the day of the confederacy-第17节

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situation　that　early　in　1864　it　passed　another　act　〃to　suspend
the　privilege　of　the　writ　of　habeas　corpus　in　certain　cases。〃
This　was　not　quite　the　same　as　that　sweeping　act　of　1862　which
had　set　the　Mercury　irrevocably　in　opposition。　Though　this　act　of
1864　gave　the　President　the　power　to　order　the　arrest　of　any
person　suspected　of　treasonable　practices；　and　though　it　released
military　officers　from　all　obligation　to　obey　the　order　of　any
civil　court　to　surrender　a　prisoner　charged　with　treason；　the　new
legislation　carefully　defined　a　list　of　cases　in　which　alone　this
power　could　be　lawfully　used。　This　was　the　last　act　of　the　sort
passed　by　the　Confederate　Congress；　and　when　it　expired　by
limitation　ninety　days　after　the　next　meeting　of　Congress　it　was
not　renewed。

With　regard　to　the　administration　of　the　army；　Congress　can
hardly　be　said　to　have　met　the　President　more　than　half　way。　The
age　of　military　service　was　lowered　to　seventeen　and　was　raised
to　fifty。　But　the　President　was　not　giventhough　he　had　asked
for　itgeneral　control　over　exemptions。　Certain　groups；　such　as
ministers；　editors；　physicians；　were　in　the　main　exempted；　one
overseer　was　exempted　on　each　plantation　where　there　were　fifteen
slaves；　provided　he　gave　bond　to　sell　to　the　Government　at
official　prices　each　year　one　hundred　pounds　of　either　beef　or
bacon　for　each　slave　employed　and　provided　he　would　sell　all　his
surplus　produce　either　to　the　Government　or　to　the　families　of
soldiers。　Certain　civil　servants　of　the　Confederacy　were　also
exempted　as　well　as　those　whom　the　governors　of　States　should
〃certify　to　be　necessary　for　the　proper　administration　of　the
State　Government。〃　The　President　was　authorized　to　detail　for
nonmilitary　service　any　members　of　the　Confederate　forces　〃when
in　his　judgment；　justice；　equity；　and　necessity；　require　such
details。〃

This　statute　retained　two　features　that　had　already　given　rise　to
much　friction；　and　that　were　destined　to　be　the　cause　of　much
more。　It　was　still　within　the　power　of　state　governors　to　impede
conscription　very　seriously。　By　certifying　that　a　man　was
necessary　to　the　civil　administration　of　a　State；　a　Governor
could　place　him　beyond　the　legal　reach　of　the　conscripting
officers。　This　provision　was　a　concession　to　those　who　looked　on
Davis's　request　for　authority　over　exemption　as　the　first　step
toward　absolutism。　On　the　other　hand　the　statute　allowed　the
President　a　free　hand　in　the　scarcely　less　important　matter　of
〃details。〃　Among　the　imperative　problems　of　the　Confederacy；
where　the　whole　male　population　was　needed　in　the　public　service；
was　the　most　economical　separation　of　the　two　groups；　the
fighters　and　the　producers。　On　the　one　hand　there　was　the
constant　demand　for　recruits　to　fill　up　the　wasted　armies；　on　the
other；　the　need　for　workers　to　keep　the　shops　going　and　to　secure
the　harvest。　The　two　interests　were　never　fully　coordinated。
Under　the　act　of　1864；　no　farmer；　mechanic；　tradesman；　between
the　ages　of　seventeen　and　fifty；　if　fit　for　military　service；
could　remain　at　his　work　except　as　a　〃detail〃　under　orders　of　the
President：　he　might　be　called　to　the　colors　at　a　moment's　notice。
We　shall　see；　presently；　how　the　revoking　of　details；　toward　the
end　of　what　may　truly　be　called　the　terrible　year；　was　one　of　the
major　incidents　of　Confederate　history。

Together　with　the　new　conscription　act；　the　President　approved　on
February　17；　1864；　a　reenactment　of　the　tax　in　kind；　with　some
slight　concessions　to　the　convenience　of　the　farmers。　The
President's　appeal　for　a　law　directly　taxing　slaves　and　land　had
been　ignored　by　Congress；　but　another　of　his　suggestions　had　been
incorporated　in　the　Funding　Act。　The　state　of　the　currency　was
now　so　grave　that　Davis　attributed　to　it　all　the　evils　growing
out　of　the　attempts　to　enforce　impressment。　As　the　value　of　the
paper　dollar　had　by　this　time　shrunk　to　six　cents　in　specie　and
the　volume　of　Confederate　paper　was　upward　of　seven　hundred
millions；　Congress　undertook　to　reduce　the　volume　and　raise　the
value　by　compelling　holders　of　notes　to　exchange　them　for　bonds。
By　way　of　driving　the　note…holders　to　consent　to　the　exchange；
provision　was　made　for　the　speedy　taxation　of　notes　for　one…third
their　face　value。

Such　were　the　main　items　of　the　government　program　for　1864。
Armed　with　this；　Davis　braced　himself　for　the　great　task　of
making　head　against　the　enemies　that　now　surrounded　the
Confederacy。　It　is　an　axiom　of　military　science　that　when　one
combatant　possesses　the　interior　line；　the　other　can　offset　this
advantage　only　by　exerting　coincident　pressure　all　round；　thus
preventing　him　from　shifting　his　forces　from　one　front　to
another。　On　this　principle；　the　Northern　strategists　had　at　last
completed　their　gigantic　plan　for　a　general　envelopment　of　the
whole　Confederate　defense　both　by　land　and　sea。　Grant　opened
operations　by　crossing　the　Rapidan　and　telegraphing　Sherman　to
advance　into　Georgia。

