the day of the confederacy-第15部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


southern　Alabama　who　as　yet　do　not　know　what　war　means；　who　are
accused　of　complete　hardness　of　heart　towards　their　suffering
fellow…countrymen　and　of　caring　only　to　make　money　out　of　war
prices。

When　Davis　sent　his　message　to　the　Southern　Congress　at　the
opening　of　the　session　of　1864；　the　desperate　plight　of　the
middle　Gulf　country　was　at　once　a　warning　and　a　menace　to　the
Government。　If　the　conditions　of　that　debatable　land　should
extend　eastward；　there　could　be　little　doubt　that　the　day　of　the
Confederacy　was　nearing　its　close。　To　remedy　the　situation　west
of　the　main　Confederate　line；　to　prevent　the　growth　of　a　similar
condition　east　of　it；　Davis　urged　Congress　to　revive　the　statute
permitting　martial　law　and　the　suspension　of　the　writ　of　habeas
corpus。　The　President　told　Congress　that　in　parts　of　the
Confederacy　〃public　meetings　have　been　held；　in　some　of　which　a
treasonable　design　is　masked　by　a　pretense　of　devotion　of　state
sovereignty；　and　in　others　is　openly　avowed。。。a　strong
suspicion　is　entertained　that　secret　leagues　and　associations　are
being　formed。　In　certain　localities　men　of　no　mean　position　do
not　hesitate　to　avow　their　disloyalty　and　hostility　to　our　cause；
and　their　advocacy　of　peace　on　the　terms　of　submission　and　the
abolition　of　slavery。〃

This　suspicion　on　the　part　of　the　Confederate　Government　that　it
was　being　opposed　by　organized　secret　societies　takes　us　back　to
debatable　land　and　to　the　previous　year。　The　Bureau　of
Conscription　submitted　to　the　Secretary　of　War　a　report　from　its
Alabama　branch　relative　to　〃a　sworn　secret　organization　known　to
exist　and　believed　to　have　for　its　object　the　encouragement　of
desertion；　the　protection　of　deserters　from　arrest；　resistance　to
conscription；　and　perhaps　other　designs　of　a　still　more　dangerous
character。〃　To　the　operations　of　this　insidious　foe　were
attributed　the　shifting　of　the　vote　in　the　Alabama　elections；　the
defeat　of　certain　candidates　favored　by　the　Government；　and　the
return　in　their　stead　of　new　men　〃not　publicly　known。〃　The
suspicions　of　the　Government　were　destined　to　further
verification　in　the　course　of　1864　by　the　unearthing　of　a
treasonable　secret　society　in　southwestern　Virginia；　the　members
of　which　were　〃bound　to　each　other　for　the　prosecution　of　their
nefarious　designs　by　the　most　solemn　oaths。　They　were　under
obligation　to　encourage　desertions　from　the　army；　and　to　pass　and
harbor　all　deserters；　escaped　prisoners；　or　spies；　to　give
information　to　the　enemy　of　the　movements　of　our　troops；　of
exposed　or　weakened　positions；　of　inviting　opportunities　of
attack；　and　to　guide　and　assist　the　enemy　either　in　advance　or
retreat。〃　This　society　bore　the　grandiloquent　name　〃Heroes　of
America〃　and　had　extended　its　operations　into　Tennessee　and　North
Carolina。

In　the　course　of　the　year　further　evidence　was　collected　which
satisfied　the　secret　service　of　the　existence　of　a　mysterious　and
nameless　society　which　had　ramifications　throughout　Tennessee；
Alabama；　and　Georgia。　A　detective　who　joined　this　〃Peace
Society；〃　as　it　was　called；　for　the　purpose　of　betraying　its
secrets；　had　marvelous　tales　to　tell　of　confidential　information
given　to　him　by　members；　of　how　Missionary　Ridge　had　been　lost
and　Vicksburg　had　surrendered　through　the　machinations　of　this
society。*

