the day of the confederacy-第27节

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threshold　of　success。　We　may　safely　ascribe　to　him　in　these　days
that　illusory　state　of　mind　which　has　characterized　some　of　the
greatest　of　men　in　their　over…strained；　concluding　periods。　His
extraordinary　promises　in　his　later　messages；　a　series　of　vain
prophecies　beginning　with　his　speech　at　the　African　Church；
remind　one　of　Napoleon　after　Leipzig　refusing　the　Rhine　as　a
boundary。　His　nerves；　too；　were　all　but　at　the　breaking　point。　He
sent　the　Senate　a　scolding　message　because　of　its　delay　in
passing　the　Negro　Soldiers'　Bill。　The　Senate　answered　in　a　report
that　was　sharply　critical　of　his　own　course。　Shortly　afterward
Congress　adjourned　refusing　his　request　for　another　suspension　of
the　writ　of　habeas　corpus。

Davis　had　hinted　at　important　matters　he　hoped　soon　to　be　able　to
submit　to　Congress。　What　he　had　in　mind　was　the　last；　the
boldest；　stroke　of　this　period　of　desperation。　The　policy　of
emancipation　he　and　Benjamin　had　accepted　without　reserve。　They
had　at　last　perceived；　too　late；　the　power　of　the　anti…slavery
movement　in　Europe。　Though　they　had　already　failed　to　coerce
England　through　cotton　and　had　been　played　with　and　abandoned　by
Napoleon；　they　persisted　in　thinking　that　there　was　still　a
chance　for　a　third　chapter　in　their　foreign　affairs。

The　agitation　to　arm　the　slaves；　with　the　promise　of　freedom；　had
another　motive　besides　the　reinforcement　of　Lee's　army：　it　was
intended　to　serve　as　a　basis　for　negotiations　with　England　and
France。　To　that　end　D。　J。　Kenner　was　dispatched　to　Europe　early
in　1865。　Passing　through　New　York　in　disguise；　he　carried　word　of
this　revolutionary　program　to　the　Confederate　commissioners
abroad。　A　conference　at　Paris　was　held　by　Kenner；　Mason；　and
Slidell。　Mason；　who　had　gone　over　to　England　to　sound　Palmerston
with　regard　to　this　last　Confederate　hope；　was　received　on　the
14th　of　March。　On　the　previous　day；　Davis　had　accepted　temporary
defeat；　by　signing　the　compromise　bill　which　omitted
emancipation。　But　as　there　was　no　cable　operating　at　the　time；
Mason　was　not　aware　of　this　rebuff。　In　his　own　words；　he　〃urged
upon　Lord　P。　that　if　the　President　was　right　in　his　impression
that　there　was　some　latent；　undisclosed　obstacle　on　the　part　of
Great　Britain　to　recognition；　it　should　be　frankly　stated；　and　we
might；　if　in　our　power　to　do　so；　consent　to　remove　it。〃
Palmerston；　though　his　manner　was　〃conciliatory　and　kind；〃
insisted　that　there　was　nothing　〃underlying〃　his　previous
statements；　and　that　he　could　not；　in　view　of　the　facts　then
existing；　regard　the　Confederacy　in　the　light　of　an　independent
power。　Mason　parted　from　him　convinced　that　〃the　most　ample
concessions　on　our　part　in　the　matter　referred　to　would　have
produced　no　change　in　the　course　determined　on　by　the　British
Government　with　regard　to　recognition。〃　In　a　subsequent　interview
with　Lord　Donoughmore；　he　was　frankly　told　that　the　offer　of
emancipation　had　come　too　late。

The　dispatch　in　which　Mason　reported　the　attitude　of　the　British
Government　never　reached　the　Confederate　authorities。　It　was
dated　the　31st　of　March。　Two　days　later　Richmond　was　evacuated　by
the　Confederate　Government。



Chapter　XII。　The　Last　Word

The　evacuation　of　Richmond　broke　the　back　of　the　Confederate
defense。　Congress　had　adjourned。　The　legislative　history　of　the
Confederacy　was　at　an　end。　The　executive　history　still　had　a　few
days　to　run。　After　destroying　great　quantities　of　records；　the
government　officials　had　packed　the　remainder　on　a　long　train
that　conveyed　the　President　and　what　was　left　of　the　civil
service　to　Danville。　During　a　few　days；　Danville　was　the
Confederate　capital。　There；　Davis；　still　unable　to　conceive
defeat；　issued　his　pathetic　last　Address　to　the　People　of　the
Confederate　States。　His　mind　was　crystallized。　He　was　no　longer
capable　of　judging　facts。　In　as　confident　tones　as　ever　he
promised　his　people　that　they　should　yet　prevail；　he　assured
Virginians　that　even　if　the　Confederate　army　should　withdraw
further　south　the　withdrawal　would　be　but　temporary；　and　that
〃again　and　again　will　we　return　until　the　baffled　and　exhausted
enemy　shall　abandon　in　despair　his　endless　and　impossible　task　of
making　slaves　of　a　people　resolved　to　be　free。〃

The　surrender　at　Appomattox　on　April　9；　1865；　compelled　another
migration　of　the　dwindling　executive　company。　General　Johnston
had　not　yet　surrendered。　A　conference　which　he　had　with　the
President　and　the　Cabinet　at　Greensboro　ended　in　giving　him
permission　to　negotiate　with　Sherman。　Even　then　Davis　was　still
bent　on　keeping　up　the　fight；　yet；　though　he　believed　that
Sherman　would　reject　Johnston's　overtures；　he　was　overtaken　at
Charlotte　on　his　way　South　by　the　crushing　news　of　Johnston's
surrender。　There　the　executive　history　of　the　Confederacy　came　to
an　end　in　a　final　Cabinet　meeting。　Davis；　still　blindly　resolute
to　continue　the　struggle；　was　deeply　distressed　by　the
determination　of　his　advisers　to　abandon　it。　In　imminent　danger
of　capture；　the　President's　party　made　its　way　to　Abbeville；
where　it　broke　up；　and　each　member　sought　safety　as　best　he
could。　Davis　with　a　few　faithful　men　rode　to　Irwinsville；
Georgia；　where；　in　the　early　morning　of　the　l0th　of　May；　he　was
surprised　and　captured。　But　the　history　of　the　Confederacy　was
not　quite　at　an　end。　The　last　gunshots　were　still　to　be　fired　far
away　in　Texas　on　the　13th　of　May。　The　surrender　of　the　forces　of
the　Trans…Mississippi　on　May　26；　1865；　brought　the　war　to　a
definite　conclusion。

There　remains　one　incident　of　these　closing　days；　the
significance　of　which　was　not　perceived　until　long　afterward；
when　it　immediately　took　its　rightful　place　among　the　determining
events　of　American　history。　The　unconquerable　spirit　of　the　Army
of　Northern　Virginia　found　its　last　expression　in　a　proposal
which　was　made　to　Lee　by　his　officers。　If　he　would　give　the　word；
they　would　make　the　war　a　duel　to　the　death；　it　should　drag　out
in　relentless　guerrilla　struggles；　and　there　should　be　no
pacification　of　the　South　until　the　fighting　classes　had　been
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　（