the day of the confederacy-第25章

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fixed　an　official　schedule　that　boldly　and　ruthlessly　cut　under
market　prices。　The　attitude　of　many　such　people　was　expressed　by
the　Montgomery　Mail　when　it　said：

〃The　tendency　of　the　age；　the　march　of　the　American　people；　is
toward　monarchy；　and　unless　the　tide　is　stopped　we　shall　reach
something　worse　than　monarchy。

〃Every　step　we　have　taken　during　the　past　four　years　has　been　in
the　direction　of　military　despotism。

〃Half　our　laws　are　unconstitutional。〃

Another　danger　of　the　hour　was　the　melting　away　of　the
Confederate　army　under　the　very　eyes　of　its　commanders。　The
records　showed　that　there　were　100；000　absentees。　And　though　the
wrathful　officials　of　the　Bureau　of　Conscription　labeled　them　all
〃deserters；〃　the　term　covered　great　numbers　who　had　gone　home　to
share　the　sufferings　of　their　families。

Such　in　brief　was　the　fateful　background　of　the　congressional
attack　upon　the　Administration　in　January；　1865。　Secretary
Seddon；　himself　a　Virginian；　believing　that　he　was　the　main
target　of　the　hostility　of　the　Virginia　delegation；　insisted　upon
resigning。　Davis　met　this　determination　with　firmness；　not　to　say
infatuation；　and　in　spite　of　the　congressional　crisis；　exhausted
every　argument　to　persuade　Seddon　to　remain　in　office。　He　denied
the　right　of　Congress　to　control　his　Cabinet；　but　he　was　finally
constrained　to　allow　Seddon　to　retire。　The　bitterness　inspired　by
these　attempts　to　coerce　the　President　may　be　gauged　by　a　remark
attributed　to　Mrs。　Davis。　Speaking　of　the　action　of　Congress　in
forcing　upon　him　the　new　plan　for　a　single　commanding　general　of
all　the　armies；　she　is　said　to　have　exclaimed；　〃I　think　I　am　the
proper　person　to　advise　Mr。　Davis　and　if　I　were　he；　I　would　die
or　be　hung　before　I　would　submit　to　the　humiliation。〃

Nevertheless　the　President　surrendered　to　Congress。　On　January
26；　1865；　he　signed　the　bill　creating　the　office　of　commanding
general　and　at　once　bestowed　the　office　upon　Lee。　It　must　not　be
supposed；　however；　that　Lee　himself　had　the　slightest　sympathy
with　the　congressional　cabal　which　had　forced　upon　the　President
this　reorganization　of　the　army。　In　accepting　his　new　position　he
pointedly　ignored　Congress　by　remarking；　〃I　am　indebted　alone　to
the　kindness　of　His　Excellency；　the　President；　for　my　nomination
to　this　high　and　arduous　office。〃

The　popular　clamor　for　the　restoration　of　Johnston　had　still　to
be　appeased。　Disliking　Johnston　and　knowing　that　the　opposition
was　using　a　popular　general　as　a　club　with　which　to　beat　himself；
Davis　hesitated　long　but　in　the　end　yielded　to　the　inevitable。　To
make　the　reappointment　himself；　however；　was　too　humiliating。　He
left　it　to　the　new　commander…in…chief；　who　speedily　restored
Johnston　to　command。



Chapter　X。　Disintegration

While　these　factions；　despite　their　disagreements；　were　making
valiant　efforts　to　carry　on　the　war；　other　factions　were
stealthily　cutting　the　ground　from　under　them。　There　were　two
groups　of　men　ripe　for　disaffectionoriginal　Unionists
unreconciled　to　the　Confederacy　and　indifferentists　conscripted
against　their　will。

History　has　been　unduly　silent　about　these　disaffected　men。　At
the　time　so　real　was　the　belief　in　state　rights　that
contemporaries　were　reluctant　to　admit　that　any　Southerner；　once
his　State　had　seceded；　could　fail　to　be　loyal　to　its　commands。
Nevertheless　in　considerable　areassuch；　for　example；　as　East
Tennesseethe　majority　remained　to　the　end　openly　for　the　Union；
and　there　were　large　regions　in　the　South　to　which　until　quite
recently　the　eye　of　the　student　had　not　been　turned。　They　were
like　deep　shadows　under　mighty　trees　on　the　face　of　a　brilliant
landscape。　When　the　peasant　Unionist　who　had　been　forced　into　the
army　deserted；　however；　he　found　in　these　shadows　a　nucleus　of
desperate　men　ready　to　combine　with　him　in　opposition　to　the
local　authorities。