*　What　classes　were　represented　in　these　organizations　it　is
difficult　if　not　impossible　to　determine。　They　seem　to　have　been
involved　in　the　singular　〃peace　movement〃　which　is　yet　to　be
considered。　This　fact　gives　a　possible　clue　to　the　problem　of
their　membership。　A　suspiciously　large　number　of　the　〃peace〃　men
were　original　anti…secessionists；　and　though　many；　perhaps　most；
of　these　who　opposed　secession　became　loyal　servants　of　the
Confederacy；　historians　may　have　jumped　too　quickly　to　the
assumption　that　the　sincerity　of　all　of　these　men　was　above
reproach。

In　spite　of　its　repugnance　to　the　suspension　of　the　writ　of
habeas　corpus；　Congress　was　so　impressed　by　the　gravity　of　the
situation　that　early　in　1864　it　passed　another　act　〃to　suspend
the　privilege　of　the　writ　of　habeas　corpus　in　certain　cases。〃
This　was　not　quite　the　same　as　that　sweeping　act　of　1862　which
had　set　the　Mercury　irrevocably　in　opposition。　Though　this　act　of
1864　gave　the　President　the　power　to　order　the　arrest　of　any
person　suspected　of　treasonable　practices；　and　though　it　released
military　officers　from　all　obligation　to　obey　the　order　of　any
civil　court　to　surrender　a　prisoner　charged　with　treason；　the　new
legislation　carefully　defined　a　list　of　cases　in　which　alone　this
power　could　be　lawfully　used。　This　was　the　last　act　of　the　sort
passed　by　the　Confederate　Congress；　and　when　it　expired　by
limitation　ninety　days　after　the　next　meeting　of　Congress　it　was
not　renewed。

With　regard　to　the　administration　of　the　army；　Congress　can
hardly　be　said　to　have　met　the　President　more　than　half　way。　The
age　of　military　service　was　lowered　to　seventeen　and　was　raised
to　fifty。　But　the　President　was　not　giventhough　he　had　asked
for　itgeneral　control　over　exemptions。　Certain　groups；　such　as
ministers；　editors；　physicians；　were　in　the　main　exempted；　one
overseer　was　exempted　on　each　plantation　where　there　were　fifteen
slaves；　provided　he　gave　bond　to　sell　to　the　Government　at
official　prices　each　year　one　hundred　pounds　of　either　beef　or
bacon　for　each　slave　employed　and　provided　he　would　sell　all　his
surplus　produce　either　to　the　Government　or　to　the　families　of
soldiers。　Certain　civil　servants　of　the　Confederacy　were　also
exempted　as　well　as　those　whom　the　governors　of　States　should
〃certify　to　be　necessary　for　the　proper　administration　of　the
State　Government。〃　The　President　was　authorized　to　detail　for
nonmilitary　service　any　members　of　the　Confederate　forces　〃when
in　his　judgment；　justice；　equity；　and　necessity；　require　such
details。〃

This　statute　retained　two　features　that　had　already　given　rise　to
much　friction；　and　that　were　destined　to　be　the　cause　of　much
more。　It　was　still　within　the　power　of　state　governors　to　impede
conscription　very　seriously。　By　certifying　that　a　man　was
necessary　to　the　civil　administration　of　a　State；　a　Governor
could　place　him　beyond　the　legal　reach　of　the　conscripting
officers。　This　provision　was　a　concession　to　those　who　looked　on
Davis's　request　for　authority　over　exemption　as　the　first　step
toward　absolutism。　On　the　other　hand　the　statute　allowed　the
President　a　free　hand　in　the　scarcely　less　important　matter　of
〃details。〃　Among　the　imperative　problems　of　the　Confederacy；
where　the　whole　male　population　was　needed　in　the　public　service；
was　the　most　economical　separation　of　the　two　groups；　the
fighters　and　the　producers。　On　the　one　hand　there　was　the
constant　demand　for　recruits　to　fill　up　the　wasted　armies；　on　the
other；　the　need　for　workers　to　keep　the　shops　going　and　to　secure
the　harvest。　The　two　interests　were　never　fully　coordinated。
Under　the　act　of　1864；　no　farmer；　mechanic；　tradesman；　between
the　ages　of　seventeen　and　fifty；　if　fit　for　military　service；
could　remain　at　his　work　except　as　a　〃detail〃　under　orders　of　the
President：　he　might　be　called　to　the　colors　at　a　moment's　notice。
We　shall　see；　presently；　how　the　revoking　of　details；　toward　the
end　of　what　may　truly　be　called　the　terrible　year；　was　one　of　the
major　incidents　of　Confederate　history。

