Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 17.djvu/246

 238 Southern Historical Society Papers

In fact, arbitrary power and force have proved themselves failures as agencies in establishing or maintaining the true principles of American government.

The actual re-establishment of the Union, with all the blessings we enjoy under it, has come through a reaction against the policy of force and despotism.

The wave of arbitrary power, with the public and private corrup- tion that always attend it, swept on for many dreary years after the war, until it began to lap against the foundations of the independence of the Northern States.

They then found that to hold the South in subjection to govern- ments imposed upon it by Federal bayonets would endanger their own liberties, and the advancing wave broke upon the good sense and patriotism of the Northen people.

Then began the work of restoring the Union by means of justice, good -will, conciliation, and fraternal kindness, and they have done their work well. But the great mass of the Southern people believed, and still believe, that the same agencies would have done the same blessed work in 1861, before a dark river of blood and tears was made to flow between the people of the North and South.

RICHMOND.

It is impossible for me to speak of the military history of General Lee, or even refer to it, except in the most general way.

Richmond itself is the monument of his military genius.

When I set before you the task he had to perform and the means he had with which to perform it, I think you will see that what he did needs no adjective. General Lee always objected to the use of adjectives in the description of what was admirable in itself.

I had occasion, early in the campaign of 1862, to write an account of a brilliant performance of some of his troops, and having been an eye-witness, and being new to such things, I naturally put a good many adjectives into the narrative. When I took the report to him he struck out every adjective, saying : " Leave them out, sir ; is not a true account of what they did adjective enough ? '* I shall confine myself to a very general statement of what he did.

Richmond, after the destruction of the Virginia in April, 1862, became practically a frontier post, but its possession was necessary to prevent the loss of Virginia and the transfer of the war south of the Roanoke.