the day of the confederacy-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　Government　which　secession　had　created；　it　is　often　said　that
the　explanation　is　to　be　found　in　a　generous　as　well　as　politic
desire　to　put　in　office　the　moderates　and　even　the　conservatives。
Davis；　relatively；　was　a　moderate。　Stephens　was　a　conservative。
Many　of　the　most　pronounced　opponents　of　secession　were　given
places　in　the　public　service。　Toombs；　who　received　the　portfolio
of　State；　though　a　secessionist；　was　conspicuously　a　moderate
when　compared　with　Rhett　and　Yancey。　The　adroit　Benjamin；　who
became　Attorney…General；　had　few　points　in　common　with　the　great
extremists　of　Alabama　and　South　Carolina。

However；　the　dictum　that　the　personnel　of　the　new　Government　was
a　triumph　for　conservatism　over　radicalism　signifies　little。
There　was　a　division　among　Southerners　which　scarcely　any　of　them
had　realized　except　briefly　in　the　premature　battle　over
secession　in　1851。　It　was　the　division　between　those　who　were
conscious　of　the　region　as　a　whole　and　those　who　were　not。
Explain　it　as　you　will；　there　was　a　moment　just　after　the
secession　movement　succeeded　when　the　South　seemed　to　realize
itself　as　a　whole；　when　it　turned　intuitively　to　those　men　who；
as　time　was　to　demonstrate；　shared　this　realization。　For　the
moment　it　turned　away　from　those　others；　however　great　their　part
in　secession；　who　lacked　this　sense　of　unity。

At　this　point；　geography　becomes　essential。　The　South　fell；
institutionally；　into　two　grand　divisions：　one；　with　an　old　and
firmly　established　social　order；　where　consciousness　of　the
locality　went　back　to　remote　times；　another；　newly　settled；　where
conditions　were　still　fluid；　where　that　sense　of　the　sacredness
of　local　institutions　had　not　yet　formed。

A　typical　community　of　the　first…named　class　was　South　Carolina。
Her　people　had　to　a　remarkable　degree　been　rendered
state…conscious　partly　by　their　geographical　neighbors；　and
partly　by　their　long　and　illustrious　history；　which　had　been
interwoven　with　great　European　interests　during　the　colonial　era
and　with　great　national　interests　under　the　Republic。　It　is
possible　also　that　the　Huguenots；　though　few　in　numbers；　had
exercised　upon　the　State　a　subtle　and　pervasive　influence　through
their　intellectual　power　and　their　Latin　sense　for　institutions。

In　South　Carolina；　too；　a　wealthy　leisure　class　with　a　passion
for　affairs　had　cultivated　enthusiastically　that　fine　art　which
is　the　pride　of　all　aristocratic　societies；　the　service　of　the
State　as　a　profession　high　and　exclusive；　free　from　vulgar　taint。
In　South　Carolina　all　things　conspired　to　uphold　and　strengthen
the　sense　of　the　State　as　an　object　of　veneration；　as　something
over　and　above　the　mere　social　order；　as　the　sacred　embodiment　of
the　ideals　of　the　community。　Thus　it　is　fair　to　say　that　what　has
animated　the　heroic　little　countries　of　the　Old　World　Switzerland
and　Serbia　and　ever…glorious　Belgiumwith　their　passion　to
remain　themselves；　animated　South　Carolina　in　1861。　Just　as
Serbia　was　willing　to　fight　to　the　death　rather　than　merge　her
identity　in　the　mosaic　of　the　Austrian　Empire；　so　this　little
American　community　saw　nothing　of　happiness　in　any　future　that
did　not　secure　its　virtual　independence。

Typical　of　the　newer　order　in　the　South　was　the　community　that
formed　the　President　of　the　Confederacy。　In　the　history　of
Mississippi　previous　to　the　war　there　are　six　great　namesJacob
Thompson；　John　A。　Quitman；　Henry　S。　Foote；　Robert　J。　Walker；
Sergeant　S。　Prentiss；　and　Jefferson　Davis。　Not　one　of　them　was
born　in　the　State。　Thompson　was　born　in　North　Carolina；　Quitman
in　New　York；　Foote　in　Virginia；　Walker　in　Pennsylvania；　Prentiss
in　Maine；　Davis　in　Kentucky。　In　1861　the　State　was　but　forty…four
years　old；　younger　than　its　most　illustrious　sonsif　the　paradox
may　be　permitted。　How　could　they　think　of　it　as　an　entity
existing　in　itself；　antedating　not　only　themselves　but　their
traditions；　circumscribing　them　with　its　all…embracing；
indisputable　reality？　These　men　spoke　the　language　of　state
rights。　It　is　true　that　in　politics；　combating　the　North；　they
used　the　political　philosophy　taught　them　by　South　Carolina。　But
it　was　a　mental　weapon　in　political　debate；　it　was　not　for　them
an　emotional　fact。

