the day of the confederacy-第24部分

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and　issued　to　the　country　in　a　general　order　on　the　23d　of　March。
It　empowered　the　President　to　〃ask　for　and　accept　from　the　owners
of　slaves〃　the　service　of　such　number　of　negroes　as　he　saw　fit；
and　if　sufficient　number　were　not　offered　to　〃call　on　each　State
。。。for　her　quota　of　300；000　troops。。。to　be　raised　from
such　classes　of　the　population；　irrespective　of　color；　in　each
State　as　the　proper　authorities　thereof　may　determine。〃　However；
〃nothing　in　this　act　shall　be　construed　to　authorize　a　change　in
the　relation　which　the　said　slaves　shall　bear　toward　their
owners；　except　by　consent　of　the　owners　and　of　the　States　in
which　they　may　reside　and　in　pursuance　of　the　laws　thereof。〃

The　results　of　this　act　were　negligible。　Its　failure　to　offer　the
slave…soldier　his　freedom　was　at　once　seized　upon　by　critics　as
evidence　of　the　futility　of　the　course　of　the　Administration。　The
sneer　went　round　that　the　negro　was　to　be　made　to　fight　for　his
own　captivity。　Pollardwhose　words；　however；　must　be　taken　with
a
grain　of　salthas　left　this　account　of　recruiting　under　the　new
act：　〃Two　companies　of　blacks；　organized　from　some　negro
vagabonds　in　Richmond；　were　allowed　to　give　balls　at　the　Libby
Prison　and　were　exhibited　in　fine　fresh　uniforms　on　Capitol
Square　as　decoys　to　obtain　recruits。　But　the　mass　of　their
colored　brethren　looked　on　the　parade　with　unenvious　eyes；　and
little　boys　exhibited　the　early　prejudices　of　race　by　pelting　the
fine　uniforms　with　mud。〃

Nevertheless　both　Davis　and　Lee　busied　themselves　in　the　endeavor
to　raise　black　troops。　Governor　Smith　cooperated　with　them。　And
in　the　mind　of　the　President　there　was　no　abandonment　of　the
program　of　emancipation；　which　was　now　his　cardinal　policy。　Soon
after　the　passage　of　the　act；　he　wrote　to　Smith：　〃I　am　happy　to
receive　your　assurance　of　success　＇in　raising　black　troops＇；　as
well　as　your　promise　to　seek　legislation　to　secure　unmistakable
freedom　to　the　slave　who　shall　enter　the　Army；　with　a　right　to
return　to　his　old　home；　when　he　shall　have　been　honorably
discharged　from　military　service。〃

While　this　final　controversy　was　being　fought　out　in　Congress；
the　enthusiasm　for　the　Administration　had　again　ebbed。　Its
recovery　of　prestige　had　run　a　brief　course　and　was　gone；　and　now
in　the　midst　of　the　discussion　over　the　negro　soldiers'　bills；
the　opposition　once　more　attacked　the　Cabinet；　with　its　old
enemy；　Benjamin；　as　the　target。　Resolutions　were　introduced　into
the　Senate　declaring　that　〃the　retirement　of　the　Honorable　Judah
P。　Benjamin　from　the　State　Department　will　be　subservient　of　the
public　interests〃；　in　the　House　resolutions　were　offered
describing　his　public　utterances　as　〃derogatory　to　his　position
as　a　high　public　functionary　of　the　Confederate　Government；　a
reflection　on　the　motives　of　Congress　as　a　deliberative　body；　and
an　insult　to　public　opinion。〃

