Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-12-14
.BUCKNER MIGHT
HAVE CHANGED HISTORY
Times When lie Was a Fac
tor in Its Making.
jacksonville Times-Um1on.)

Y }
Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner an
nounces at the age of So that he will
retire to tbs little log cabin in which
he was born and stay there till he
dies. He says his work lis done and
he would be a boy again if he could,
and the nearest approach to tits hap
Ply condition lis to be found amid the
scenes where isis boyhood began BY
no means would we disturb the repose
of the veteran soldier, but his life
offers opportunities to those fond of
showing how history might have been
that should not be neglected.
Perhaps if that boy had remained in
the neighborhood of that cabin the
SOUTH would now be an independent
nation. 1t was because Gen. Buckner
was in position to override Forrest at
Fort Donelson that Grant caught the
attention of the public-had not Buck
ner and Fl oyd insisted ON the surrend-
er at Fort Donelscn the impressive
Grant mi2ht never have been accepted
as the fit leader of the Northern arm
les; but for Grant, Sherman would
not have been ALLOWED to march
Georgia, and Lee could have
prolonged the strength of his army in
Virginia for another year, since that
army retreated from Richmond be-
cause it could not be fed and not be-
cause it was defeated Nor can it be
denied that when Lee surrendered
even Lincoln had been made to apnre
ciate the impossibility of contnuine
the efforts to conquer TIE South-the
North WAS at the end of it's financial
resources as we'll as it's patience. No
Northern commander but Grant could
have hastened the evacuation of Rich
mend Within hse lmrts of Northern
endurance, and the weakness of Buck
ner made Grant possible.
Another twist to the HISTORY of this
country may be credited to Buckner.
So long as it seemed that the South
would vote the Democratic ticket With
out reference to the names ON Il the
dominance of Bryan would have en-
dured-Buclxner' revolt dJenonst rlat al
to the world the fact that the patience
OF the South was olltworn and anclhnr
set of leaders became possible-Par-
ker>s defeat seemed, at one time 10
ilt1Ve established TIE despotism of the
radical wing of the party, and would
nave dome SO but for the evidence that
Bryan also was weak. These two do
monGtrations that seemed to promise
eternal life to RepubLleanism were
realty the cause of its downfall be-
cause it made its leaders reckless ami
showed their true colors.
Tie futility of such speculafions = 9
10 WHAT might have been has been
often shown, but the educational valua
OF the expeditions they convey is
easly susceptible of proof. The old
soldier has chosen to be boy again
as far as he may; wLlat a lesson in the
fact that if this subordinate actor N
aIese great dramas had kept off the
stage the tragedy might have ended
quite otherwise and the comedy n,,s,t
nave taken a different course! 1t is
entirely true that Roosevelt became .
national hero because Buckner thrus-
hlnself again upon the stage and
Roosevelt lis NEW discredted and TO-
lofn because he took himself too seri-
ously and refused to believe that he
rose because Platt and Quay inflated
him for their naeds ID not because
OF any native strength in his head or
tongue.