resources of the South. And we have seen the wisdom which he
displayed from the very first in the section of his generals. With
rare exceptions, he put the right man in the right place. He knew
the importance of placing soldiers in command, when soldiers' duty
was to be performed. It would have been fortunate for us if we had
exercised similar wisdom. When the rebellion began, there was no man
in the South to have taken the place of Mr. Davis. It is not too
much to say that had he remained loyal to his country, and been
elevated to the command of our armies when the war began, he would
have quickly crushed out the rebellion. With his grasp of mind, and
his iron will, he would have so wielded the great resources of the
North and West, that the rebellion would have been crushed in a year
from its birth. And this was the man our authorities at Washington
supposed would not, or could not, attack the capital after it had
been stripped of its proper garrison. Let the truth be told: Davis
was not the man to let such a blunder go unnoticed.