the day of the confederacy-第7章

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seems　never　to　have　been　a　popular　minister。　Congress　attempted
to　load　upon　Benjamin　the　blame　for　Roanoke　Island　and　Fort
Donelson。　In　the　House　a　motion　was　introduced　to　the　effect　that
Benjamin　had　〃not　the　confidence　of　the　people　of　the　Confederate
States　nor　of　the　army。。。and　that　we　most　respectfully
request　his　retirement〃　from　the　office　of　Secretary　of　War。
Friends　of　the　Administration　tabled　the　motion。　Davis　extricated
his　friend　by　taking　advantage　of　Hunter's　retirement　and
promoting　Benjamin　to　the　State　Department。　A　month　later　a
congressional　committee　appointed　to　investigate　the　affair　of
Roanoke　Island　exonerated　the　officer　in　command　and　laid　the
blame　on　his　superiors；　including　〃the　late　Secretary　of　War。〃

With　Benjamin　safe　in　the　Department　of　State；　with　the　majority
in　the　Confederate　Congress　still　fairly　manageable；　with　the
Conscription　Act　in　force；　Davis　seemed　to　be　strong　enough　in
the　spring　of　1862　to　ignore　the　gathering　opposition。　And　yet
there　was　another　measure；　second　only　in　the　President's　eyes　to
the　Conscription　Act；　that　was　to　breed　trouble。　This　was　the
first　of　the　series　of　acts　empowering　him　to　suspend　the
privilege　of　the　writ　of　habeas　corpus。　Under　this　act　he　was
permitted　to　set　up　martial　law　in　any　district　threatened　with
invasion。　The　cause　of　this　drastic　measure　was　the　confusion　and
the　general　demoralization　that　existed　wherever　the　close
approach　of　the　enemy　created　a　situation　too　complex　for　the
ordinary　civil　authorities。　Davis　made　use　of　the　power　thus
given　to　him　and　proclaimed　martial　law　in　Richmond；　in　Norfolk；
in　parts　of　South　Carolina；　and　elsewhere。　It　was　on　Richmond
that　the　hand　of　the　Administration　fell　heaviest。　The　capital
was　the　center　of　a　great　camp；　its　sudden　and　vast　increase　in
population　bad　been　the　signal　for　all　the　criminal　class　near
and　far　to　hurry　thither　in　the　hope　of　a　new　field　of
spoliation；　to　deal　with　this　immense　human　congestion；　the　local
police　were　powerless；　every　variety　of　abominable　contrivance　to
entrap　and　debauch　men　for　a　price　was　in　brazen　operation。　The
first　care　of　the　Government　under　the　new　law　was　the　cleansing
of　the　capital。　General　John　H。　Winder；　appointed　military
governor；　did　the　job　with　thoroughness。　He　closed　the　barrooms；
disarmed　the　populace；　and　for　the　time　at　least　swept　the　city
clean　of　criminals。　The　Administration　also　made　certain
political　arrests；　and　even　imprisoned　some　extreme　opponents　of
the　Government　for　〃offenses　not　enumerated　and　not　cognizable
under　the　regular　process　of　law。〃　Such　arrests　gave　the　enemies
of　the　Administration　another　handle　against　it。　As　we　shall　see
later；　the　use　that　Davis　made　of　martial　law　was　distorted　by　a
thousand　fault…finders　and　was　made　the　basis　of　the　charge　that
the　President　was　aiming　at　absolute　power。

At　the　moment；　however；　Davis　was　master　of　the　situation。　The
six　months　following　April　1；　1862；　were　doubtless；　from　his　own
point　of　view；　the　most　satisfactory　part　of　his　career　as
Confederate　President。　These　months　were　indeed　filled　with
peril。　There　was　a　time　when　McClellan's　advance　up　the　Peninsula
appeared　so　threatening　that　the　archives　of　the　Government　were
packed　on　railway　cars　prepared　for　immediate　removal　should
evacuation　be　necessary。　There　were　the　other　great　disasters
during　that　year；　including　the　loss　of　New　Orleans。　The
President　himself　experienced　a　profound　personal　sorrow　in　the
death　of　his　friend；　Albert　Sidney　Johnston；　in　the　bloody　fight
at　Shiloh。　It　was　in　the　midst　of　this　time　that　tried　men's
souls　that　the　Richmond　Examiner　achieved　an　unenvied
immortality　for　one　of　its　articles　on　the　Administration。　At　a
moment　when　nothing　should　have　been　said　to　discredit　in　any　way
the　struggling　Government；　it　described　Davis　as　weak　with　fear
telling　his　beads　in　a　corner　of　St。　Paul's　Church。　This　paper；
along　with　the　Charleston　Mercury；　led　the　Opposition。　Throughout
Confederate　history　these　two；　which　were　very　ably　edited；　did
the　thinking　for　the　enemies　of　Davis。　We　shall　meet　them　time
and　again。