So　Congress　wrangled　and　delayed　while　the　wave　of　fire　that　was
Sherman's　advance　moved　northward　through　the　Carolinas。　Columbia
had　gone　up　in　smoke　while　the　Senate　debated　day　after
dayfifteen　in　allwhat　to　do　with　the　compromise　bill　sent　up
to　it　from　the　House。　It　was　during　this　period　that　a　new
complication　appears　to　have　been　added　to　a　situation　which　was
already　so　hopelessly　entangled；　for　this　was　the　time　when
Governor　Magrath　made　a　proposal　to　Governor　Vance　for　a　league
within　the　Confederacy；　giving　as　his　chief　reason　that
Virginia's　interests　were　parting　company　with　those　of　the　lower
South。　The　same　doubt　of　the　upper　South　appears　at　various　times
in　the　Mercury。　And　through　all　the　tactics　of　the　opposition
runs　the　constant　effort　to　discredit　Davis。　The　Mercury　scoffed
at　the　agitation　for　negro　soldiers　as　a　mad　attempt　on　the　part
of　the　Administration　to　remedy　its　〃myriad　previous　blunders。〃

In　these　terrible　days；　the　mind　of　Davis　hardened。　He　became
possessed　by　a　lofty　and　intolerant　confidence；　an　absolute
conviction　that；　in　spite　of　all　appearances；　he　was　on　the
threshold　of　success。　We　may　safely　ascribe　to　him　in　these　days
that　illusory　state　of　mind　which　has　characterized　some　of　the
greatest　of　men　in　their　over…strained；　concluding　periods。　His
extraordinary　promises　in　his　later　messages；　a　series　of　vain
prophecies　beginning　with　his　speech　at　the　African　Church；
remind　one　of　Napoleon　after　Leipzig　refusing　the　Rhine　as　a
boundary。　His　nerves；　too；　were　all　but　at　the　breaking　point。　He
sent　the　Senate　a　scolding　message　because　of　its　delay　in
passing　the　Negro　Soldiers'　Bill。　The　Senate　answered　in　a　report
that　was　sharply　critical　of　his　own　course。　Shortly　afterward
Congress　adjourned　refusing　his　request　for　another　suspension　of
the　writ　of　habeas　corpus。

Davis　had　hinted　at　important　matters　he　hoped　soon　to　be　able　to
submit　to　Congress。　What　he　had　in　mind　was　the　last；　the
boldest；　stroke　of　this　period　of　desperation。　The　policy　of
emancipation　he　and　Benjamin　had　accepted　without　reserve。　They
had　at　last　perceived；　too　late；　the　power　of　the　anti…slavery
movement　in　Europe。　Though　they　had　already　failed　to　coerce
England　through　cotton　and　had　been　played　with　and　abandoned　by
Napoleon；　they　persisted　in　thinking　that　there　was　still　a
chance　for　a　third　chapter　in　their　foreign　affairs。

The　agitation　to　arm　the　slaves；　with　the　promise　of　freedom；　had
another　motive　besides　the　reinforcement　of　Lee's　army：　it　was
intended　to　serve　as　a　basis　for　negotiations　with　England　and
France。　To　that　end　D。　J。　Kenner　was　dispatched　to　Europe　early
in　1865。　Passing　through　New　York　in　disguise；　he　carried　word　of
this　revolutionary　program　to　the　Confederate　commissioners
abroad。　A　conference　at　Paris　was　held　by　Kenner；　Mason；　and
Slidell。　Mason；　who　had　gone　over　to　England　to　sound　Palmerston
with　regard　to　this　last　Confederate　hope；　was　received　on　the
14th　of　March。　On　the　previous　day；　Davis　had　accepted　temporary
defeat；　by　signing　the　compromise　bill　which　omitted
emancipation。　But　as　there　was　no　cable　operating　at　the　time；
Mason　was　not　aware　of　this　rebuff。　In　his　own　words；　he　〃urged
upon　Lord　P。　that　if　the　President　was　right　in　his　impression
that　there　was　some　latent；　undisclosed　obstacle　on　the　part　of
Great　Britain　to　recognition；　it　should　be　frankly　stated；　and　we
might；　if　in　our　power　to　do　so；　consent　to　remove　it。〃
Palmerston；　though　his　manner　was　〃conciliatory　and　kind；〃
insisted　that　there　was　nothing　〃underlying〃　his　previous
statements；　and　that　he　could　not；　in　view　of　the　facts　then
existing；　regard　the　Confederacy　in　the　light　of　an　independent
power。　Mason　parted　from　him　convinced　that　〃the　most　ample
concessions　on　our　part　in　the　matter　referred　to　would　have
produced　no　change　in　the　course　determined　on　by　the　British
Government　with　regard　to　recognition。〃　In　a　subsequent　interview
with　Lord　Donoughmore；　he　was　frankly　told　that　the　offer　of
emancipation　had　come　too　late。

