITS
final success.
with the same conviction 1 live to-day
/ and reverently bowling 10 the wisdom Of
| Him whose DEGREES i may not understand
! 1 still feel that the Confederacy ought 10
have succeeded. because it was founded
/ i'm truth and Justice
Generals Johnston and Beauregard IN
| general orders 10 the army after the bat
/ tie Of first Manassas, said: Soldiers, We
| congratulate you ON an event which in
sures the liberty Of our country. Con-
dnue this noble devotion, looking always
TO the protection of just Cod and be-
fore the time grows much older We will
! be hailed as the deliyerers of ten millions
/ Of people
General Lee. I'm general orders 10 the
/ army. said: Soldiers. your country will
thank YOU for the heroic conduct you
have displayed-cOnduct worthy OF men
| engaged I'm cause so just and sacred.
and deserving "a nations gratitude and
/ praise
"Ihis has been a sad day 10 u.s. said
General Lee at Gettysburg but We can
not always expect 10 win victories.
ut was a sad day FOR the South" said
| General Fitz. Lee. "for at that time II
/ was within a stones throw Of peace"
Instances of this confident belief and
assurance of our final success might be
| multiplied almost indefinitely, but j have
said nough TO justify my assertion that
they who speak so hippantly of our cause
as hopeless from the beginning insult
| the memory of our immortal dead
Nor was this confident belief confined TO
| the people of the South.
IL is well known that large proportion
| of the northern people I'm 1868 were OPP
posed 10 the further prosecution of the
! war. and protested against II. The Demo-
| cratic party, when General Mcclellan
wa\. nominated for the presidency. de
clareNNthat the war was unjust and I'M
unsuitable. could never be brought 90 a
successful termination and ought TO be
/ abandoned.
/ President Lincoln. I'm his emancipation
negroes of the South were enlisted as
soldiers in the northern armies ne would
/ never be able to suppress the rebellion
as he chose TO call tia most humiliating
/ confession for the northern people, with
/ their three millions of soldiers opposed
/ TO our seven hundred thousands.
| That proclamation can be justified only
as d war measure military necessity
/ and this is q confession of weakness.
/ Hopeless from the beginning Is a
! catchy phrase, adopted and repeated by
/ superficial writer's and speakers, who
seem to think that there IS condensed i'm
/ 10 an the wisdom contained i'm the Pro
verbs OF Solomon
/ Rcy. Or. Burroughs an eminent minis
| ter of the Gospel and a devoted Confede-
rate. whom We all knew and admired, in
au address delivered I'm this city. well
! expressed our estimate of these latter-day
prophets and modern Cassandras. both
/ male and female: 1T mortihes ones in
! tellectual pride-depresses him with
sense of his own mental infrmity-to be
! assured by a far-looking seer. why !
/ saw how an must end from the begin
ming: predicted ten years before the
! event that Richmond would fan and the
! Confcderacy collapse: i told YOU so "
The Doctor goes on TO say that he felt
/ quite sure that the day OF judgment would
come before Richmond would pass into
| The possession of the enemy.
d" Furl that banner-furl il sadly;
| once ten thousands hailed 10 gladly.
And ten thousands wildly, madly,
Swore il would forever wave
Swore that fOeman's sword could never
Uaarts like theirs entwined discover
Till that flag would float forever
O'er their freedom or their grave
p.enoctfullv h. NJ. PARHAM.