the day of the confederacy-第18章

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become　hopeless。

Under　such　conditions；　when　the　Government　at　Richmond　called
upon　the　men　of　the　Southwest　to　regard　themselves　as　mere
sources　of　supply；　human　and　otherwise；　mere　feeders　to　a　theater
of　war　that　did　not　include　their　homes；　it　was　altogether
natural　that　they　should　resent　the　demand。　All　the　tragic
confusion　that　was　destined　in　the　course　of　the　fateful　year
1864　to　paralyze　the　Government　at　Richmond　was　already　apparent
in　the　middle　Gulf　country　when　the　year　began。　Chief　among　these
was　the　inability　of　the　State　and　Confederate　Governments　to
cooperate　adequately　in　the　business　of　conscription。　The　two
powers　were　determined　rivals　struggling　each　to　seize　the　major
part　of　the　manhood　of　the　community。　While　Richmond；　looking　on
the　situation　with　the　eye　of　pure　strategy；　wished　to　draw
together　the　full　man…power　of　the　South　in　one　great　unit；　the
local　authorities　were　bent　on　retaining　a　large　part　of　it　for
home　defense。

In　the　Alabama　newspapers　of　the　latter　half　of　1863　strange
incidents　are　to　be　found　throwing　light　on　the　administrative
duel。　The　writ　of　habeas　corpus；　as　was　so　often　the　case　in
Confederate　history；　was　the　bone　of　contention。　We　have　seen
that　the　second　statute　empowering　the　President　to　proclaim
martial　law　and　to　suspend　the　operation　of　the　writ　had　expired
by　limitation　in　February；　1863。　The　Alabama　courts　were
theoretically　in　full　operation；　but　while　the　law　was　in　force
the　military　authorities　had　acquired　a　habit　of　arbitrary
control。　Though　warned　from　Richmond　in　general　orders　that　they
must　not　take　unto　themselves　a　power　vested　in　the　President
alone；　they　continued　their　previous　course　of　action。　It
thereupon　became　necessary　to　issue　further　general　orders
annulling　〃all　proclamations　of　martial　law　by　general　officers
and　others〃　not　invested　by　law　with　adequate　authority。

Neither　general　orders　nor　the　expiration　of　the　statute；
however；　seemed　able　to　put　an　end　to　the　interference　with　the
local　courts　on　the　part　of　local　commanders。　The　evil　apparently
grew　during　1863。　A　picturesque　instance　is　recorded　with　extreme
fullness　by　the　Southern　Advertiser　in　the　autumn　of　the　year。　In
the　minutely　circumstantial　account；　we　catch　glimpses　of　one
Rhodes　moving　heaven　and　earth　to　prove　himself　exempt　from
military　service。　After　Rhodes　is　enrolled　by　the　officers　of　the
local　military　rendezvous；　the　sheriff　attempts　to　turn　the
tables　by　arresting　the　Colonel　in　command。　The　soldiers　rush　to
defend　their　Colonel；　who　is　ill　in　bed　at　a　house　some　distance
away。　The　judge　who　had　issued　the　writ　is　hot　with　anger　at　this
military　interference　in　civil　affairs。　Thereupon　the　soldiers
seize　him；　but　later；　recognizing　for　some　unexplained　reason　the
majesty　of　the　civil　law；　they　release　him。　And　the　hot…tempered
incident　closes　with　the　Colonel's　determination　to　carry　the
case　to　the　Supreme　Court　of　the　State。

The　much　harassed　people　of　Alabama　had　still　other　causes　of
complaint　during　this　same　year。　Again　the　newspapers　illumine
the　situation。　In　the　troubled　autumn；　Joseph　Wheeler　swept
across　the　northern　counties　of　Alabama　and　in　a　daring　ride；
with　Federal　cavalry　hot　on　his　trail；　reached　safety　beyond　the
Tennessee　River。　Here　his　pursuers　turned　back　and；　as　their
horses　had　been　broken　by　the　swiftness　of　the　pursuit；　returning
slowly；　they　〃gleaned　the　country〃　to　replace　their　supplies。
Incidentally　they　pounced　upon　the　town　of　Huntsville。　〃Their
appearance　here；〃　writes　a　local　correspondent；　〃was　so　sudden
and。。。the　contradictory　reports　of　their　whereabouts〃　had
been　so　baffling　that　the　townspeople　had　found　no　time　to
secrete　things。　The　whole　neighborhood　was　swept　clean　of　cattle
and　almost　clean　of　provision。　〃We　have　not　enough　left；〃　the
report　continues；　〃to　haul　and　plow　with。。。and　milch　cows　are
non　est。〃　Including　〃Stanley's　big　raid　in　July；〃　this　was　the
twenty…first　raid　which　Huntsville　had　endured　that　year。　The
report　closes　with　a　bitter　denunciation　of　the　people　of
southern　Alabama　who　as　yet　do　not　know　what　war　means；　who　are
accused　of　complete　hardness　of　heart　towards　their　suffering
fellow…countrymen　and　of　caring　only　to　make　money　out　of　war
prices。

