the day of the confederacy-第10章

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the　Courier　to　the　Mercury；　though　spirited；　was　all　in　general
terms。　〃To　shake　confidence　in　Jefferson　Davis；〃　said　the
Courier；　〃is。。。to　bring　'hideous　ruin　and　combustion'　down
upon　our　dearest　hopes　and　interests。〃　It　made　〃Mr。　Davis　and　his
defensive　policy〃　objects　of　all　admiration；　called　Davis　〃our
Moses。〃　It　was　deeply　indignant　because　it　had　been　〃reliably
informed　that　men　of　high　official　position　among　us〃　were
〃calling　for　a　General　Convention　of　the　Confederate　States　to
depose　him　and　set　up　a　military　Dictator　in　his　place。〃　The
Mercury　retorted　that；　as　to　the　plot　against　〃our　Moses；〃　there
was　no　evidence　of　its　existence　except　the　Courier's　assertion。
Nevertheless；　it　considered　Davis　〃an　incubus　to　the　cause。〃　The
controversy　between　the　Mercury　and　the　Courier　at　Charleston　was
paralleled　at　Richmond　by　the　constant　bickering　between　the
government　organ；　the　Enquirer；　and　the　Examiner；　which　shares
with　the　Mercury　the　first　place　among　the　newspapers　hostile　to
Davis。*

*　The　Confederate　Government　did　not　misapprehend　the　attitude　of
the　intellectual　opposition。　Its　foreign　organ；　The　Index；
published　in　London；　characterized　the　leading　Southern　papers
for　the　enlightenment　of　the　British　public。　While　the　Enquirer
and　the　Courier　were　singled　out　as　the　great　champions　of　the
Confederate　Government；　the　Examiner　and　the　Mercury　were
portrayed　as　its　arch　enemies。　The　Examiner　was　called　the
〃Ishmael　of　the　Southern　press。〃　The　Mercury　was　described　as
〃almost　rabid　on　the　subject　of　state　rights。〃

Associated　with　the　Examiner　was　a　vigorous　writer　having
considerable　power　of　the　old…fashioned；　furious　sort；　ever　ready
to　foam　at　the　mouth。　If　he　had　had　more　restraint　and　less
credulity；　Edward　A。　Pollard　might　have　become　a　master　of　the
art　of　vituperation。　Lacking　these　qualities；　he　never　rose　far
above　mediocrity。　But　his　fury　was　so　determined　and　his
prejudice　so　invincible　that　his　writings　have　something　of　the
power　of　conviction　which　fanaticism　wields。　In　midsummer；　1862；
Pollard　published　a　book　entitled　The　First　Year　of　the　War；
which　was　commended　by　his　allies　in　Charleston　as　showing　no
〃tendency　toward　unfairness　of　statement〃　and　as　expressing　views
〃mainly　in　accordance　with　popular　opinion。〃

This　book；　while　affecting　to　be　an　historical　review；　was
skillfully　designed　to　discredit　the　Confederate　Administration。
Almost　every　disaster；　every　fault　of　its　management　was
traceable　more　or　less　directly　to　Davis。　Kentucky　had　been
occupied　by　the　Federal　army　because　of　the　〃dull　expectation〃　in
which　the　Confederate　Government　had　stood　aside　waiting　for
things　somehow　to　right　themselves。　The　Southern　Congress　had
been　criminally　slow　in　coming　to　conscription；　contenting　itself
with　an　army　of　400；000　men　that　existed　〃on　paper。〃　〃The　most
distressing　abuses　were　visible　in　the　ill…regulated　hygiene　of
our　camps。〃　According　to　this　book；　the　Confederate
Administration　was　solely　to　blame　for　the　loss　of　Roanoke
Island。　In　calling　that　disaster　〃deeply　humiliating；〃　as　he　did
in　a　message　to　Congress；　Davis　was　trying　to　shield　his　favorite
Benjamin　at　the　cost　of　gallant　soldiers　who　had　been　sacrificed
through　his　incapacity。　Davis's　promotion　of　Benjamin　to　the
State　Department　was　an　act　of　〃ungracious　and　reckless　defiance
of　popular　sentiment。〃　The　President　was　〃not　the　man　to　consult
the　sentiment　and　wisdom　of　the　people；　he　desired　to　signalize
the　infallibility　of　his　own　intellect　in　every　measure　of　the
revolution　and　to　identify；　from　motives　of　vanity；　his　own
personal　genius　with　every　event　and　detail　of　the　remarkable
period　of　history　in　which　he　had　been　called　upon　to　act。　This
imperious　conceit　seemed　to　swallow　up　every　other　idea　in　his
mind。〃　The　generals　〃fretted　under　this　pragmatism〃　of　one　whose
〃vanity〃　directed　the　war　〃from　his　cushioned　seat　in　Richmond〃
by　means　of　the　one　formula；　〃the　defensive　policy。〃

