The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-17
RECENT CRITICISMS OF THE
CONFEDERATE GOVERNMENT


In any importun, transactions and
suffer the losacs caused by them that
We learn what We should nave done in
each case.
II Ia commonly OF little bcurft TO
investigate our shortcomings In the
past when the damage rcsultina from
them can never be undone or repaired
nevertheless men will continue TO work
over the obsolete and usclcss prob
ieins' as was the case With Buiwer
Lytton's Eugene .Aratn, who, having
committed n murder was not strickcI
with rcmorsc bu, was constantiy re-
viewing the minutcst features OF his
airline in order 10 discover how he
Righ, have delivered the fatal blow
and disposed OF the corpse so that
thcrc would have been no clew lcr,
FOR the discovery OF The murderer
These observations arc suggested by
various criticisms of the supposed
causes which led to the failure of the
South In Its secession movement in
1876 TO gain it's independence.
The problem TO be solved was. in
brief that the South had a total OF
lo.Oo6.0D0 of population to the Nurth's
2o.oVo.p0o. OF the South's 100000 A.
100000 were negro slaves, while 5000
300 were whites. The slaves were kept a (
home 10 cultivate the land and perform
other labor. while the whitos alone fur
nishcd the hghtIng men to the number
OF something over nc.tenth of the
white population. The South. by this
rule, furnished between 100000 and
10000 men to serve In Its armies. By
tho same rule. the North could have
put In the field 5000, 600 men, besides
tho large numbers OF Southern whitcE
come 100000, known an Union men,
and ls6.6oc Southern negroes. who ran
n a. aszH It'll. a.
and served as soldiers. The onIcial
records show that e.ste.ooo men en-
listed IN the Northern armies.
The South. having the smaller force.
MAS required necessarily to strike as
suddenly and as often as possible. and
avoid a great onset ny the enemy
strlke h:m again on the flank. in tho
rear and crcrywherc rs unexpectedly
Es possible. Moreover, the South be.
Ing deficient In all means OF produc-
ton save OF food, but controlling the
worlds suppl? OF cotton, should have
used that to establish foreign credits,
eS moving II to foreign countries as
rapidly as possible bciorc all its ports
were blockaded.
OF course mistakes Of Gil sorts were
nude in the military movements and
In the material preparations, because
new nation. organized in haste, with
inexperienced men in places OF great
responsibility. would err through lack
Of knowledge while trying 10 do their
best.
In regard 10 tho use Of cotton as the
basis OF a great active capital for all
Inc purposes for which money is
needed. in desperate war; the most
fatal differences OF opinion existed,
and the fatal side OF tho proposition
WAS the one adopted by the govern
ment
This was that the great nations OF
Europe, England and France must
have cotton, and by keeping II in tho
South those nations. in order to get
1t. would recognize the nationality and
Independence OF the Confedoracy and
send great fleets Of merchant vessels.
conveyed and guarded by squadrons
OF warsh!ps. and open the blockade
which the North had enforced upon
our ports.
but the confident expectation that
the need for cotton would Impcl Euro
pean countries 10 recognize and inter
Ncne In behalf of tho South, INDUCED
In to the last moment, proved TO be
not only bitter Disappointment, but
fatal error.
Thomas Nelson Page. in the scrib-
hers Magazine for November, IN an
article on the civil and military opera
lions OF the Confederate government
justly holds that confcderated gov
eminent. based frankly on the su-
premo power OF the civil government
over tho military, Is not one under
which revolution can be fought out
with best results. In the constitu-
ton OF things the Confederate govern
ment OF the Southern States was In
cthclcnt to carry on such a war az that
between the States. Each State was
OF equal dignity and authority with
tho others. Each one was or more ,,n-
rortance In Its own eyes than any Of
her sisters. Most OF Thorn were at
times seriously, if not equally, threat
encd, and It was quite natural, when
States rights was the cornerstone Of
the confederation. that each state
should feel that her own interests were
TO her paramount to those OF her sis
tor States. Certainly this was tho
case. and at times, particularlv 10
ward the close OF the struggle. more
than one OF the South Atlantic States
was In ferment of opposition 10 the
Richmond authorities.
Tho Confederate President. who was
the civil CHIEF magistrate as well as
forces, undertook authoritative charge
p OF ~both functions. Flo vetoed an nct
which the Confederate Congress had
passed In 1869. creating the ofHco of
lcommander-in chief. and placing the
direction of military movements un-
der military control, but the President
found 1t unconstitutional and kept hia
hand on the army as we'll aa on civil
Ian affairs.
The punctiiious regard of the Presi-
dent for constitutional points touch.
ing his own preroGative was carried to
tho utmost extremes, and one instance
recorded In all its details In the pro-
ceedings OF the Virginia Legislature
out otherwise little known, illustrates
this fact.
virginia, which was only separated
by the Potomac River from the Dis
trlct OF Columbia and the national
capital was In I'M data oonto, ~ ,,,S4 +