the day of the confederacy-第31章

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exterminated。　Considering　what　those　classes　were；　considering
the　qualities　that　could　be　handed　on　to　their　posterity；　one
realizes　that　this　suicide　of　a　whole　people；　of　a　noble　fighting
people；　would　have　maimed　incalculably　the　America　of　the　future。
But　though　the　heroism　of　this　proposal　of　his　men　to　die　on
their　shields　had　its　stern　charm　for　so　brave　a　man　as　Lee；　he
refused　to　consider　it。　He　would　not　admit　that　he　and　his　people
had　a　right　thus　to　extinguish　their　power　to　help　mold　the
future；　no　matter　whether　it　be　the　future　they　desired　or　not。
The　result　of　battle　must　be　accepted。　The　Southern　spirit　must
not　perish；　luxuriating　blindly　in　despair；　but　must　find　a　new
form　of　expression；　must　become　part　of　the　new　world　that　was　to
be；　must　look　to　a　new　birth　under　new　conditions。　In　this　spirit
he　issued　to　his　army　his　last　address：

〃After　four　years　of　arduous　service；　marked　by　unsurpassed
courage　and　fortitude；　the　Army　of　Northern　Virginia　has　been
compelled　to　yield　to　overwhelming　numbers　and　resources。　I　need
not　tell　the　survivors　of　so　many　hard…fought　battles；　who　have
remained　steadfast　to　the　last；　that　I　have　consented　to　the
result　from　no　distrust　of　them；　but　feeling　that　valor　and
devotion　could　accomplish　nothing　that　could　compensate　for　the
loss　that　would　have　attended　the　continuation　of　the　contest；　I
determined　to　avoid　the　useless　sacrifice　of　those　whose　past
services　have　endeared　them　to　their　countrymen。。。。　I　bid　you
an　affectionate　farewell。〃

How　inevitably　one　calls　to　mind；　in　view　of　the　indomitable
valor　of　Lee's　final　decision；　those　great　lines　from　Tennyson：

〃Tho'　much　is　taken；　much　abides；　and　tho'

We　are　not　now　that　strength　which　in　old　days

Moved　earth　and　heaven；　that　which　we　are；　we　are；

One　equal　temper　of　heroic　hearts；

Made　weak　by　time　and　fate；　but　strong　in　will。〃　





BIBLIOGRAPHICAL　NOTE

There　is　no　adequate　history　of　the　Confederacy。　It　is　rumored
that　a　distinguished　scholar　has　a　great　work　approaching
completion。　It　is　also　rumored　that　another　scholar；　well
equipped　to　do　so；　will　soon　bring　out　a　monumental　life　of
Davis。　But　the　fact　remains　that　as　yet　we　lack　a　comprehensive
review　of　the　Confederate　episode　set　in　proper　perspective。
Standard　works　such　as　the　〃History　of　the　United　States　from　the
Compromise　of　1850〃；　by　J。　F。　Rhodes　（7　vols。；　1893…1908）；　even
when　otherwise　as　near　a　classic　as　is　the　work　of　Mr。　Rhodes；
treat　the　Confederacy　so　externally　as　to　have　in　this　respect
little　value。　The　one　searching　study　of　the　subject；　〃The
Confederate　States　of　America；〃　by　J。　C。　Schwab　（1901）；　though
admirable　in　its　way；　is　wholly　overshadowed　by　the　point　of　view
of　the　economist。　The　same　is　to　be　said　of　the　article　by
Professor　Schwab　in　the　11th　edition　of　〃The　Encyclopaedia
Britannica。〃

Two　famous　discussions　of　the　episode　by　participants　are：　〃The
Rise　and　Fall　of　the　Confederate　Government；〃　by　the　President　of
the　Confederacy　（2　vols。；　1881）；　and　〃A　Constitutional　View　of
the　Late　War　Between　the　States；〃　by　Alexander　H。　Stephens　（2
vols。；　1870）。　Both　works；　though　invaluable　to　the　student；　are
tinged　with　controversy；　each　of　the　eminent　authors　aiming　to
refute　the　arguments　of　political　antagonists。