The　stern　events　of　the　spring　of　1864　form　such　a　famous　page　in
military　history　that　the　sober　civil　story　of　those　months
appears　by　comparison　lame　and　impotent。　Nevertheless；　the
Confederate　Government　during　those　months　was　at　least　equal　to
its　chief　obligation：　it　supplied　and　recruited　the　armies。　With
Grant　checked　at　Cold　Harbor；　in　June；　and　Sherman　still　unable
to　pierce　the　western　line；　the　hopes　of　the　Confederates　were
high。

In　the　North　there　was　corresponding　gloom。　This　was　the　moment
when　all　Northern　opponents　of　the　war　drew　together　in　their
last　attempt　to　shatter　the　Lincoln　Government　and　make　peace
with　the　Confederacy。　The　value　to　the　Southern　cause　of　this
Northern　movement　for　peace　at　any　price　was　keenly　appreciated
at　Richmond。　Trusted　agents　of　the　Confederacy　were　even　then　in
Canada　working　deftly　to　influence　Northern　sentiment。　The
negotiations　with　those　Northern　secret　societies　which
befriended　the　South　belong　properly　in　the　story　of　Northern
politics　and　the　presidential　election　of　1864。　They　were
skillfully　conducted　chiefly　by　Jacob　Thompson　and　C。　C。　Clay。
The　reports　of　these　agents　throughout　the　spring　and　summer　were
all　hopeful　and　told　of　〃many　intelligent　men　from　the　United
States〃　who　sought　them　out　in　Canada　for　political
consultations。　They　discussed　〃our　true　friends　from　the　Chicago
（Democratic）　convention〃　and　even　gave　names　of　those　who；　they
were　assured；　would　have　seats　in　McClellan's　Cabinet。　They　were
really　not　well　informed　upon　Northern　affairs；　and　even　after
the　tide　had　turned　against　the　Democrats　in　September；　they　were
still　priding　themselves　on　their　diplomatic　achievement；　still
confident　they　had　helped　organize　a　great　political　power；　had
〃given　a　stronger　impetus　to　the　peace　party　of　the　North　than
all　other　causes　combined；　and　had　greatly　reduced　the　strength
of　the　war　party。〃

While　Clay　and　Thompson　built　their　house　of　cards　in　Canada；　the
Richmond　Government　bent　anxious　eyes　on　the　western　battlefront。
Sherman；　though　repulsed　in　his　one　frontal　attack　at　Kenesaw
Mountain；　had　steadily　worked　his　way　by　the　left　flank　of　the
Confederate　army；　until　in　early　July　he　was　within　six　miles　of
Atlanta。　All　the　lower　South　was　a…tremble　with　apprehension。
Deputations　were　sent　to　Richmond　imploring　the　removal　of
Johnston　from　the　western　command。　What　had　he　done　since　his
appointment　in　December　but　retreat？　Such　was　the　tenor　of　public
opinion。　〃It　is　all　very　well　to　talk　of　Fabian　policy；〃　said　one
of　his　detractors　long　afterward；　〃and　now　we　can　see　we　were
rash　to　say　the　least。　But　at　the　time；　all　of　us　went　wrong
together。　Everybody　clamored　for　Johnston's　removal。〃　Johnston
and　Davis　were　not　friends；　but　the　President　hesitated　long
before　acting。　And　yet；　with　each　day；　political　as　well　as
military　necessity　grew　more　imperative。　Both　at　Washington　and
Richmond　the　effect　that　the　fighting　in　Georgia　had　on　Northern
opinion　was　seen　to　be　of　the　first　importance。　Sherman　was
staking　everything　to　break　the　Confederate　line　and　take
Atlanta。　He　knew　that　a　great　victory　would　have　incalculable
effect　on　the　Northern　election。　Davis　knew　equally　well　that　the
defeat　of　Sherman　would　greatly　encourage　the　peace　party　in　the
North。　But　he　had　no　general　of　undoubted　genius　whom　he　could
put　in　Johnston's　place。　However；　the　necessity　for　a　bold　stroke
was　so　undeniable；　and　Johnston　appeared　so　resolute　to　continue
his　Fabian　policy；　that　Davis　reluctantly　took　a　desperate　chance
and　superseded　him　by　Hood。

During　August；　though　the　Democratic　convention　at　Chicago　drew
up　its　platform　favoring　peace　at　any　price；　the　anxiety　of　the
Southern　President　did　not　abate　his　activities。　The　safety　of
the　western　line　was　now　his　absorbing　concern。　And　in　mid…August
that　line　was　turned；　in　a　way；　by　Farragut's　capture　of　Mobile
Bay。　As　the　month　closed；　Sherman；　despite　the　furious　blows
delivered　by　Hood；　was　plainly　getting　the　upper　hand。　North　and
South；　men　watched　that　tremendous　duel　with　the　feeling　that　the
foundations　of　things　were　rocking。　At　last；　on　the　2d　of
September；　Sherman；　victorious；　entered　Atlanta。



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