Together　with　the　new　conscription　act；　the　President　approved　on
February　17；　1864；　a　reenactment　of　the　tax　in　kind；　with　some
slight　concessions　to　the　convenience　of　the　farmers。　The
President's　appeal　for　a　law　directly　taxing　slaves　and　land　had
been　ignored　by　Congress；　but　another　of　his　suggestions　had　been
incorporated　in　the　Funding　Act。　The　state　of　the　currency　was
now　so　grave　that　Davis　attributed　to　it　all　the　evils　growing
out　of　the　attempts　to　enforce　impressment。　As　the　value　of　the
paper　dollar　had　by　this　time　shrunk　to　six　cents　in　specie　and
the　volume　of　Confederate　paper　was　upward　of　seven　hundred
millions；　Congress　undertook　to　reduce　the　volume　and　raise　the
value　by　compelling　holders　of　notes　to　exchange　them　for　bonds。
By　way　of　driving　the　note…holders　to　consent　to　the　exchange；
provision　was　made　for　the　speedy　taxation　of　notes　for　one…third
their　face　value。

Such　were　the　main　items　of　the　government　program　for　1864。
Armed　with　this；　Davis　braced　himself　for　the　great　task　of
making　head　against　the　enemies　that　now　surrounded　the
Confederacy。　It　is　an　axiom　of　military　science　that　when　one
combatant　possesses　the　interior　line；　the　other　can　offset　this
advantage　only　by　exerting　coincident　pressure　all　round；　thus
preventing　him　from　shifting　his　forces　from　one　front　to
another。　On　this　principle；　the　Northern　strategists　had　at　last
completed　their　gigantic　plan　for　a　general　envelopment　of　the
whole　Confederate　defense　both　by　land　and　sea。　Grant　opened
operations　by　crossing　the　Rapidan　and　telegraphing　Sherman　to
advance　into　Georgia。

The　stern　events　of　the　spring　of　1864　form　such　a　famous　page　in
military　history　that　the　sober　civil　story　of　those　months
appears　by　comparison　lame　and　impotent。　Nevertheless；　the
Confederate　Government　during　those　months　was　at　least　equal　to
its　chief　obligation：　it　supplied　and　recruited　the　armies。　With
Grant　checked　at　Cold　Harbor；　in　June；　and　Sherman　still　unable
to　pierce　the　western　line；　the　hopes　of　the　Confederates　were
high。

In　the　North　there　was　corresponding　gloom。　This　was　the　moment
when　all　Northern　opponents　of　the　war　drew　together　in　their
last　attempt　to　shatter　the　Lincoln　Government　and　make　peace
with　the　Confederacy。　The　value　to　the　Southern　cause　of　this
Northern　movement　for　peace　at　any　price　was　keenly　appreciated
at　Richmond。　Trusted　agents　of　the　Confederacy　were　even　then　in
Canada　working　deftly　to　influence　Northern　sentiment。　The
negotiations　with　those　Northern　secret　societies　which
befriended　the　South　belong　properly　in　the　story　of　Northern
politics　and　the　presidential　election　of　1864。　They　were
skillfully　conducted　chiefly　by　Jacob　Thompson　and　C。　C。　Clay。
The　reports　of　these　agents　throughout　the　spring　and　summer　were
all　hopeful　and　told　of