The　military　history　of　the　time　has　so　overshadowed　the　civil；
in　the　minds　of　most　students；　that　we　are　still　sadly　in　need　of
careful；　disinterested　studies　of　the　great　figures　of
Confederate　civil　affairs。　〃Jefferson　Davis；〃　by　William　E。　Dodd
（〃American　Crisis　Biographies；〃　1907）；　is　the　standard　life　of
the　President；　superseding　older　ones。　Not　so　satisfactory　in　the
same　series　is　〃Judah　P。　Benjamin；〃　by　Pierce　Butler　（1907）；　and
〃Alexander　H。　Stephens；〃　by　Louis　Pendleton　（1907）。　Older　works
which　are　valuable　for　the　material　they　contain　are：　〃Memoir　of
Jefferson　Davis；〃　by　his　Wife　（1890）；　〃The　Life　and　Times　of
Alexander　H。　Stephens；〃　by　R。　M。　Johnston　and　W。　M。　Browne
（1878）；　〃The　Life　and　Times　of　William　Lowndes　Yancey；〃　by　J。　W。
Du　Bose　（1891）；　〃The　Life；　Times；　and　Speeches　of　Joseph　E。
Brown；〃　by　Herbert　Fielder　（1883）；　〃Public　Life　and　Diplomatic
Correspondence　of　James　M。　Mason；〃　by　his　Daughter　（1903）；　〃The
Life　and　Time　of　C。　G。　Memminger；〃　by　H。　D。　Capers　（1893）。　The
writings　of　E。　A。　Pollard　cannot　be　disregarded；　but　must　be
taken　as　the　violent　expression　of　an　extreme　partisan。　They
include　a　〃Life　of　Jefferson　Davis〃　（1869）　and　〃The　Lost　Cause〃
（1867）。　A　charming　series　of　essays　is　〃Confederate　Portraits；〃
by　Gamaliel　Bradford　（1914）。　Among　books　on　special　topics　that
are　to　be　recommended　are：　〃The　Diplomatic　History　of　the
Southern　Confederacy〃　by　J。　M。　Callahan　（1901）；　〃France　and　the
Confederate　Navy；〃　by　John　Bigelow　（1888）；　and　〃The　Secret
Service　of　the　Confederate　States　in　Europe；〃　by　J。　D。　Bulloch　（2
vols。；　1884）。　There　is　a　large　number　of　contemporary　accounts　of
life　in　the　Confederacy。　Historians　have　generally　given
excessive　attention　to　〃A　Rebel　War　Clerk's　Diary　at　the
Confederate　States　Capital；〃　by　J。　B。　Jones　（2　vols。；　1866）　which
has　really　neither　more　nor　less　value　than　a　Richmond　newspaper。
Conspicuous　among　writings　of　this　type　is　the　delightful　〃Diary
from　Dixie；〃　by　Mrs。　Mary　B。　Chestnut　（1905）　and　〃My　Diary；　North
and　South；〃　by　W。　H。　Russell　（1861）。

The　documents　of　the　civil　history；　so　far　as　they　are　accessible
to　the　general　reader；　are　to　be　found　in　the　three　volumes
forming　the　fourth　series　of　the　〃Official　Records　of　the　Union
and　Confederate　Armies〃　（128　vols。；　1880…1901）；　the　〃Journals　of
the　Congress　of　the　Confederate　States〃　（8　vols。；　1904）　and
〃Messages　and　Papers　of　the　Confederacy；〃　edited　by　J。　D。
Richardson　（2　vols。；　1905）。　Four　newspapers　are　of　first
importance：　the　famous　opposition　organs；　the　Richmond　Examiner
and　the　Charleston　Mercury；　which　should　be　offset　by　the　two
leading　organs　of　the　Government；　the　Courier　of　Charleston　and
the　Enquirer　of　Richmond。　The　Statutes　of　the　Confederacy　have
been　collected　and　published；　most　of　them　are　also　to　be　found
in　the　fourth　series　of　the　Official　Records。

Additional　bibliographical　references　will　be　found　appended　to
the　articles　on　the　〃Confederate　States　of　America；〃　〃Secession；〃
and　〃Jefferson　Davis；〃　in　〃The　Encyclopaedia　Britannica；〃　11th
edition。　








End