the day of the confederacy-第12章

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and　hemmed　in　between　the　Federal　army　and　the　deep　sea。　Another
group　of　StatesTennessee；　Mississippi；　Alabamabecame　so　soon；
and　remained　so　long；　a　debatable　land；　on　which　the　two　armies
fought；　that　they　also　had　scant　opportunity　for　genuine
political　life。　Florida；　small　and　exposed；　was　absorbed　in　its
gallant　achievement　of　furnishing　to　the　armies　a　number　of
soldiers　larger　than　its　voting　population。

Thus；　after　the　loss　of　New　Orleans；　one　thing　with　another
operated　to　confine　the　area　of　full　political　life　to　Virginia
and　her　three　neighbors　to　the　South。　And　yet　even　among　these
States　there　was　no　political　solidarity　or　unanimity　of　opinion；
for　the　differences　in　their　past　experience；　social　structure；
and　economic　conditions　made　for　distinct　points　of　view。　In
South　Carolina；　particularly；　the　prevailing　view　was　that　of
experienced；　disillusioned　men　who　realized　from　the　start　that
secession　had　burnt　their　bridges；　and　that　now　they　must　win　the
fight　or　change　the　whole　current　of　their　lives。　In　the　midst　of
the　extraordinary　conditions　of　war；　they　never　talked　as　if
their　problems　were　the　problems　of　peace。　Brown；　on　the　other
hand；　had　but　one　way　of　reasoningif　we　are　to　call　it
reasoningand；　with　Hannibal　at　the　gates；　talked　as　if　the
control　of　the　situation　were　still　in　his　own　hands。

While　South　Carolina；　so　grimly　conscious　of　the　reality　of　war
and　the　danger　of　internal　discord；　held　off　from　the　issue　of
state　sovereignty；　the　Brown　faction　in　Georgia　blithely　pressed
it　home。　A　bill　for　extending　the　conscription　age　which　was
heartily　advocated　by　the　Mercury　was　as　heartily　condemned　by
Brown。　To　the　President　he　wrote　announcing　his　continued
opposition　to　a　law　which　he　declared　〃encroaches　upon　the
reserved　rights　of　the　State　and　strikes　down　her　sovereignty　at
a　single　blow。〃　Though　the　Supreme　Court　of　Georgia　pronounced
the　conscription　acts　constitutional；　the　Governor　and　his
faction　did　not　cease　to　condemn　them。　Linton　Stephens；　as　well
as　his　famous　kinsman；　took　up　the　cudgels。　In　a　speech　before
the　Georgia　Legislature；　in　November；　Linton　Stephens　borrowed
almost　exactly　the　Governor's　phraseology　in　denying　the
necessity　for　conscription；　and　this　continued　to　be　the　note　of
their　faction　throughout　the　war。　〃Conscription　checks
enthusiasm；〃　was　ever　their　cry；　〃we　are　invincible　under　a
system　of　volunteering；　we　are　lost　with　conscription。〃

Meanwhile　the　military　authorities　looked　facts　in　the　face　and
had　a　different　tale　to　tell。　They　complained　that　in　various
parts　of　the　country；　especially　in　the　mountain　districts；　they
were　unable　to　obtain　men。　Lee　reported　that　his　army　melted　away
before　his　eye　and　asked　for　an　increase　of　authority　to　compel
stragglers　to　return。　At　the　same　time　Brown　was　quarreling　with
the　Administration　as　to　who　should　name　the　officers　of　the
Georgia　troops。　Zebulon　B。　Vance；　the　newly　elected　Governor　of
North　Carolina　and　an　anti…Davis　man；　said　to　the　Legislature：
〃It　is　mortifying　to　find　entire　brigades　of　North　Carolina
soldiers　commanded　by　strangers；　and　in　many　cases　our　own　brave
and　war…worn　colonels　are　made　to　give　place　to　colonels　from
distant　States。〃　In　addition　to　such　indications　of　discontent　a
vast　mass　of　evidence　makes　plain　the　opposition　to　conscription
toward　the　close　of　1862　and　the　looseness　of　various　parts　of
the　military　system。

It　was　a　moment　of　intense　excitement　and　of　nervous　strain。　The
country　was　unhappy；　for　it　had　lost　faith　in　the　Government　at
Richmond。　The　blockade　was　producing　its　effect。　European
intervention　was　receding　into　the　distance。　One　of　the
characteristics　of　the　editorials　and　speeches　of　this　period　is
a　rising　tide　of　bitterness　against　England。　Napoleon's　proposal
in　November　to　mediate；　though　it　came　to　naught；　somewhat
revived　the　hope　of　an　eventual　recognition　of　the　Confederacy
but　did　not　restore　buoyancy　to　the　people　of　the　South。　The
Emancipation　Proclamation；　though　scoffed　at　as　a　cry　of
impotence；　none　the　less　increased　the　general　sense　of　crisis。

