Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1907-01-23

his State or to the Nation; and ] finally
assert that, whichever way he decided,
II only he decided honestly, putting self
interest behind him. he decided right.
Paradoxical as it sounds, | contend,
moreover, that this was indisputably
go. It was question OF sovereignty
State or National; and from decision,
of that question there was 10 seeded
State escape for no man."
Discussing In some detail the Battle
OF g Gettysburg, Mr.. Adams attributed
General Lees defeat to his underval-
uipg his opponent In that struggle. Con-
tinuipg, he, said Narrowly escaping
destruction at Gettysburg, my next con.
tention is that Lee and the Army OF
Northern Virginia never sustained de-
feat. Finally, 1t is true, succumbirg
to exhaustion, to the end they were not
overthrow In fight.
The speaker at this point briefly re-
viewed the Importance OF the great
Southern staple, cotton, and Its COM
plete exclusion from the manufactur-
ing centres OF Europe not causing a
revolution there, nor compelling inter
vention here. 1.-THE story OF that Lar.
cashire Cotton Famine OF 1861 to 1854
haze never been adequately told In con-
nection with our Civil War. Simply
ignored by the standard historians, 1t
was vet the Confederacy's fercest fight,
and it's most decisive as well as most
far reaching defeat. Thus, strange as
1t sounds, 1t follows as logical conse-
ouense that Leo and his Army Of MOI tn.
era Virginia were first reduced to In.
anition, and finally compelled to sue
cumb, as the result OF events on the
other side OF the Atlantic, largely slim
ulated by moral impulse over which
they could exert no control. The great
and loudly trumpeted cotton campaign
Of the Confederacy was Its most signal
failure; and that failure was decisive OF
| the war.
take living organism, whatever it
may be, place it In vessel Theoretically
sealed, aud attach to that vessel an air
pump. You know what follows. 1t
Is needless to describe 1t. No matter
how strong or fierce or self eonfidert 1t
may be, the victim dies; growing weaker
and weaker by degrees, 1t finally coz
llapses. That was the exact condition
and fate OF the Confederacy. What
had been confidently pronounced i'm
possible was done. The Confederacy
was sealed up within itself by the
blockade; and the complete exclusion
of cotton from the II anufacturiDg cen
tsrs Ct Europe did not cause reyolu-
ton there, nor compel Intervention here.
Mans foresight once more came to
grief. AS usual, 1t was the unexpected
| which occurred.
Foreign Intervention being thus
withheld, and the control CT the sea by
the Union made absolute, the blockade
was gradually perfected. The fateful
process then went steadily on. Armies
might be resisted Ia the field, the work
ing OF the air pump could not be stopped;
and day and night, season after season,
the air pump worked. So the atinos-
phere OF the Confederacy became more
and more attenuated, respiration sensi-
bly, harder. Air hoe on alr-hole was
closed. First New Orleans fell; then
Vicksburg, end securely counting onthe
control OF the sea the Mississippi flowed
free: next Sherman, as base OF new
operations on land, penetrated the
vitals OF the Confederacy; then, relying
still ON maritime coop GRAFTON, he pur-
sued his almost unopposed way through
the Carolinas; while Grant, with his
base secure upon the James end Fort
ress Monroe, beleagured Richmond.
Lee with his Army OF Northern Vir'
ginia calmly, but watchfully and reso'
llutely, confronted him. The Confed-
crate lines were long and thin, guarded
BIZ poorly clad and half-fed men. But,
veterans they held their assailants
firmly at bay. AS Lee, however, fully
realized, 1t was only question OF time.
The working Of the air-pump Was be-
yond his sphere either OF influence or
operations. Nothing could stop. 1t.
because no blood flowed on the
scaffold, and no confscations OF houses
or lands marked the close of our War
OF Secession, 1t had always been as
sumed by us OF the victorious party
that extreme, indeed Unprecedented
clemercy VIZ shown 10 the vanquished,
and that subsequently, they had no good
ground OF complaint or sufficient cause
for restiyeness. That history will ac-
cord assent to TO this somewhat self
complacent conviction is open to CUES
ton. On the contrary, 1t may not un-
fairly be doubted whether people
plosprate after civil strife has ofte
received seyerer measure than was In
fiicted ON the so-calleo reconstructed
Confederate States during the years
Immediately succeeding the close Of
strife
adam Smith somewhere defined
rebels and heretics as those rnlucky
persons who, when things have come
to a certain degree OF violence, have
the misfortune to be Of the weaker par
ty.' Spollati' n and physical suffering
have immemorially been their lot. The
Confederate, it Is true, when he ceased
TO resist, escaped this visitation In Its
usual and time-approved form, Ne7-
ertheless, he was by no means exeinpt
from It. In the matter OF confscation,
It has teen computed that the freeing
OF the slaves by act OF wer swept out
OF existence property valued at some
two thousand million s; while, over ana
above this, sy>tem OF simultaneous
reconstruction subjected the disfran
J cbIsed master to the rule Of the enfran-
chised boLdsmen.
"For a community conspicuously
masterful and VIGOROUSLY quick to re
sent affront to be thus placed ty allen
force under the civil rule Of those o.
different and distinctly inferior race,
only lately their property. is not phys
icai toI ment, 1t is true. but that 1t IL
mild or considerate treatment can
hardly be commended, Yet this-siaye
cynfiiscatlon and reconstruction under
African rule-was the war penalty i'm
posed OH thu States OF the Corfederacy
That the policy inspired at the time a
feeling OF bitter resentment in tie
South was no cause for wonder. Upon
it tire has already recorded verdict
Following the high precedent set a.
Appcmattox 1t was distinctly unworthy
Conceived in passion. it ignored both
science and the philosophy OF states
manship; worse yet, it was ungenerous
Lee. for instance, again setting the
example, applied formally for amnesty
and a restoration OF civil rights withil