Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1918-08-23

AttcT iOuT years Ot uc0poToto Wei
against over whelming odds, never
able to increase its armies to more
than about one fourth OF the opposing
armies, the Confederacy collapsed, and
Grant marched victoriously into Rich
mond. During that four years OF
struggle the South was completely cut
Off from all intercourse with the out
side world by sea, a. we'll ss from the
north and west by land. 1t was shut
up to itself and within itself; it had
to create over night q government
and an army and fiscal system; 1t
it had to create the industries needed
for the making of war supplies-prac-
ticslIy from the foundation up. Every
port from the Chesapeake Bay to the
border line OF Mexico was blocksded.
For four years, despite these appar-
emily insurmOuntable obstacles, the
South with an army of about 6OO, 900
as the total number engaged during
the war fought against armies four
times as great In number, backed by
the tremendous resources in money,
In foodstuffs, in munition- making IA
cilities CT the Union, which had the
commerce OF the world open to 1t.
Moreover, the sentiment of . large
part of the world was In favor OF the
Union because civilization had decreed
the death Of slavery, and slavery, tho
not the main issue, was one of the po'
tent issues involved.
When the war ended the South had
lost all of the capital which 1t had in
vested in slavery, just ss other Sec
tons had invested their wealth In
stocks and bonds. For four years 1t
had been drained to maintain its
armies, until there was nothing left
but a hollow shell, which crumbled to
pieces when once the "far- flung bat
tie line" of thin gray streak, from
Virginia to Texas, gave way.
In this struggle the South lost all
that had been invested In slavery and
In the creation OF q system OF labor
upon which its prosperity had in time
past been based. 1t lost every dollar
issued by the Confederate Govern
ment and during four years for the
carrying on Of the war and for all the
trade which went on at home. Not q
vsstige of capital invested In Confed-
crate money or bonds or slaves was
left as q basis for credit, or % start
ing point on which to rebuild. THIS
great section was bankrupt beyond
the power Of words to express; Its
whole labor system had been disor-
ganized; most of It's manufacturing
plants had been destroyed; its railroads
were but thin streaks OF rust; its
livestock had been 20 completely used
up to feed the armies that 1t was near
ly fifty years after the close OF the
war before the livestock of the South
equalled in number what the South
had in 1850, and even TO- day the num-
ber of sheep In the central South is far
less than it was at the beginning Of the
Civil War.
notwithstanding this indescribably
desperate situation, the South imme'
diately began to contribute its full pro-
portion of the hundreds of millions,
which have since run into billions and
billions, of pensions to the soldiers OF
the North, without OF course, q single
dollar OF pension to its own soldiers,
until after many years, individual
States took up In part the pensioning
OF the few remaining Confederate vet
erans.
Hercically, as all Anglo Saxons meet
such situations, the South asked nc
favors, Il sought no pensions, it never
asked that the money issued to it'
people should be redeemed.
This brief statement Of what the
South suffered, OF it's terrific losses, a
it's almost incOmprehensible poverty
utterly incOmprehensible to anyone
who did not live in that section dur
ing the long years of struggle in which
its people sought to provide for i'm
mediate needs IL given here merel!
as the background for q discussion %
why America aud our Allies shoult
feel no hesitation whatever, from an!
false sense Of pity, In imposing tn
heaviest penalty upon Germany.
Is II conceivable that we should per
NIT the $4,000. 900. 900 or more o
bonds which the German people hav
gIeefuiiy taken because they expect
ed that success would redeem thes