the day of the confederacy-第11章

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health。　Mrs。　Davis；　describing　the　effects　which　nervous
dyspepsia　and　neuralgia　had　upon　him；　says　he　would　come　home
from　his　office　〃fasting；　a　mere　mass　of　throbbing　nerves；　and
perfectly　exhausted。〃　And　it　cannot　be　denied　that　his　mind　was
dogmatic。　Here　are　dangerous　lines　for　the　character　of　a　leader
of　revolutionthe　bureaucratic　tendency；　something　of　rigidity；
lack　of　humor；　physical　wretchedness；　dogmatism。　Taken　together；
they　go　far　toward　explaining　his　failure　in　judging　men；　his
irritable　confidence　in　himself。

It　is　no　slight　detail　of　a　man's　career　to　be　placed　side　by
side　with　a　genius　of　the　first　rank　without　knowing　it。　But
Davis　does　not　seem　ever　to　have　appreciated　that　the　man
commanding　in　the　Seven　Days'　Battles　was　one　of　the　world's
supreme　characters。　The　relation　between　Davis　and　Lee　was　always
cordial；　and　it　brought　out　Davis's　character　in　its　best　light。
Nevertheless；　so　rooted　was　Davis's　faith　in　his　own　abilities
that　he　was　capable　of　saying；　at　a　moment　of　acutest　anxiety；
〃If　I　could　take　one　wing　and　Lee　the　other；　I　think　we　could
between　us　wrest　a　victory　from　those　people。〃　And　yet；　his
military　experience　embraced　only　the　minor　actions　of　a　young
officer　on　the　Indian　frontier　and　the　gallant　conduct　of　a
subordinate　in　the　Mexican　War。　He　had　never　executed　a　great
military　design。　His　desire　for　the　military　life　was；　after　all；
his　only　ground　for　ranking　himself　with　the　victor　of　Second
Manassas。　Davis　was　also　unfortunate　in　lacking　the　power　to
overcome　men　and　sweep　them　along　with　himthe　power　Lee　showed
so　conspicuously。　Nor　was　Davis　averse　to　sharp　reproof　of　the
highest　officials　when　he　thought　them　in　the　wrong。　He　once
wrote　to　Joseph　E。　Johnston　that　a　letter　of　his　contained
〃arguments　and　statements　utterly　unfounded〃　and　〃insinuations　as
unfounded　as　they　were　unbecoming。〃

Davis　was　not　always　wise　in　his　choice　of　men。　His　confidence　in
Bragg；　who　was　long　his　chief　military　adviser；　is　not　sustained
by　the　military　critics　of　a　later　age。　His　Cabinet；　though　not
the　contemptible　body　caricatured　by　the　malice　of　Pollard；　was
not　equal　to　the　occasion。　Of　the　three　men　who　held　the　office
of　Secretary　of　State；　Toombs　and　Hunter　had　little　if　any
qualification　for　such　a　post；　while　the　third；　Benjamin；　is　the
sphinx　of　Confederate　history。

In　a　way；　Judah　P。　Benjamin　is　one　of　the　most　interesting　men　in
American　politics。　By　descent　a　Jew；　born　in　the　West　Indies；　he
spent　his　boyhood　mainly　at　Charleston　and　his　college　days　at
Yale。　He　went　to　New　Orleans　to　begin　his　illustrious　career　as　a
lawyer；　and　from　Louisiana　entered　politics。　The　facile　keenness
of　his　intellect　is　beyond　dispute。　He　had　the　Jewish　clarity　of
thought；　the　wonderful　Jewish　detachment　in　matters　of　pure　mind。
But　he　was　also　an　American　of　the　middle　of　the　century。　His
quick　and　responsive　naturea　nature　that　enemies　might　call
simulativecaught　and　reflected　the　characteristics　of　that
singular　and　highly　rhetorical　age。　He　lives　in　tradition　as　the
man　of　the　constant　smile；　and　yet　there　is　no　one　in　history
whose　state　papers　contain　passages　of　fiercer　violence　in　days
of　tension。　How　much　of　his　violence　was　genuine；　how　much　was　a
manner　of　speaking；　his　biographers　have　not　had　the　courage　to
determine。　Like　so　many　American　biographers　they　have　avoided
the　awkward　questions　and　have　glanced　over；　as　lightly　as
possible；　the　persistent　attempts　of　Congress　to　drive　him　from
office。

