the day of the confederacy-第13节

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　wall。　The　bitter　saying　went　around　that　it　was　〃a　rich　man's
war　and　a　poor　man's　fight。〃　As　land　and　slaves　were　not　directly
taxed；　the　popular　discontent　appeared　to　have　ground　for　its
anger。　Furthermore；　it　must　never　be　forgotten　that　this　was　the
first　general　tax　that　the　poor　people　of　the　South　were　ever
conscious　of　paying。　To　people　who　knew　the　tax…gatherer　as
little　more　than　a　mythical　being；　he　suddenly　appeared　like　a
malevolent　creature　who　swept　off　ruthlessly　the　tenth　of　their
produce。　It　is　not　strange　that　an　intemperate　reaction　against
the　planters　and　their　leadership　followed。　The　illusion　spread
that　they　were　not　doing　their　share　of　the　fighting；　and　as　rich
men　were　permitted　to　hire　substitutes　to　represent　them　in　the
army；　this　really　baseless　report　was　easily　propped　up　in　the
public　mind　with　what　appeared　to　be　reason。

In　North　Carolina；　where　the　peasant　farmer　was　a　larger
political　factor　than　in　any　other　State；　this　feeling　against
the　Confederate　Government　because　of　the　tax　in　kind　was　most
dangerous。　In　the　course　of　the　summer；　while　the　military
fortunes　of　the　Confederacy　were　toppling　at　Vicksburg　and
Gettysburg；　the　North　Carolina　farmers　in　a　panic　of
self…preservation　held　numerous　meetings　of　protest　and
denunciation。　They　expressed　their　thoughtless　terror　in
resolutions　asserting　that　the　action　of　Congress　〃in　secret
session；　without　consulting　with　their　constituents　at　home；
taking　from　the　hard　laborers　of　the　Confederacy　one…tenth　of　the
people's　living；　instead　of　taking　back　their　own　currency　in
tax；　is　unjust　and　tyrannical。〃　Other　resolutions　called　the　tax
〃unconstitutional；　anti…republican；　and　oppressive〃；　and　still
others　pledged　the　farmers　〃to　resist　to　the　bitter　end　any　such
monarchical　tax。〃

A　leader　of　the　discontented　in　North　Carolina　was　found　in　W。　W。
Holden；　the　editor　of　the　Raleigh　Progress；　who　before　the　war
had　attempted　to　be　spokesman　for　the　men　of　small　property　by
advocating　taxes　on　slaves　and　similar　measures。　He　proposed　as
the　conclusion　of　the　whole　matter　the　opening　of　negotiations
for　peace。　We　shall　see　later　how　deep…seated　was　this　singular
delusion　that　peace　could　be　had　for　the　asking。　In　1863；
however；　many　men　in　North　Carolina　took　up　the　suggestion　with
delight。　Jonathan　Worth　wrote　in　his　diary；　on　hearing　that　the
influential　North　Carolina　Standard　had　come　out　for　peace：　〃I
still　abhor；　as　I　always　did；　this　accursed　war　and　the　wicked
men；　North　and　South；　who　inaugurated　it。　The　whole　country　at
the　North　and　the　South　is　a　great　military　despotism。〃　With　such
discontent　in　the　air；　the　elections　in　North　Carolina　drew　near。
The　feeling　was　intense　and　riots　occurred。　Newspaper　offices
were　demolishedamong　them　Holden's；　to　destroy　which　a
detachment　of　passing　soldiers　converted　itself　into　a　mob。　In
the　western　counties　deserters　from　the　army；　combined　in　bands；
were　joined　by　other　deserters　from　Tennessee；　and　terrorized　the
countryside。　Governor　Vance；　alarmed　at　the　progress　which　this
disorder　was　making；　issued　a　proclamation　imploring　his
rebellious　countrymen　to　conduct　in　a　peaceable　manner　their
campaign　for　the　repeal　of　obnoxious　laws。

The　measure　of　political　unrest　in　North　Carolina　was　indicated
in　the　autumn　when　a　new　delegation　to　Congress　was　chosen。　Of
the　ten　who　composed　it；　eight　were　new　men。　Though　they　did　not
stand　for　a　clearly　defined　program；　they　represented　on　the
whole　anti…Davis　tendencies。　The　Confederate　Administration　had
failed　to　carry　the　day　in　the　North　Carolina　elections；　and　in
Georgia　there　were　even　more　sweeping　evidences　of　unrest。　Of　the
ten　representatives　chosen　for　the　Second　Congress　nine　had　not
sat　in　the　First；　and　Georgia　now　was　in　the　main　frankly
anti…Davis。　There　had　been　set　up　at　Richmond　a　new　organ　of　the
Government　called　the　Sentinel；　which　was　more　entirely　under　the
presidential　shadow　than　even　the　Enquirer　and　the　Courier。
Speaking　of　the　elections；　the　Sentinel　deplored　the　〃upheaval　of
political　elements〃　revealed　by　the　defeat　of　so　many　tried
representatives　whose　constituents　had　not　returned　them　to　the
Second　Congress。