Worst　of　all；　because　of　its　immediate　effect　upon　the　temper　of
the　time；　food　was　very　scarce　and　prices　had　risen　to
indefensible　heights。　The　army　was　short　of　shoes。　In　the
newspapers；　as　winter　came　on；　were　to　be　found　touching
descriptions　of　Lee's　soldiers　standing　barefoot　in　the　snow。　A
flippant　comment　of　Benjamin's；　that　the　shoes　had　probably　been
traded　for　whiskey；　did　not　tend　to　improve　matters。　Even　though
short　of　supplies　themselves；　the　people　as　a　whole　eagerly
subscribed　to　buy　shoes　for　the　army。

There　was　widespread　and　heartless　speculation　in　the　supplies。
Months　previous　the　Courier　had　made　this　ominous　editorial
remark：　〃Speculators　and　monopolists　seem　determined　to　force　the
people　everywhere　to　the　full　exercise　of　all　the　remedies
allowed　by　law。〃　In　August；　1862；　the　Governor　of　Florida　wrote
to　the　Florida　delegation　at　Richmond　urging　them　to　take　steps
to　meet　the　〃nefarious　smuggling〃　of　speculators　who　charged
extortionate　prices。　In　September；　he　wrote　again　begging　for
legislation　to　compel　millers；　tanners；　and　saltmakers　to　offer
their　products　at　reasonable　rates。　As　these　men　were　exempt　from
military　duty　because　their　labor　was　held　to　be　a　public
service；　feeling　against　them　ran　high。　Governor　Vance　proposed　a
state　convention　to　regulate　prices　for　North　Carolina　and　by
proclamation　forbade　the　export　of　provisions　in　order　to　prevent
the　seeking　of　exorbitant　prices　in　other　markets。　Davis　wrote　to
various　Governors　urging　them　to　obtain　state　legislation　to
reduce　extortion　in　the　food　business。　In　the　provisioning　of　the
army　the　Confederate　Government　had　recourse　to　impressment　and
the　arbitrary　fixing　of　prices。　Though　the　Attorney…General　held
this　action　to　be　constitutional；　it　led　to　sharp　contentions；
and　at　length　a　Virginia　court　granted　an　injunction　to　a
speculator　who　had　been　paid　by　the　Government　for　flour　less
than　it　had　cost　him。

In　an　attempt　to　straighten　out　this　tangled　situation；　the
Confederate　Government　began；　late；　in　1862；　by　appointing　as　its
new　Secretary　of　War；*　James　A。　Seddon　of　Virginiaat　that　time
high　in　popular　favor。　The　Mercury　hailed　his　advent　with
transparent　relief；　for　no　appointment　could　have　seemed　to　it
more　promising。　Indeed；　as　the　new　year　（1863）　opened　the　Mercury
was　in　better　humor　with　the　Administration　than　perhaps　at　any
other　time　during　the　war。　To　the　President's　message　it　gave
praise　that　was　almost　cordial。　This　amicable　temper　was
short…lived；　however；　and　three　months　later　the　heavens　had
clouded

*　There　were　in　all　six　Secretaries　of　War：　Leroy　P。　Walker；
until　September　16；　1861；　Judah　P。　Benjamin；　until　March　18；
1862；　George　W。　Randolph；　until　November　17；　1868；　Gustavus　W。
Smith　（temporarily）；　until　November　21；　1862；　James　A。　Seddon；
until　February　6；　1865；　General　John　C。　Breckinridge；　again；　for
the　Government　had　entered　upon　a　course　that　consolidated　the
opposition　in　anger　and　distrust。


Early　in　1863　the　Confederate　Government　presented　to　the　country
a　program　in　which　the　main　features　were　three。　Of　these　the　two
which　did　not　rouse　immediate　hostility　in　the　party　of　the
Examiner　and　the　Mercury　were　the　Impressment　Act　of　March；　1863
（amended　by　successive　acts）；　and　the　act　known　as　the　Tax　in
Kind；　which　was　approved　the　following　month。　Though　the
Impressment　Act　subsequently　made　vast　trouble　for　the
Government；　at　the　time　of　its　passage　its　beneficial　effects
were　not　denied。　To　it　was　attributed　by　the　Richmond　Whig　the
rapid　fall　of　prices　in　April；　1863。　Corn　went　down　at　Richmond
from　12　and　10　a　bushel　to　4。20；　and　flour　dropped　in　North
Carolina　from　45　a　barrel　to　25。　Under　this　act　commissioners
were　appointed　in　each　State　jointly　by　the　Confederate　President
and　the　Governor　with　the　duty　of　fixing　prices　for　government
transactions　and　of　publishing　every　two　months　an　official
schedule　of　the　prices　to　be　paid　by　the　Government　for　the
supplies　which　it　impressed。

The　new　Tax　Act　attempted　to　provide　r