Nothing　could　shake　the　resolution　of　Davis　to　retain　Benjamin　in
the　Cabinet。　Among　Davis's　loftiest　qualities　was　his　sense　of
personal　loyalty。　Once　he　had　given　his　confidence；　no　amount　of
opposition　could　shake　his　will　but　served　rather　to　harden　him。
When　Benjamin　as　Secretary　of　War　passed　under　a　cloud；　Davis　led
him　forth　resplendent　as　Secretary　of　State。　Whether　he　was　wise
in　doing　so；　whether　the　opposition　was　not　justified　in　its
distrust　of　Benjamin；　is　still　an　open　question。　What　is　certain
is　that　both　these　able　men；　even　before　the　crisis　that　arose　in
the　autumn　of　1862；　had　rendered　themselves　and　their　Government
widely　unpopular。　It　must　never　be　forgotten　that　Davis　entered
office　without　the　backing　of　any　definite　faction。　He　was　a
〃dark　horse；〃　a　compromise　candidate。　To　build　up　a　stanch
following；　to　create　enthusiasm　for　his　Administration；　was　a
prime　necessity　of　his　first　year　as　President。　Yet　he　seems　not
to　have　realized　this　necessity。　Boldly；　firmly；　dogmatically；　he
gave　his　whole　thought　and　his　entire　energy　to　organizing　the
Government　in　such　a　way　that　it　could　do　its　work　efficiently。
And　therein　may　have　been　the　proverbial　rift　within　the　lute。　To
Davis　statecraft　was　too　much　a　thing　of　methods　and　measures；
too　little　a　thing　of　men　and　passions。

During　the　autumn　of　1862　and　the　following　winter　the　disputes
over　the　conduct　of　the　war　began　to　subside　and　two　other　themes
became　prominent：　the　sovereignty　of　the　States；　which　appeared
to　be　menaced　by　the　Government；　and　the　personality　of　Davis；
whom　malcontents　regarded　as　a　possible　despot。　Contrary　to
tradition；　the　first　note　of　alarm　over　state　rights　was　not
struck　by　its　great　apostle　Rhett；　although　the　note　was　sounded
in　South　Carolina　in　the　early　autumn。　There　existed　in　this
State　at　that　time　an　extra　assembly　called　the　〃Convention；〃
which　had　been　organized　in　1860　for　the　general　purpose　of
seeing　the　State　through　the　〃revolution。〃　In　the　Convention；　in
September；　1862；　the　question　of　a　contest　with　the　Confederate
Government　on　the　subject　of　a　state　army　was　definitely　raised。
It　was　proposed　to　organize　a　state　army　and　to　instruct　the
Legislature　to　〃take　effectual　measures　to　prevent　the　agents　of
the　Confederate　Government　from　raising　troops　in　South　Carolina
except　by　voluntary　enlistment　or　by　applying　to　the　Executive　of
the　State　to　call　out　the　militia　as　by　law　organized；　or　some
part　of　it　to　be　mustered　into　the　Confederate　service。〃　This
proposal　brought　about　a　sharp　debate　upon　the　Confederate
Government　and　its　military　policy。　Rhett　made　a　remarkable
address；　which　should　of　itself　quiet　forever　the　old　tale　that
he　was　animated　in　his　opposition　solely　by　the　pique　of　a
disappointed　candidate　for　the　presidency。　Though　as　sharp　as
ever　against　the　Government　and　though　agreeing　wholly　with　the
spirit　of　the　state　army　plan；　he　took　the　ground　that
circumstances　at　the　moment　rendered　the　organization　of　such　an
army　inopportune。　A　year　earlier　he　would　have　strongly　supported
the　plan。　In　fact；　in　opposition　to　Davis　he　had　at　that　time；　he
said；　urged　an　obligatory　army　which　the　States　should　be
required　to　raise。　The　Confederate　Administration；　however；　had
defeated　his　scheme。　Since　then　the　situation　had　changed　and　had
become　so　serious　that　now　there　was　no　choice　but　to　submit　to
military　necessity。　He　regarded　the　general　conscription　law　as
〃absolutely　necessary　to　save〃　the　Confederacy　〃from　utter
devastation　if　not　final　subjugation。　Right　or　wrong；　the　policy
of　the　Administration　had　left　us　no　other　alternative。。。。〃

The　dominant　attitude　in　South　Carolina　in　the　autumn　of　1862　is
in　strong　contrast；　because　of　its　firm　grasp　upon　fact；　with　the
attitude　of　the　Brown　faction　in　Georgia。　An　extended　history　of
the　Confederate　movementone　of　those　vast　histories　that
delight　the　recluse　and　scare　away　the　man　of　the　worldwould
labor　to　build　up　images　of　what　might　be　called　the
personalities　of　the　four　States　that　continued　from　the
beginning　to　the　end　parts　of　the　effective　Confederate
systemVirginia；　the　two　Carolinas；　and　Georgia。　We　are　prone　to
forget　that　the　Confederacy　was　practically　divided　into　separate
units　as　early　as　the　capture　of　New　Orleans　by　Farragut；　but　a
great　history　of　the　time　would　have　a　special　and　thrilling
story　of　the　conduct　of　the　detached　western　unit；　the　isolated
world　of　Louisiana；　Arkansas；　and　Texasthe　〃Department　of　the
Trans…Mississippi〃cut　off　from　the　main　body　of　the　Confederacy
and　hemmed　in　between　the　Federal　army　and　the　deep　sea。　Another
group　of　S