The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-14

oLs, General Lee was the other" and
II was our cause of which the same
Lord Wooisey wrote:
An. realm of shades but let her bear
This biason to the END of tinaei
No nation rose so white and fair,
Or fell 30 free of crime
Lessons wwosm sMe wear.
AS prudent people who are taught
by experience. we should draw such
Lessons As we may from the failure OF
! the Confederaey and apply their force
/ to the present world crisis. We are
told that the important generals OF all
the beiliserents in Europe are study
ing the campaigns and strategy OF
Stonewsli Jackson az they are no other
mans save possibly. Napoleons. The
American people. lawmakers and
civilians, may well ask what lessons
the war Between the States teaches
them. some are these.
1st. Heroism without harmony lie
unavailinE. Braver men than followed
! our generals never shouldsred q mus
ket or faced T. zoe. but their daring
and sacrifices came 10 naught when
governors and editors and statesmen
criticised and. opposed the measures of
the Confederscy. The conscript law
was denounced, the president held up
| to contempt and the orders OF the Con-
federacy were disregarded and dened
when the tide OF battle flowed agains.
us. To some extent the same process
! IL going on In Great Britain. France,
italy and Russia, and | pray that il
may not be repeated In America.
| and. The inability of civilians and
congress to conduct q war. II Is
| painful memory that the attempt OF
civilians and lawmakers to determine
military poiicies hampered President
/ Davis and General Lee They en-
deavored to control the appointment OF
military officers and delayed and de-
! oated important measures when deci-
sion and action were imperatively
needed. A congress that should have
employed every agency and strained
every nerve TO furnish Lee with all pos
sible men and money, wasted precious
sessions discussing alleged unfatrness
! in the distribution of military Offices.
Instead of accepting the advice of the
commanding general and the recon-
, mendation OF the president for extend
ing conscription from thirty-fve to
| torty-dve. congressional doctrinatres
proposed a substitution of the volun-
/ teer system. To cure the Ills result
ing from struggling. General Lee asked
FOR competent and impartial court
! martial with power to in fiict the death
penalty, and the reply OF congress was
an investigation to see whether the
officers of the army had imposed capiA
tai sentences. Congress twice enacted
legislation which would have depleted
the army by allowing irresponsible
physicians to grant furloughs. and the
president. in vetoing the bills. re-
! minded the lawmakers that IAN army
could not be administered by statute"
An astute historian has said. II ever
| people ATTEMPTED to bride their
executive, the Southerners did SO by
/ their, choice of civil representatives
/ during the war" I am almost ready
! to. take the position that the sma II
chickering's. selfish ambitions. pa rsonal
t favoritisms and spoken and unspoken
disloyalty within the Confederacy did
more than the federal army to wreck
cur Southern homes and break the
heart of our president. The lesion for
us today II so plain that "he who runs
may read" Politics may provoke
| war. but Il has never yet won a war
3rd. The necessity of subordinating
every other expedlency to military eff
dciency The Confederate cabinet was
/ not the first nor the last formed to
compose political differences rattle:
than to engage the ablest talent Pres
! !dent Davis himself was a Yves.
/, Pointer. a brilliant officer of the Mexi-
can war, successful secretary CT war,
g man trained for his task He began
with the policy of employing experts
as generals-Samuel Cooper. A. s.
Johnston. Robert K. Lee. Joseph Il.
, Johnston, p. G. r. Beaurerard--eyery
enc of them from West Point Imme-
diateiy. popular poiitical orators and
! distinguished civilians began to criti-
/ size him and they never forgave him.
| tth. The peril OF unpreparedneas,
The South was country Of merchants
and planters. with few manufactures
with sxpossd sidss, and I t<fritory