the day of the confederacy-第24章

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Lee's　refusal　to　overturn　the　Government。　There　can　be　no　doubt；
however；　that　all　the　enemies　of　Davis　in　Congress　and　out　of　it；
in　the　opening　months　of　1865；　made　a　determined　series　of
attacks　upon　his　Administration。　Nor　can　there　be　any　doubt　that
the　popular　faith　in　Lee　was　used　as　their　trump　card。　To　that
end；　a　bill　was　introduced　to　create　the　office　of　commanding
general　of　the　Confederate　armies。　The　bill　was　generally
applauded；　and　every　one　assumed　that　the　new　office　was　to　be
given　to　Lee。　On　the　day　after　the　bill　had　passed　the　Senate　the
Virginia　Legislature　resolved　that　the　appointment　of　General　Lee
to　supreme　command　would　〃reanimate　the　spirit　of　the　armies　as
well　as　the　people　of　the　several　States　and。。。inspire
increased　confidence　in　the　final　success　of　the　cause。〃　When　the
bill　was　sent　to　the　President；　it　was　accompanied　by　a
resolution　asking　him　to　restore　Johnston。　While　Davis　was
considering　this　bill；　the　Virginia　delegation　in　the　House；
headed　by　the　Speaker；　Thomas　S。　Bocock；　waited　upon　the
President；　informed　him　what　was　really　wanted　was　a　change　of
Cabinet；　and　told　him　that　three…fourths　of　the　House　would
support　a　resolution　of　want　of　confidence　in　the　Cabinet。　The
next　day　Bocock　repeated　the　demand　in　a　note　which　Davis
described　as　a　〃warning　if　not　a　threat。〃

The　situation　of　both　President　and　country　was　now　desperate。
The　program　with　which　the　Government　had　entered　so　hopefully
upon　this　fated　year　had　broken　down　at　almost　every　point。　In
addition　to　the　military　and　administrative　disasters；　the
financial　and　economic　situation　was　as　bad　as　possible。　So
complete　was　the　financial　breakdown　that　Secretary　Memminger；
utterly　disheartened；　had　resigned　his　office；　and　the　Treasury
was　now　administered　by　a　Charleston　merchant；　George　A。
Trenholm。　But　the　financial　chaos　was　wholly　beyond　his　control。
The　government　notes　reckoned　in　gold　were　worth　about　three
cents　on　the　dollar。　The　Government　itself　avoided　accepting
them。　It　even　bought　up　United　States　currency　and　used　it　in
transacting　the　business　of　the　army。　The　extent　of　the　financial
collapse　was　to　be　measured　by　such　incidents　as　the　following
which　is　recounted　in　a　report　that　had　passed　under　Davis's　eye
only　a　few　weeks　before　the　〃threat〃　of　Bocock　was　uttered：
〃Those　holding　the　four　per　cent　certificates　complain　that　the
Government　as　far　as　possible　discredits　them。　Fractions　of
hundreds　cannot　be　paid　with　them。　I　saw　a　widow　lady；　a　few　days
since；　offer　to　pay　her　taxes　of　1；271。31　with　a　certificate　of
1；300。　The　tax…gatherer　refused　to　give　her　the　change　of
28。69。　She　then　offered　the　whole　certificate　for　the　taxes。
This　was　refused。　This　apparent　injustice　touched　her　far　more
than　the　amount　of　the　taxes。〃

A　letter　addressed　to　the　President　from　Griffin；　Georgia；
contained　this　dreary　picture：

〃Unless　something　is　done　and　that　speedily；　there　will　be
thousands　of　the　best　citizens　of　the　State　and　heretofore　as
loyal　as　any　in　the　Confederacy；　that　will　not　care　one　cent
which　army　is　victorious　in　Georgia。。。。　Since　August　last
there　have　been　thousands　of　cavalry　and　wagon　trains　feeding
upon　our　cornfields　and　for　which　our　quartermasters　and　officers
in　command　of　trains；　regiments；　battalions；　companies；　and
squads；　have　been　giving　the　farmers　receipts；　and　we　were　all
told　these　receipts　would　pay　our　government　taxes　and　tithing；
and　yet　not　one　of　them　will　be　taken　by　our　collector。。。。
And　yet　we　are　threatened　with　having　our　lands　sold　for　taxes。
Our　scrip　for　corn　used　by　our　generals　will　not　be　taken。。。。
How　is　it　that　we　have　certified　claims　upon　our　Government；　past
due　ten　months；　and　when　we　enter　the　quartermaster's　office　we
see　placed　up　conspicuously　in　large　letters　〃no　funds。〃　Some　of
these　said　quartermasters　＇who＇　four　years　ago　were　not　worth　the
clothes　upon　their　backs；　are　now　large　dealers　in　lands；
negroes；　and　real　estate。〃