A　true　picture　of　Davis　would　have　shown　the　President　resolute
and　resourceful；　at　perhaps　the　height　of　his　powers。　He
recruited　and　supplied　the　armies；　he　fortified　Richmond；　he
sustained　the　great　captain　whom　he　had　placed　in　command　while
McClellan　was　at　the　gates。　When　the　tide　had　turned　and　the　Army
of　the　Potomac　sullenly　withdrew；　baffled；　there　occurred　the　one
brief　space　in　Confederate　history　that　was　pure　sunshine。　In
this　period　took　place　the　splendid　victory　of　Second　Manassas。
The　strong　military　policy　of　the　Administration　had　given　the
Confederacy　powerful　armies。　Lee　had　inspired　them　with　victory。
This　period　of　buoyant　hope　culminated　in　the　great　offensive
design　which　followed　Second　Manassas。　It　was　known　that　the
Northern　people；　or　a　large　part　of　them；　had　suffered　a
reaction；　the　tide　was　setting　strong　against　the　Lincoln
Government；　in　the　autumn；　the　Northern　elections　would　be　held。
To　influence　those　elections　and　at　the　same　time　to　drive　the
Northern　armies　back　into　their　own　section；　to　draw　Maryland　and
Kentucky　into　the　Confederate　States；　to　fall　upon　the　invaders
in　the　Southwest　and　recover　the　lower　Mississippito　accomplish
all　these　results　was　the　confident　expectation　of　the　President
and　his　advisers　as　they　planned　their　great　triple　offensive　in
August；　1862。　Lee　was　to　invade　Maryland；　Bragg　was　to　invade
Kentucky；　Van　Dorn　was　to　break　the　hold　of　the　Federals　in　the
Southwest。　If　there　is　one　moment　that　is　to　be　considered　the
climax　of　Davis's　career；　the　high…water　mark　of　Confederate
hope；　it　was　the　moment　of　joyous　expectation　when　the　triple
offensive　was　launched；　when　Lee's　army；　on　a　brilliant　autumn
day；　crossed　the　Potomac；　singing　〃Maryland；　my　Maryland〃。



Chapter　III。　The　Fall　Of　King　Cotton

While　the　Confederate　Executive　was　building　up　its　military
establishment；　the　Treasury　was　struggling　with　the　problem　of
paying　for　it。　The　problem　was　destined　to　become　insoluble。　From
the　vantage…point　of　a　later　time　we　can　now　see　that　nothing
could　have　provided　a　solution　short　of　appropriation　and
mobilization　of　the　whole　industrial　power　of　the　country　along
with　the　whole　military　powera　conscription　of　wealth　of　every
kind　together　with　conscription　of　men。　But　in　1862　such　an　idea
was　too　advanced　for　any　group　of　Americans。　Nor；　in　that　year；
was　there　as　yet　any　certain　evidence　that　the　Treasury　was
facing　an　impossible　situation。　Its　endeavors　were　taken
lightlyat　first；　almost　gaily…because　of　the　profound　illusion
which　permeated　Southern　thought　that　Cotton　was　King。　Obviously；
if　the　Southern　ports　could　be　kept　open　and　cotton　could
continue　to　go　to　market；　the　Confederate　financial　problem　was
not　serious。　When　Davis；　soon　after　his　first　inauguration；　sent
Yancey；　Rost；　and　Mann　as　commissioners　to　Europe　to　press　the
claims　of　the　Confederacy　for　recognition；　very　few　Southerners
had　any　doubt　that　the　blockade；　would　be　short…lived。　〃Cotton　is
King〃　was　the　answer　that　silenced　all　questions。　Without
American　cotton　the　English　mills　would　have　to　shut　down；　the
operatives　would　starve；　famine　and　discontent　would　between　them
force　the　British　ministry　to　intervene　in　American　affairs。
There　were；　indeed；　a　few　far…sighted　men　who　perceived　that　this
confidence　was　ill…based　and　that　cotton；　though　it　was　a　power
in　the　financial　world；　was　not　the　commercial　king。　The　majority
of　the　population；　however；　had　to　learn　this　truth　from　keen
experience。

Several　events　of　1861　for　a　time　seemed　to　confirm　this
illusion。　The　Queen's　proclamation　in　the　spring；　giving　the
Confederacy　the　status　of　a　belligerent；　and；　in　the　autumn；　the
demand　by　the　British　Government　for　the　surrender　of　the
commissioners；　Mason　and　Slidell；　who　had　been　taken　from　a
British　packet　by　a　Union　cruiserboth　these　events　seemed　to
indicate　active　British　sympathy。　In　England；　to　be　sure；　Yancey
became　disillusioned。　He　saw　that　the　international　situation　was
not　so　simple　as