What　was　Davis　doing　while　the　ground　was　thus　being　cut　from
under　his　feet？　For　one　thing　he　gave　his　endorsement　to　the
formation　of　〃Confederate　Societies〃　whose　members　bound
themselves　to　take　Confederate　money　as　legal　tender。　He　wrote　a
letter　to　one　such　society　in　Mississippi；　praising　it　for
attempting　〃by　common　consent　to　bring　down　the　prices　of　all
articles　to　the　standard　of　the　soldiers'　wages〃　and　adding　that
the　passion　of　speculation　had　〃seduced　citizens　of　all　classes
from　a　determined　prosecution　of　the　war　to　an　effort　to　amass
money。〃　The　Sentinel　advocated　the　establishment　of　a　law　fixing
maximum　prices。　The　discussion　of　this　proposal　seems　to　make
plain　the　raison　d'etre　for　the　existence　of　the　Sentinel。　Even
such　stanch　government　organs　as　the　Enquirer　and　the　Courier
shied　at　the　idea；　but　the　Mercury　denounced　it　vigorously；
giving　long　extracts　from　Thiers；　and　discussed　the　mistakes；　of
the　French　Revolution　with　its　〃law　of　maximum。〃

Davis；　however；　did　not　take　an　active　part　in　the　political
campaign；　nor　did　the　other　members　of　the　Government。　It　was　not
because　of　any　notion　that　the　President　should　not　leave　the
capital　that　Davis　did　not　visit　the　disaffected　regions　of　North
Carolina　when　the　startled　populace　winced　under　its　first
experience　with　taxation。　Three　times　during　his　Administration
Davis　left　Richmond　on　extended　journeys：　late　in　1862；　when
Vicksburg　had　become　a　chief　concern　of　the　Government；　he　went
as　far　afield　as　Mississippi　in　order　to　get　entirely　in　touch
with　the　military　situation　in　those　parts；　in　the　month　of
October；　1863；　when　there　was　another　moment　of　intense　military
anxiety；　Davis　again　visited　the　front；　and　of　a　third　journey
which　he　undertook　in　1864；　we　shall　hear　in　time。　It　is　to　be
noted　that　each　of　these　journeys　was　prompted　by　a　military
motive；　and　here；　possibly；　we　get　an　explanation　of　his
inadequacy　as　a　statesman。　He　could　not　lay　aside　his　interest　in
military　affairs　for　the　supremely　important　concerns　of　civil
office；　and　he　failed　to　understand　how　to　ingratiate　his
Administration　by　personal　appeals　to　popular　imagination。

In　October；　1863；the　very　month　in　which　his　old　rival　Rhett
suffered　his　final　defeat；Davis　undertook　a　journey　because
Bragg；　after　his　great　victory　at　Chickamauga；　appeared　to　be
letting　slip　a　golden　opportunity；　and　because　there　were　reports
of　dissension　among　Bragg's　officers　and　of　general　confusion　in
his　army。　After　he　had；　as　he　thought；　restored　harmony　in　the
camp；　Davis　turned　southward　on　a　tour　of　appeal　and　inspiration。
He　went　as　far　as　Mobile；　and　returning　bent　his　course　through
Charleston；　where；　at　the　beginning　of　November；　less　than　two
weeks　after　Rhett's　defeat；　Davis　was　received　with　all　due
formalities。　Members　of　the　Rhett　family　were　among　those　who
formally　received　the　President　at　the　railway　station。　There　was
a　parade　of　welcome；　an　official　reception；　a　speech　by　the
President　from　the　steps　of　the　city　hall；　and　much　applause　by
friends　of　the　Administration。　But　certain　ominous　signs　were　not
lacking。　The　Mercury；　for　example；　tucked　away　in　an　obscure
column　its　account　of　the　event；　while　its　rival；　the　Courier；
made　the　President's　visit　the　feature　of　the　day。

Davis　returned　to　Richmond；　early　in　November；　to　throw　himself
again　with　his　whole　soul　into　problems　that　were　chiefly
military。　He　did　not　realize　that　the　crisis　had　come　and　gone
and　that　he　had　failed　to　grasp　the　significance　of　the　internal
political　situation。　The　Government　had　failed　to　carry　the
elections　and　to　secure　a　working　majority　in　Congress。　Never
again　was　it　to　have　behind　it　a　firm　and　confident　support；　The
unity　of　the　secession　movement　had　passed　away。　Thereafter　the
Government　was　always　to　be　regarded　with　suspicion　by　the
extreme　believers　in　state　sovereignty　and　by　those　who　were
sullenly　convinced　that　the　burdens　of　the　war　were　unfairly
distributed。　And　there　were　not　wanting　men　who　were　ready　to
construe　each　emergency　measure　as　a　step　toward　a　coup　d'etat。



Chapter　VI。　Life　In　The　Confederacy

When　the　fortunes　of　the　Confederacy　in　both　camp　and　council
began　to　ebb；　the　life　of　the　Southern　people　had　already
profoundly　changed。　The　gallant；　delightful；　carefree　life　of　the
planter　class　had　been　undermined　by　a　war　which　was　eating　away
its　foundations。　Economic　no　less　than　political　forces　were
taking　from　the　planter　that　ideal　of　individual　liberty　as　dear
to　his　heart　as　it　had　been；　ages　before；　to　his　feudal
prototype。　One　of　the　most　important　details　of　the　changing
situation　had　been　the　relation　of　the　Government　to　slavery。　The
history　of　the　Confederacy　had　opened　with　a　clash　between　the
extreme　advocates　of　slaverythe　slavery…at…any…price　menand
the　Administration。　The　Confederate　Congress　had　passed　a　bill
ostensibly　to　make　effective　the　clause　in　its　constitution
prohibiting