Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 17.djvu/163

 ii/e, Services and Character of Jefferson Davis, 155

such as was never surpassed, and has uttered no cry in the majesty of her sorrows.

No State has done more for peace than Virginia, as none had done more originally for union ; no State more reluctantly or more unselfishly drew the sword ; no State wielded a brighter or sterner blade after it was drawn; no State suffered so much by it; no State used triumph with more generosity or faced defeat with greater dignity ; no State has abided the fate of war with greater mag- nanimity or greater wisdom ; and no State turns her face with fairer hope or steadier courage to the future. It seemed the very sarcasm of destiny that the Mother of States should have been the only one of all the American Commonwealths that was cut in twain by the sword. But it is the greatness of spirit, not the size of the body, that makes the character and glory of the State, as of the man ; and old Virginia was never worthier the love of her sons and the respect of all mankind than to-day as she uncovers her head by the bier of the dead chieftain whose fortunes she followed in storm and trial, and to whose good fame she will be true, come weal, come woe.

THE ODDS AGAINST THE CONFEDERACY EXPLAIN ITS FALL.

I shall make no post-mortem examination of the Confederacy in search of causes for its fall. When an officer during the war was figuring on prospects of success, General Lee said to him : " Put up your pencil. Colonel ; if we follow the calculations of figures, we are whipped alreadly.*'

Twenty millions of people on the one side, nine millions (and half of them slaves) on the other ; a great navy, arsenals, armies, facto- ries, railroads, boundless wealth and science, and an open world to draw upon for resources and reinforcements upon the one side, and little more than a thin line of poorly armed and half-fed soldiery upon the other, pitted one man against two — a glance of the eye tells the story of the unequal contest. As my noble commander (General Early) said : " I will not speculate on the causes of failure, as I have seen abundant causes for it in the tremendous odds brought against us.'*

That President Davis made mistakes I do not doubt ; but the per- centage of mistakes was so small in the sum of his administration, and its achievements so transcended all proportions of means and opportunities, that mankind will never cease to wonder at their magnitude and their splendor.