The　dispatch　in　which　Mason　reported　the　attitude　of　the　British
Government　never　reached　the　Confederate　authorities。　It　was
dated　the　31st　of　March。　Two　days　later　Richmond　was　evacuated　by
the　Confederate　Government。



Chapter　XII。　The　Last　Word

The　evacuation　of　Richmond　broke　the　back　of　the　Confederate
defense。　Congress　had　adjourned。　The　legislative　history　of　the
Confederacy　was　at　an　end。　The　executive　history　still　had　a　few
days　to　run。　After　destroying　great　quantities　of　records；　the
government　officials　had　packed　the　remainder　on　a　long　train
that　conveyed　the　President　and　what　was　left　of　the　civil
service　to　Danville。　During　a　few　days；　Danville　was　the
Confederate　capital。　There；　Davis；　still　unable　to　conceive
defeat；　issued　his　pathetic　last　Address　to　the　People　of　the
Confederate　States。　His　mind　was　crystallized。　He　was　no　longer
capable　of　judging　facts。　In　as　confident　tones　as　ever　he
promised　his　people　that　they　should　yet　prevail；　he　assured
Virginians　that　even　if　the　Confederate　army　should　withdraw
further　south　the　withdrawal　would　be　but　temporary；　and　that
〃again　and　again　will　we　return　until　the　baffled　and　exhausted
enemy　shall　abandon　in　despair　his　endless　and　impossible　task　of
making　slaves　of　a　people　resolved　to　be　free。〃

The　surrender　at　Appomattox　on　April　9；　1865；　compelled　another
migration　of　the　dwindling　executive　company。　General　Johnston
had　not　yet　surrendered。　A　conference　which　he　had　with　the
President　and　the　Cabinet　at　Greensboro　ended　in　giving　him
permission　to　negotiate　with　Sherman。　Even　then　Davis　was　still
bent　on　keeping　up　the　fight；　yet；　though　he　believed　that
Sherman　would　reject　Johnston's　overtures；　he　was　overtaken　at
Charlotte　on　his　way　South　by　the　crushing　news　of　Johnston's
surrender。　There　the　executive　history　of　the　Confederacy　came　to
an　end　in　a　final　Cabinet　meeting。　Davis；　still　blindly　resolute
to　continue　the　struggle；　was　deeply　distressed　by　the
determination　of　his　advisers　to　abandon　it。　In　imminent　danger
of　capture；　the　President's　party　made　its　way　to　Abbeville；
where　it　broke　up；　and　each　member　sought　safety　as　best　he
could。　Davis　with　a　few　faithful　men　rode　to　Irwinsville；
Georgia；　where；　in　the　early　morning　of　the　l0th　of　May；　he　was
surprised　and　captured。　But　the　history　of　the　Confederacy　was
not　quite　at　an　end。　The　last　gunshots　were　still　to　be　fired　far
away　in　Texas　on　the　13th　of　May。　The　surrender　of　the　forces　of
the　Trans…Mississippi　on　May　26；　1865；　brought　the　war　to　a
definite　conclusion。

There　remains　one　incident　of　these　closing　days；　the
significance　of　which　was　not　perceived　until　long　afterward；
when　it　immediately　took　its　rightful　place　among　the　determining
events　of　American　history。　The　unconquerable　spirit　of　the　Army
of　Northern　Virginia　found　its　last　expression　in　a　proposal
which　was　made　to　Lee　by　his　officers。　If　he　would　give　the　word；
they　would　make　the　war　a　duel　to　the　death；　it　should　drag　out
in　relentless　guerrilla　struggles；　and　there　should　be　no
pacification　of　the　South　until　the　fighting　classes　had　been
exterminated。　Considering　what　those　classes　were；　considering
the　qualities　that　could　be　handed　on　to　their　posterity；　one
realize