There　was　almost　universal　complaint　that　government　contractors
were　speculating　in　supplies　and　that　the　Impressment　Law　was
used　by　officials　to　cover　their　robbery　of　both　the　Government
and　the　people。　Allowing　for　all　the　panic　of　the　moment；　one　is
forced　to　conclude　that　the　smoke　is　too　dense　not　to　cover　a
good　deal　of　fire。　In　a　word；　at　the　very　time　when　local
patriotism　everywhere　was　drifting　into　opposition　to　the　general
military　command　and　when　Congress　was　reflecting　this　widespread
loss　of　confidence；　the　Government　was　loudly　charged　with
inability　to　restrain　graft。　In　all　these　accusations　there　was
much　injustice。　Conditions　that　the　Government　was　powerless　to
control　were　cruelly　exaggerated；　and　the　motives　of　the
Government　were　falsified。　For　all　this　exaggeration　and
falsification　the　press　was　largely　to　blame。　Moreover；　the
press；　at　least　in　dangerously　large　proportion；　was　schooling
the　people　to　hold　Davis　personally　responsible　for　all　their
suffering。　General　Bragg　was　informed　in　a　letter　from　a
correspondent　in　Mobile　that　〃men　have　been　taught　to　look　upon
the　President　as　an　inexorably　self…willed　man　who　will　see　the
country　to　the　devil　before　giving　up　an　opinion　or　a　purpose。〃
This　deliberate　fostering　of　an　anti…Davis　spirit　might　seem　less
malicious　if　the　fact　were　not　known　that　many　editors　detested
Davis　because　of　his　desire　to　abolish　the　exemption　of　editors
from　conscription。　Their　ignoble　course　brings　to　mind　one　of　the
few　sarcasms　recorded　of　Leethe　remark　that　the　great　mistake
of　the　South　was　in　making　all　its　best　military　geniuses　editors
of　newspapers。　But　it　must　be　added　in　all　fairness　that　the
great　opposition　journals；　such　as　the　Mercury；　took　up　this　new
issue　with　the　President　because　they　professed　to　see　in　his
attitude　toward　the　press　a　determination　to　suppress　freedom　of
speech；　so　obsessed　was　the　opposition　with　the　idea　that　Davis
was　a　monster！　Whatever　explanations　may　be　offered　for　the
prevalence　of　graft；　the　impotence　of　the　Government　at　Richmond
contributed　to　the　general　demoralization。　In　regions　like
Georgia　and　Alabama；　the　Confederacy　was　now　powerless　to　control
its　agents。　Furthermore；　in　every　effort　to　assume　adequate
control　of　the　food　situation　the　Government　met　the　continuous
opposition　of　two　groups　of　opponentsthe　unscrupulous　parasites
and　the　bigots　of　economic　and　constitutional　theory。　Of　the
activities　of　the　first　group；　one　incident　is　sufficient　to　tell
the　whole　story。　At　Richmond；　in　the　autumn　of　1864；　the　grocers
were　selling　rice　at　two　dollars　and　a　half　a　pound。　It　happened
that　the　Governor　of　Virginia　was　William　Smith；　one　of　the
strong　men　of　the　Confederacy　who　has　not　had　his　due　from　the
historians。　He　saw　that　even　under　the　intolerable　conditions　of
the　moment　this　price　was　shockingly　exorbitant。　To　remedy
matters；　the　Governor　took　the　State　of　Virginia　into　business；
bought　rice　where　it　was　grown；　imported　it；　and　sold　it　in
Richmond　at　fifty　cents　a　pound；　with　sufficient　profit　to　cover
all　costs　of　handling。

Nevertheless；　when　Smith　urged　the　Virginia　Legislature　to　assume
control　of　business　as　a　temporary　measure；　be　was　at　once
assailed　by　the　second　groupthose　martinets　of
constitutionalism　who　would　not　give　up　their　cherished
Anglo…Saxon　tradition　of　complete　individualism　in　government。
The　Administration　lost　some　of　its　staunchest　supporters　the
moment　its　later　organ；　the　Sentinel；　began　advocating　the
general　regulation　of　prices。　With　ruin　staring　them　in　the　face；
these　devotees　of　tradition　could　only　reiterate　their　ancient
formulas；　nail　their　colors　to　the　mast；　end　go　down；　satisfied
that；　if　they　failed　with　these　principles；　they　would　have
failed　still　more　terribly　without　them。　Confronting　the
practical　question　how　to　prevent　speculators　from　charging　400
per　cent　profit；　these　men　turned　grim　but　did　not　abandon　their
theory。　In　the　latter　part　of　1864　they　aligned　themselves　with
the　opposition　when　the　government　commissioners　of　impressment
fixed　an　official　schedule　that　boldly　and　ruthlessly　cut　under
market　prices。　The　attitud