the day of the confederacy-第4部分

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the　gunners　were　at　work。〃　Nevertheless；　〃as　if　served　with　a　new
impulse；〃　the　guns　of　Sumter　redoubled　their　fire。　But　it　was　not
in　human　endurance　to　keep　on　in　the　midst　of　the　burning　fort。
This　splendid　last　effort　was　short。　At　a　quarter　after　one；
Anderson　ceased　firing　and　raised　a　white　flag。　Negotiations
followed　ending　in　terms　of　surrenderAnderson　to　be　allowed　to
remove　his　garrison　to　the　fleet　lying　idle　beyond　the　bar　and　to
salute　the　flag　of　the　United　States　before　taking　it　down。　The
bombardment　had　lasted　thirty…two　hours　without　a　death　on　either
side。　The　evacuation　of　the　fort　was　to　take　place　next　day。

The　afternoon　of　Sunday；　the　14th　of　April；　was　a　gala　day　in　the
harbor　of　Charleston。　The　sunlight　slanted　across　the　roofs　of
the　city；　sparkled　upon　the　sea。　Deep　and　rich　the　harbor　always
looks　in　the　spring　sunshine　on　bright　afternoons。　The　filmy
atmosphere　of　these　latitudes；　at　that　time　of　year；　makes　the
sky　above　the　darkling；　afternoon　sea　a　pale　but　luminous
turquoise。　There　is　a　wonderful　soft　strength　in　the　peaceful
brightness　of　the　sun。　In　such　an　atmosphere　the　harbor　was
flecked　with　brilliantly　decked　craft　of　every　description；　all
in　a　flutter　of　flags　and　carrying　a　host　of　passengers　in　gala
dress。　The　city　swarmed　across　the　water　to　witness　the　ceremony
of　evacuation。　Wherry　men　did　a　thriving　business　carrying
passengers　to　the　fort。

Anderson　withdrew　from　Sumter　shortly　after　two　o'clock　amid　a
salute　of　fifty　guns。　The　Confederates　took　possession。　At　half
after　four　a　new　flag　was　raised　above　the　battered　and
fire…swept　walls。



Chapter　II。　The　Davis　Government

It　has　never　been　explained　why　Jefferson　Davis　was　chosen
President　of　the　Confederacy。　He　did　not　seek　the　office　and　did
not　wish　it。　He　dreamed　of　high　military　command。　As　a　study　in
the　irony　of　fate；　Davis's　career　is　made　to　the　hand　of　the
dramatist。　An　instinctive　soldier；　he　was　driven　by　circumstances
three　times　to　renounce　the　profession　of　arms　for　a　less
congenial　civilian　life。　His　final　renunciation；　which　proved　to
be　of　the　nature　of　tragedy；　was　his　acceptance　of　the　office　of
President。　Indeed；　why　the　office　was　given　to　him　seems　a
mystery。　Rhett　was　a　more　logical　candidate。　And　when　Rhett；
early　in　the　lobbying　at　Montgomery；　was　set　aside　as　too　much　of
a　radical；　Toombs　seemed　for　a　time　the　certain　choice　of　the
majority。　The　change　to　Davis　came　suddenly　at　the　last　moment。
It　was　puzzling　at　the　time；　it　is　puzzling　still。

Rhett；　though　doubtless　bitterly　disappointed；　bore　himself　with
the　savoir　faire　of　a　great　gentleman。　At　the　inauguration；　it
was　on　Rhett's　arm　that　Davis　leaned　as　he　entered　the　hall　of
the　Confederate　Congress。　The　night　before；　in　a　public　address；
Yancey　had　said　that　the　man　and　the　hour　were　met。　The　story　of
the　Confederacy　is　filled　with　dramatic　moments；　but　to　the
thoughtful　observer　few　are　more　dramatic　than　the　conjunction　of
these　three　men　in　the　inauguration　of　the　Confederate　President。
Beneath　a　surface　of　apparent　unanimity　they　carried；　like
concealed　weapons；　points　of　view　that　were　in　deadly　antagonism。
This　antagonism　had　not　revealed　itself　hitherto。　It　was　destined
to　reveal　itself　almost　immediately。　It　went　so　deep　and　spread
so　far　that　unless　we　understand　it；　the　Confederate　story　will
be　unintelligible。

A　strange　fatality　destined　all　three　of　these　great　men　to
despair。　Yancey；　who　was　perhaps　most　directly　answerable　of　the
three　for　the　existence　of　the　Confederacy；　lost　influence　almost
from　the　moment　when　his　dream　became　established。　Davis　was
partly　responsible；　for　he　promptly　sent　him　out　of　the　country
on　the　bootless　English　mission。　Thereafter；　until　his　death　in
1863；　Yancey　was　a　waning；　overshadowed　figure；　steadily　lapsing
into　the　background。　It　may　be　that　those　critics　are　right　who
say　he　was　only　an　agitator。　The　day　of　the　mere　agitator　was
gone。　Yancey　passed　rapidly　into　futile　but　bitter　antagonism　to
Davis。　In　this　attitude　he　was　soon　to　be　matched　by　Rhett。