Thus　were　formed　local　bands　of　free　companions　who　pillaged　the
civilian　population。　The　desperadoes　whom　the　deserters　joined
have　been　described　by　Professor　Dodd　as　the　〃neglected
byproducts〃　of　the　old　regime。　They　were　broken　white　men；　or　the
children　of　such；　of　the　sort　that　under　other　circumstances　have
congregated　in　the　slums　of　great　cities。　Though　the　South　lacked
great　cities；　nevertheless　it　had　its　sluma　widespread　slum；
scattered　among　its　swamps　and　forests。　In　these　fastnesses　were
the　lowest　of　the　poor　whites；　in　whom　hatred　of　the　dominant
whites　and　vengeful　malice　against　the　negro　burned　like　slow
fires。　When　almost　everywhere　the　countryside　was　stripped　of　its
fighting　men；　these　wretches　emerged　from　their　swamps　and
forests；　like　the　Paris　rabble　emerging　from　its　dens　at　the
opening　of　the　Revolution。　But　unlike　the　Frenchmen；　they　were
too　sodden　to　be　capable　of　ideas。　Like　predatory　wild　beasts
they　revenged　themselves　upon　the　society　that　had　cast　them　off；
and　with　utter　heartlessness　they　smote　the　now　defenseless
negro。　In　the　old　days；　with　the　country　well　policed；　the　slaves
had　been　protected　against　their　fury；　but　war　now　changed　all。
The　negro　villagesor　〃streets；〃　as　the　term　waswere　without
arms　and　without　white　police　within　call。　They　were　ravaged　by
these　marauders　night　after　night；　and　negroes　were　not　the　only
victims；　for　in　remote　districts　even　murder　of　the　whites　became
a　familiar　horror。

The　antiwar　factions　were　not　necessarily；　however；　users　of
violence。　There　were　some　men　who　cherished　a　dream　which　they
labeled　〃reconstruction〃；　and　there　were　certain　others　who
believed　in　separate　state　action；　still　clinging　to　the　illusion
that　any　State　had　it　in　its　power　to　escape　from　war　by
concluding　a　separate　peace　with　the　United　States。

Yet　neither　of　these　illusions　made　much　headway　in　the　States
…that　had　borne　the　strain　of　intellectual　leadership。　Virginia
and　South　Carolina；　though　seldom　seeing　things　eye　to　eye　and
finally　drifting　in　opposite　directions；　put　but　little　faith　in
either　〃reconstruction〃　or　separate　peace。　Their　leaders　had
learned　the　truth　about　men　and　nations；　they　knew　that　life　is　a
grim　business；　they　knew　that　war　had　unloosed　passions　that　had
to　spend　themselves　and　that　could　not　be　talked　away。

But　there　was　scattered　over　the　Confederacy　a　population　which
lacked　experience　of　the　world　and　which　included　in　the　main
those　small　farmers　and　semi…peasants　who　under　the　old　regime
were　released　from　the　burden　of　taxation　and　at　the　same　time
excluded　from　the　benefits　of　education。　Among　these　people　the
illusions　of　the　higher　classes　were　reflected　without　the
ballast　of　mentality。　Ready　to　fight　on　any　provocation；　yet
circumscribed　by　their　own　natures；　not　understanding　life；
unable　to　picture　to　themselves　different　types　and　conditions；
these　people　were　as　prone　as　children　to　confuse　the　world　of
their　own　desire　with　the　world　of　fact。　When　hardship　came；　when
taxation　fell　upon　them　with　a　great　blow；　when　the　war　took　a
turn　that　necessitated　imagination　for　its　understanding　and
faith　for　its　pursuit；　these　people　with　childlike　simplicity
immediately　became　panic…stricken。　Like　the　similar　class　in　the
North；　they　had　measureless　faith　in　talk。　Hence　for　them；　as　for
Horace　Greeley　and　many　another；　sprang　up　the　notion　that　if
only　all　their　sort　could　be　brought　together　for　talk　and　talk
and　yet　more　talk；　the　Union　could　be　〃reconstructed〃　just　as　it
used　to　be；　and　the　cruel　war　would　end。　Before　their　eyes；　as
before　Greeley　in　1864；　danced　the　fata　morgana　of　a　convention
of　all　the　States；　talking；　talking；　talking。

The　peace　illusion　centered　in　North　Carolina；　where　the　people
were　as　enthusiastic　for　state　sovereignty　as　were　any
Southerners。　They　had　seceded　mainly　because　they　felt　that　this
principle　had　been　attacked。　Having　themselves　little　if　any
intention　to　promote　slavery；　they　nevertheless　were　prompt　to
resent　interference　with　the　system　or　with　any　other　Southern
institution。　Jonathan　Worth　said　that　they　looked　on　both
abolition　and　secession　as　children　of　the　devil；　and　he　put　the
responsibility　for　the　secession　of　his　State　wholly　upon　Lincoln
and　his　attempt　to　coerce　t