And　yet　these　men　of　the　Southwest　had　an　ideal　of　their　own　as
vivid　and　as　binding　as　the　state　ideal　of　the　men　of　the　eastern
coast。　Though　half　their　leaders　were　born　in　the　North；　the
people　themselves　were　overwhelmingly　Southern。　From　all　the
older　States；　all　round　the　huge　crescent　which　swung　around　from
Kentucky　coastwise　to　Florida；　immigration　in　the　twenties　and
thirties　had　poured　into　Mississippi。　Consequently　the　new
community　presented　a　composite　picture　of　the　whole　South；　and
like　all　composite　pictures　it　emphasized　only　the　factors　common
to　all　its　parts。　What　all　the　South　had　in　common；　what　made　a
man　a　Southerner　in　the　general　sensein　distinction　from　a
Northerner　on　the　one　hand；　or　a　Virginian；　Carolinian；　Georgian；
on　the　othercould　have　been　observed　with　clearness　in
Mississippi；　just　before　the　war；　as　nowhere　else。　Therefore；　the
fulfillment　of　the　ideal　of　Southern　life　in　general　terms　was
the　vision　of　things　hoped　for　by　the　new　men　of　the　Southwest。
The　features　of　that　vision　were　common　to　them　allcountry
life；　broad　acres；　generous　hospitality；　an　aristocratic　system。
The　temperaments　of　these　men　were　sufficiently　buoyant　to　enable
them　to　apprehend　this　ideal　even　before　it　had　materialized。
Their　romantic　minds　could　see　the　gold　at　the　end　of　the
rainbow。　Theirs　was　not　the　pride　of　administering　a
well…ordered；　inherited　system；　but　the　joy　of　building　a　new
system；　in　their　minds　wholly　elastic；　to　be　sure；　but　still
inspired　by　that　old　system。

What　may　be　called　the　sense　of　Southern　nationality　as　opposed
to　the　sense　of　state　rights；　strictly　speaking；　distinguished
this　brilliant　young　community　of　the　Southwest。　In　that
community　Davis　spent　the　years　that　appear　to　have　been　the　most
impressionable　of　his　life。　Belonging　to　a　〃new〃　family　just
emerging　into　wealth；　he　began　life　as　a　West　Pointer　and　saw
gallant　service　as　a　youth　on　the　frontier；　resigned　from　the
army　to　pursue　a　romantic　attachment；　came　home　to　lead　the　life
of　a　wealthy　planter　and　receive　the　impress　of　Mississippi；　made
his　entry　into　politics；　still　a　soldier　at　heart；　with　the
philosophy　of　state　rights　on　his　lips；　but　in　his　heart　that
sense　of　the　Southern　people　as　a　new　nation；　which　needed　only
the　occasion　to　make　it　the　relentless　enemy　of　the　rights　of　the
individual　Southern　States。　Add　together　the　instinctive　military
point　of　view　and　this　Southern　nationalism　that　even　in　1861　had
scarcely　revealed　itself；　join　with　these　a　fearless　and　haughty
spirit；　proud　to　the　verge　of　arrogance；　but　perfectly　devoted；
perfectly　sincere；　and　you　have　the　main　lines　of　the　political
character　of　Davis　when　he　became　President。　It　may　be　that　as　he
went　forward　in　his　great　undertaking；　as　antagonisms　developed；
as　Rhett　and　others　turned　against　him；　Davis　hardened。　He　lost
whatever　comprehension　he　once　had　of　the　Rhett　type。　Seeking　to
weld　into　one　irresistible　unit　all　the　military　power　of　the
South；　he　became　at　last　in　the　eyes　of　his　opponents　a　monster；
while　to　him；　more　and　more　positively；　the　others　became　mere
dreamers。

It　took　about　a　year　for　this　irrepressible　conflict　within　the　
Confederacy　to　reveal　itself。　During　the　twelve　months　following
Davis's　election　as　provisional　President；　he　dominated　the
situation；　though　the　Charleston　Mercury；　the　Rhett　organ；　found
opportunities　to　be　sharply　critical　of　the　President。　He
assembled　armies；　he　initiated　heroic　efforts　to　make　up　for　the
handicap　of　the　South　in　the　manufacture　of　munitions　and
succeeded　in　starting　a　number　of　munition　plants；　though
powerless　to　prevent　the　establishment　of　the　blockade；　he　was
able　during　that　first　year　to　keep　in　touch　with　Europe；　to
start　out　Confederate　privateers　upon　the　high　seas；　and　to
import　a　considerable　quantity　of　arms　and　supplies。　At　the
close　of　the　year　the　Confederate　armies　were　approaching
general　efficiency；　for