The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-20

traordlnary and unanticipated outcome
Let me briefly set u forth as 1 see IL:
only by 50 doing can 1 explain what
mean.
South's Position at
Beginning Of the War
Tersely put. dealing only with OUT
lines. the Southern community IN 1851
Treclpitated a conflict on the slavery
issue "a Implicit reliance on lts own
warlke capacity and resources, the ex-
tent and very defensible character OF its
territory. and. above al. on its COM
plete control n cotton as the great staple
textile fabric * modern civilization.
That the seeding States fully believed
ia the Justice of their cause and con-
hdontly appealed 10 IL. do not question.
much less deny. For present purposes
let this be conceded 81 full But. his
torically, * 70 equally clear that 20 vim
clcate the right. next 10 their own man
hood and determination, they relied IN all
possible confidence on their apparently
absolute control OF one commerce.
STAPLE.
IN the struggle which ensued the Con-
federacy had on land an ample force %
men; they swarmed 20 the standards
and no better or more reliable material
was ever gathered together. Well and
siif1liy mershaled. the Confederate sol
der did on the march and IN battle all
l
two sides uneQually matched. 50 far as
the land arrays were concerned
AS Lee with his Instructive military
sense put ~ even IN the closing stages
OF the struggle-'~The proportion OF ex-
perienced troops is larger IN our army
than IN that of the enemy. while his
numbers exceeded our own" And ia
warfare experience. combined with an
advanta geous defensive. counts for
great deal. This was so throughout
the conflict; and vet the Confederate
cause sank IN failure i did so 10
tho complete surprise OF "A bewildered
world; for. IN Europe. the ultimate
success Of the South was accepted as
q fOregone conclusion To such an eN-
tent was this the case that the wisest
and most far-seeing OF English public
men did not hesitate 20 stake their
reputation for foresight upon 10 as a
result How was the wholly unex-
spccted actual outcome brought about?
The simple answer is. The COnfeder-
acy collapsed from hamilton. suffer
ing such occasional reverses and de-
feats as are incidental 10 all warfare,
~ was never crushed in battle or on
the field. until its strength was Slapped
away by want OF food. II died Of ex-
haustion-starved and gasping'
Take c living organism, whatever
il may be. place IL in @ vessel her
medically sealed. and attach to that
vessel an air pump. You know what
follows. p IL needless TO describe it
No matter how strong or fierce or self
confident ~ may be- the victim dies
growing weaker by degrees. IT finally
couapses That was the exact con-
dition and fate Of the COnfederacy.
What had been confidently pro-
nounced impossible was done The
Confederacy was sealed Cd within it
self by the blockade and the complete
exclusion OF cotton from the manu-
20. Z
cause revolution there nor compel in
tervention here. Mans foresight once
more came to grief. Az usual. IL was
the unexpected which occurred.
Two Decisive Defeats
of the COnfederacy.
Thus the two decisive defeats Of the
Confederacy. those which really
brought about its downfall and COM
PEELED Lee 10 lay down his arms. were
inflicted not before Nicksburg. nor yet
I'm Virginia. not in the field at all. they
were sustained. the one. almost by de-
fault, on the ocean; the other, most
l.fatal OF all. after sharpest struggle in
Lancashire The story or that Lam
cashire cotton famine OF 1851 to 1864
has never been adequately told in CON
nection with our Civil War. Sin1plv
ignored by the standard historians IL
was yet the Confcderacy's fierccst fight.
and its most decisive az we'll as most
far-rcaching defeat 4 momentous
conflict the supremacy OF the Union
on the ocean. hung on its issue. and
upon that supremacy depended every
considerable land operation: the re-
tcntion by the COnfederacv OF Nev-
Orleans. and the consequent control 81
( the Mississippi. Shcrman's march to the
SEA. the movement through the Caro-
llnas the operations before Petersburg.
generally. the maintenance Of the Con
fcderate armies in the fold
II IS. In fact. no exaggeration TO assert
tlat both the conception and the car
rying ont OF every large Union opera
ton Of the war without a single excep-
| ton hinged and depended on complete
national maritime supremacy. II Is
! equally indisputable that the struggle in
! Lancashire was decisive OF that supre-
! macy. AZ Lee himself admitted IN the
l death agony Of the Confederacy, he had
/ never believed II could IN the long run
| make good It's independence unless
! Foreign Powers should directly or in
/ directly. assist" IL In so doing
| Thus. strange is It sounds. It follows
as logical consequence that Lee and
| his Army OF Northern Virginia were first
/ reduced to hamilton. and finally COM
PEELED to succumb. as the result OF events
on the other aide OF the Atlantic, largely