One　of　Pollard's　chief　accusations　against　the　Confederate
Government　was　its　failure　to　enforce　the　conscription　law。　His
paper；　the　Examiner；　as　well　as　the　Mercury；　supported　Davis　in
the　policy　of　conscription；　but　both　did　their　best；　first；　to
rob　him　of　the　credit　for　it　and；　secondly；　to　make　his　conduct
of　the　policy　appear　inefficient。　Pollard　claimed　for　the
Examiner　the　credit　of　having　originated　the　policy　of
conscription；　the　Mercury　claimed　it　for　Rhett。

In　other　words；　an　aggressive　war　party　led　by　the　Examiner　and
the　Mercury　had　been　formed　in　those　early　days　when　the
Confederate　Government　appeared　to　be　standing　wholly　on　the
defensive；　and　when　it　had　failed　to　confide　to　the　people　the
extenuating　circumstance　that　lack　of　arms　compelled　it　to　stand
still　whether　it　would　or　no。　And　yet；　after　this　Government　had
changed　its　policy　and　had　taken　up　in　the　summer　of　1862　an
offensive　policy；　this　partyor　faction；　or　what　you
willcontinued　its　career　of　opposition。　That　the　secretive
habit　of　the　Confederate　Government　helped　cement　the　opposition
cannot　be　doubted。　It　is　also　likely　that　this　opposition　gave　a
vent　to　certain　jealous　spirits　who　had　missed　the　first　place　in
leadership。

Furthermore；　the　issue　of　state　sovereignty　had　been　raised。　In
Georgia　a　movement　had　begun　which　was　distinctly　different　from
the　Virginia…Carolina　movement　of　opposition；　a　movement　for
which　Rhett　and　Pollard　had　scarcely　more　than　disdainful
tolerance；　and　not　always　that。　This　parallel　opposition　found
vent；　as　did　the　other；　in　a　political　pamphlet。　On　the　subject
of　conscription　Davis　and　the　Governor　of　Georgiathat　same
Joseph　E。　Brown　who　had　seized　Fort　Pulaski　in　the　previous
yearexchanged　a　rancorous　correspondence。　Their　letters　were
published　in　a　pamphlet　of　which　Pollard　said　scornfully　that　it
was　hawked　about　in　every　city　of　the　South。　Brown；　taking　alarm
at　the　power　given　the　Confederate　Government　by　the　Conscription
Act；　eventually　defined　his　position；　and　that　of　a　large
following；　in　the　extreme　words：　〃No　act　of　the　Government　of　the
United　States　prior　to　the　secession　of　Georgia　struck　a　blow　at
constitutional　liberty　so　fell　as　has　been　stricken　by　the
conscript　acts。〃

There　were　other　elements　of　discontent　which　were　taking　form　as
early　as　the　autumn　of　1862　but　which　were　not　yet　clearly
defined。　But　the　two　obvious　sources　of　internal　criticism　just
described　were　enough　to　disquiet　the　most　resolute
administration。　When　the　triple　offensive　broke　down；　when　the
ebb…tide　began；　there　was　already　everything　that　was　needed　to
precipitate　a　political　crisis。　And　now　the　question　arises
whether　the　Confederate　Administration　had　itself　to　blame。　Had
Davis　proved　inadequate　in　his　great　undertaking？

The　one　undeniable　mistake　of　the　Government　previous　to　the
autumn　of　1862　was　its　excessive　secrecy。　As　to　the　other
mistakes　attributed　to　it　at　the　time；　there　is　good　reason　to
call　them　misfortunes。　Today　we　can　see　that　the　financial
situation；　the　cotton　situation；　the　relations　with　Europe；　the
problem　of　equipping　the　armies；　were　all　to　a　considerable
degree　beyond　the　control　of　the　Confederate　Government。　If　there
is　anything　to　be　added　to　its　mistaken　secrecy　as　a　definite
cause　of　irritation；　it　must　be　found　in　the　general　tone　given
to　its　actions　by　its　chief　directors。　And　here　there　is
something　to　be　said。

With　all　his　high　qualities　of　integrity；　courage；　faithfulness；
and　zeal；　Davis　lacked　that　insight　into　human　life　which　marks
the　genius　of　the　supreme　executive。　He　was　not　an　artist　in　the
use　of　men。　He　had　not　that　artistic　sense　of　his　medium　which
distinguishes　the　statesman　from　the　bureaucrat。　In　fact；　he　had
a　dangerous　bent　toward　bureaucracy。　As　Reuben　Davis　said　of　him；
〃Gifted　with　some　of　the　highest　attributes　of　a　statesman；　he
lacked　the　pliancy　which　enables　a　man　to　adapt　his　measures　to
the　crisis。〃　Furthermore；　he　lacked　humor；　there　was　no
safety…valve　to　his　intense　nature；　and　he　was　a　man　of　delicate
health。　Mrs。　Davis；　describing　the　effects　which　nervous
dyspepsia　and　neuralgia　had　upon　him；　says　he　would　come　ho