When　Davis　sent　his　message　to　the　Southern　Congress　at　the
opening　of　the　session　of　1864；　the　desperate　plight　of　the
middle　Gulf　country　was　at　once　a　warning　and　a　menace　to　the
Government。　If　the　conditions　of　that　debatable　land　should
extend　eastward；　there　could　be　little　doubt　that　the　day　of　the
Confederacy　was　nearing　its　close。　To　remedy　the　situation　west
of　the　main　Confederate　line；　to　prevent　the　growth　of　a　similar
condition　east　of　it；　Davis　urged　Congress　to　revive　the　statute
permitting　martial　law　and　the　suspension　of　the　writ　of　habeas
corpus。　The　President　told　Congress　that　in　parts　of　the
Confederacy　〃public　meetings　have　been　held；　in　some　of　which　a
treasonable　design　is　masked　by　a　pretense　of　devotion　of　state
sovereignty；　and　in　others　is　openly　avowed。。。a　strong
suspicion　is　entertained　that　secret　leagues　and　associations　are
being　formed。　In　certain　localities　men　of　no　mean　position　do
not　hesitate　to　avow　their　disloyalty　and　hostility　to　our　cause；
and　their　advocacy　of　peace　on　the　terms　of　submission　and　the
abolition　of　slavery。〃

This　suspicion　on　the　part　of　the　Confederate　Government　that　it
was　being　opposed　by　organized　secret　societies　takes　us　back　to
debatable　land　and　to　the　previous　year。　The　Bureau　of
Conscription　submitted　to　the　Secretary　of　War　a　report　from　its
Alabama　branch　relative　to　〃a　sworn　secret　organization　known　to
exist　and　believed　to　have　for　its　object　the　encouragement　of
desertion；　the　protection　of　deserters　from　arrest；　resistance　to
conscription；　and　perhaps　other　designs　of　a　still　more　dangerous
character。〃　To　the　operations　of　this　insidious　foe　were
attributed　the　shifting　of　the　vote　in　the　Alabama　elections；　the
defeat　of　certain　candidates　favored　by　the　Government；　and　the
return　in　their　stead　of　new　men　〃not　publicly　known。〃　The
suspicions　of　the　Government　were　destined　to　further
verification　in　the　course　of　1864　by　the　unearthing　of　a
treasonable　secret　society　in　southwestern　Virginia；　the　members
of　which　were　〃bound　to　each　other　for　the　prosecution　of　their
nefarious　designs　by　the　most　solemn　oaths。　They　were　under
obligation　to　encourage　desertions　from　the　army；　and　to　pass　and
harbor　all　deserters；　escaped　prisoners；　or　spies；　to　give
information　to　the　enemy　of　the　movements　of　our　troops；　of
exposed　or　weakened　positions；　of　inviting　opportunities　of
attack；　and　to　guide　and　assist　the　enemy　either　in　advance　or
retreat。〃　This　society　bore　the　grandiloquent　name　〃Heroes　of
America〃　and　had　extended　its　operations　into　Tennessee　and　North
Carolina。

In　the　course　of　the　year　further　evidence　was　collected　which
satisfied　the　secret　service　of　the　existence　of　a　mysterious　and
nameless　society　which　had　ramifications　throughout　Tennessee；
Alabama；　and　Georgia。　A　detective　who　joined　this　〃Peace
Society；〃　as　it　was　called；　for　the　purpose　of　betraying　its
secrets；　had　marvelous　tales　to　tell　of　confidential　information
given　to　him　by　members；　of　how　Missionary　Ridge　had　been　lost
and　Vicksburg　had　surrendered　through　the　machinations　of　this
society。*

*　What　classes　were　represented　in　these　organizations　it　is
difficult　if　not　impossible　to　determine。　They　seem　to　have　been
involved　in　the　singular　〃peace　movement〃　which　is　yet　to　be
considered。　This　fact　gives　a　possible　clue　to　the　problem　of
their　membership。　A　suspiciously　large　number　of　the　〃peace〃　men
were　original　anti…secessionists；　and　though　many；　perhaps　most；
of　these　who　opposed　secession　became　loyal　servants　of　the
Confederacy；　historians　may　have　jumped　too　quickly　to　the
assumption　that　the　sincerity　of　all　of　these　men　was　above
reproach。

In　spite　of　its　repugnance　to　the　suspension　of　the　writ　of
habeas　corpus；　Congress　was　so　impressed　by　the　gravity　of　the
situation　that　early　in　1864　it　passed　another　act　〃to　suspend
the　privilege　of　the　wri