the day of the confederacy-第14章

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dividing　against　itself。

The　withdrawal　of　Rhett　from　active　life　was　an　incident　of　the
congressional　elections。　He　had　consented　to　stand　for　Congress
in　the　Third　District　of　South　Carolina　but　was　defeated。　The
full　explanation　of　the　vote　is　still　to　be　made　plain；　it　seems
clear；　however；　that　South　Carolina　at　this　time　knew　its　own
mind　quite　positively。　Five　of　the　six　representatives　returned
to　the　Second　Congress；　including　Rhett's　opponent；　Lewis　M。
Ayer；　had　sat　in　the　First　Congress。　The　subsequent　history　of
the　South　Carolina　delegation　and　of　the　State　Government　shows
that　by　1863　South　Carolina　had　become；　broadly　speaking；　on
almost　all　issues　an　anti…Davis　State。　And　yet　the　largest
personality　and　probably　the　ablest　mind　in　the　State　was
rejected　as　a　candidate　for　Congress。　No　character　in　American
history　is　a　finer　challenge　to　the　biographer　than　this　powerful
figure　of　Rhett；　who　in　1861　at　the　supreme　crisis　of　his　life
seemed　the　master　of　his　world　and　yet　in　every　lesser　crisis　was
a　comparative　failure。　As　in　Yancey；　so　in　Rhett；　there　was
something　that　fitted　him　to　one　great　moment　but　did　not　fit　him
to　others。　There　can　be　little　doubt　that　his　defeat　at　the　polls
of　his　own　district　deeply　mortified　him。　He　withdrew　from
politics；　and　though　he　doubtless；　through　the　editorship　of　one
of　his　sons；　inspired　the　continued　opposition　of　the　Mercury　to
the　Government；　Rhett　himself　hardly　reappears　in　Confederate
history　except　for　a　single　occasion　during　the　debate　a　year
later　upon　the　burning　question　of　arming　the　slaves。

The　year　was　marked　by　very　bitter　attacks　upon　President　Davis
on　the　part　of　the　opposition　press。　The　Mercury　revived　the
issue　of　the　conduct　of　the　war　which　had　for　some　time　been
overshadowed　by　other　issues。　In　the　spring；　to　be　sure；　things
had　begun　to　look　brighter；　and　Chancellorsville　had　raised　Lee's
reputation　to　its　zenith。　The　disasters　of　the　summer；　Gettysburg
and　Vicksburg；　were　for　a　time　minimized　by　the　Government　and　do
not　appear　to　have　caused　the　alarm　which　their　strategic
importance　might　well　have　created。　But　when　in　the　latter　days
of　July　the　facts　became　generally　known；　the　Mercury　arraigned
the　President's　conduct　of　the　war　as　〃a　vast　complication　of
incompetence　and　folly〃；　it　condemned　the　whole　scheme　of　the
Northern　invasion　and　maintained　that　Lee　should　have　stood　on
the　defensive　while　twenty　or　thirty　thousand　men　were　sent　to
the　relief　of　Vicksburg。　These　two　ideas　it　bitterly　reiterated
and　in　August　went　so　far　as　to　quote　Macaulay's　famous　passage
on　Parliament's　dread　of　a　decisive　victory　over　Charles　and　to
apply　it　to　Davis　in　unrestrained　language　that　reminds　one　of
Pollard。

Equally　unrestrained　were　the　attacks　upon　other　items　of　the
policy　of　the　Confederate　Government。　The　Impressment　Law　began
to　be　a　target。　Farmers　who　were　compelled　to　accept　the　prices
fixed　by　the　impressment　commissioners　cried　out　that　they　were
being　ruined。　Men　of　the　stamp　of　Toombs　came　to　their　assistance
with　railing　accusations　such　as　this：　〃I　have　heard　it　said　that
we　should　not　sacrifice　liberty　to　independence；　but　I　tell　you；
my　countrymen；　that　the　two　are　inseparable。。。。　　If　we　lose
our　liberty　we　shall　lose　our　independence。。。。　　I　would　rather
see　the　whole　country　the　cemetery　of　freedom　than　the　habitation
of　slaves。〃　Protests　which　poured　in　upon　the　Government　insisted
that　the　power　to　impress　supplies　did　not　carry　with　it　the
power　to　fix　prices。　Worthy　men；　ridden　by　the　traditional　ideas
of　political　science　and　unable　to　modify　these　in　the　light　of
the　present　emergency；　wailed　out　their　despair　over　the
〃usurpation〃　of　Richmond。

The　tax　in　kind　was　denounced　in　the　same　vein。　The　licensing
provisions　of　this　law　and　its　income　tax　did　not　satisfy　the
popular　imagination。　These　provisions　concerned　the　classes　that
could　borrow。　The　classes　that　could　not　borrow；　that　had　no
resources　but　their　crops；　felt　that　they　were　being　driven　to
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
re