the day of the confederacy-第6部分

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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　it　seemed；　that　while　the　South　had　powerful
friends　abroad；　it　also　had　powerful　foes；　that　the　British
anti…slavery　party　was　a　more　formidable　enemy　than　he　had
expected　it　to　be；　and　that　intervention　was　not　a　foregone
conclusion。　The　task　of　an　unrecognized　ambassador　being　too
annoying　for　him；　Yancey　was　relieved　at　his　own　request　and
Mason　was　sent　out　to　take　his　place。　A　singular　little　incident
like　a　dismal　prophecy　occurred　as　Yancey　was　on　his　way　home。　He
passed　through　Havana　early　in　1862；　when　the　news　of　the
surrender　of　Fort　Donelson　had　begun　to　stagger　the　hopes　and
impair　the　prestige　of　the　Confederates。　By　the　advice　of　the
Confederate　agent　in　Cuba；　Yancey　did　not　call　on　the　Spanish
Governor　but　sent　him　word　that　〃delicacy　alone　prompted　his
departure　without　the　gratification　of　a　personal　interview。〃　The
Governor　expressed　himself　as　〃exceedingly　grateful　for　the　noble
sentiment　which　prevented〃　Yancey　from　causing　international
complications　at　Havana。

The　history　of　the　first　year　of　Confederate　foreign　affairs　is
interwoven　with　the　history　of　Confederate　finance。　During　that
year　the　South　became　a　great　buyer　in　Europe。　Arms；　powder；
cloth；　machinery；　medicines；　ships；　a　thousand　things；　had　all　to
be　bought　abroad。　To　establish　the　foreign　credit　of　the　new
Government　was　the　arduous　task　of　the　Confederate　Secretary　of
the　Treasury；　Christopher　G。　Memminger。　The　first　great　campaign
of　the　war　was　not　fought　by　armies。　It　was　a　commercial　campaign
fought　by　agents　of　the　Federal　and　Confederate　governments　and
having　for　its　aim　the　cornering　of　the　munitions　market　in
Europe。　In　this　campaign　the　Federal　agents　had　decisive
advantages：　their　credit　was　never　questioned；　and　their　enormous
purchases　were　never　doubtful　ventures　for　the　European　sellers。
In　some　cases　their　superior　credit　enabled　them　to　overbid　the
Confederate　agents　and　to　appropriate　large　contracts　which　the
Confederates　had　negotiated　but　which　they　could　not　hold　because
of　the　precariousness　of　their　credit。　And　yet；　all　things
considered；　the　Confederate　agents　made　a　good　showing。　In　the
report　of　the　Secretary　of　War　in　February；　1862；　the　number　of
rifles　contracted　for　abroad　was　put　at　91；000；　of　which　15；000
had　been　delivered。　The　chief　reliance　of　the　Confederate
Treasury　for　its　purchases　abroad　was　at　first　the　specie　in　the
Southern　branch　of　the　United　States　Mint　and　in　Southern　banks。
The　former　the　Confederacy　seized　and　converted　to　its　own　use。
Of　the　latter　it　lured　into　its　own　hands　a　very　large　proportion
by　what　is　commonly　called　〃the　fifteen　million　loan〃an　issue
of
eight　percent　bonds　authorized　in　February；　1861。　Most　of　this
specie　seems　to　have　been　taken　out　of　the　country　by　the
purchase　of　European　commodities。　A　little；　to　be　sure；　remained；
for　there　was　some　gold　still　at　home　when　the　Confederacy　fell。
But　the　sum　was　small。

In　addition　to　this　loan　Memminger　also　persuaded　Congress　on
August　19；　1861；　to　lay　a　direct　taxthe　〃war　tax；〃　as　it　was
calledof　one…half　of　one　per　cent　on　all　property　except
Confederate　bonds　and　money。　As　required　by　the　Constitution　this
tax　was　apportioned　among　the　States；　but　if　it　assumed　its
assessment　before　April　1；　1862；　each　State　was　to　have　a
reduction　of　ten　per　cent。　As　there　was　a　general　aversion　to　the
idea　of　Confederate　taxation　and　a　general　faith　in　loans；　what
the　States　did；　as　a　rule；　was　to　assume　their　assessment；　agree
to　pay　it　into　the　Treasury；　and　then　issue　bonds　to　raise　the
necessary　funds；　thus　converting　the　war　tax　into　a　loan。

The　Confederate；　like　the　Union；　Treasury　did　not　have　the
courage　to　force　the　issue　upon　taxation　and　leaned　throughout
the　war　largely　upon　loans。　It　also　had　recourse　to　the　perilous
device　of　paper　money；　the　gold　value　of　which　was　not
guaranteed。　Beginning　in　March；　1861；　it　issued　under　successive
laws　great　quantities　of　paper　notes；　some　of　them　interest
bearing；　some　not。　It　used　these