The　discontent　of　the　Rhett　faction　because　their　leader　was　not
given　the　portfolio　of　the　State　Department　found　immediate
voice。　But　the　conclusion　drawn　by　some　that　Rhett's　subsequent
course　sprang　from　personal　vindictiveness　is　trifling。　He　was
too　large　a　personality；　too　well　defined　an　intellect；　to　be
thus　explained。　Very　probably　Davis　made　his　first　great　blunder
in　failing　to　propitiate　the　Rhett　faction。　And　yet　few　things
are　more　certain　than　that　the　two　men；　the　two　factions　which
they　symbolized；　could　not　have　formed　a　permanent　alliance。　Had
Rhett　entered　the　Cabinet　he　could　not　have　remained　in　it
consistently　for　any　considerable　time。　The　measures　in　which；
presently；　the　Administration　showed　its　hand　were　measures　in
which　Rhett　could　not　acquiesce。　From　the　start　he　was
predestined　to　his　eventual　positionthe　great；　unavailing
genius　of　the　opposition。

As　to　the　comparative　ignoring　of　these　leaders　of　secession　by
the　Government　which　secession　had　created；　it　is　often　said　that
the　explanation　is　to　be　found　in　a　generous　as　well　as　politic
desire　to　put　in　office　the　moderates　and　even　the　conservatives。
Davis；　relatively；　was　a　moderate。　Stephens　was　a　conservative。
Many　of　the　most　pronounced　opponents　of　secession　were　given
places　in　the　public　service。　Toombs；　who　received　the　portfolio
of　State；　though　a　secessionist；　was　conspicuously　a　moderate
when　compared　with　Rhett　and　Yancey。　The　adroit　Benjamin；　who
became　Attorney…General；　had　few　points　in　common　with　the　great
extremists　of　Alabama　and　South　Carolina。

However；　the　dictum　that　the　personnel　of　the　new　Government　was
a　triumph　for　conservatism　over　radicalism　signifies　little。
There　was　a　division　among　Southerners　which　scarcely　any　of　them
had　realized　except　briefly　in　the　premature　battle　over
secession　in　1851。　It　was　the　division　between　those　who　were
conscious　of　the　region　as　a　whole　and　those　who　were　not。
Explain　it　as　you　will；　there　was　a　moment　just　after　the
secession　movement　succeeded　when　the　South　seemed　to　realize
itself　as　a　whole；　when　it　turned　intuitively　to　those　men　who；
as　time　was　to　demonstrate；　shared　this　realization。　For　the
moment　it　turned　away　from　those　others；　however　great　their　part
in　secession；　who　lacked　this　sense　of　unity。

At　this　point；　geography　becomes　essential。　The　South　fell；
institutionally；　into　two　grand　divisions：　one；　with　an　old　and
firmly　established　social　order；　where　consciousness　of　the
locality　went　back　to　remote　times；　another；　newly　settled；　where
conditions　were　still　fluid；　where　that　sense　of　the　sacredness
of　local　institutions　had　not　yet　formed。

A　typical　community　of　the　first…named　class　was　South　Carolina。
Her　people　had　to　a　remarkable　degree　been　rendered
state…conscious　partly　by　their　geographical　neighbors；　and
partly　by　their　long　and　illustrious　history；　which　had　been
interwoven　with　great　European　interests　during　the　colonial　era
and　with　great　national　interests　under　the　Republic。　It　is
possible　also　that　the　Huguenots；　though　few　in　numbers；　had
exercised　upon　the　State　a　subtle　and　pervasive　influence　through
their　intellectual　power　and　their　Latin　sense　for　institutions。

In　South　Carolina；　too；　a　wealthy　leisure　class　with　a　passion
for　affairs　had　cultivated　enthusiastically　that　fine　art　which
is　the　pride　of　all　aristocratic　societies；　the　service　of　the
State　as　a　profession　high　and　exclusive；　free　from　vulgar　taint。
In　South　Carolina　all　things　conspired　to　uphold　and　strengthen
the　sense　of　the　State　as　an　object　of　veneration；　as　something
over　and　above　the　mere　social　order；　as　the　sacred　embodiment　of
the　ideals　of　the　community。　Thus　it　is　fair　to　say　that　what　has
animated　the　heroic　little　countries　of　the　Old　World　Switzerland
and　Serbia　and　ever…glorious　Belgiumwith　their　passion　to
remain　themselves；　animated　South　Carolina　in　1861。　Just　as
Serbia　was　willing　to　fight　to　the　death　rather　than　merge　her
identity　in　the　mosaic　of　the　Austrian　Empire；　so　this　little
American　community　saw　nothing　of　happiness　in　any　future　that
did　not　secure　its　virtual　independence。

Typical　of　the　newer　order　in　the　South　was　the　community　that
formed　the　President　of　the　Confederacy。　In　the　history　of
Mississippi　previous　to　the　war　there　are　six　great　namesJacob
Thompson；　John　A。　Quitman；　Henry　S。　Foote；　Robert　J。　Walker；
Sergeant　S。　Prentiss；　and　Jefferson　Davis。　Not　one　of　them　was
born　in　the　State。　Thompson　was　born　in　North　Carolina；　Quitman
in　New　York；　Foote　in　Virginia；　Walker　in　Pennsylvania；　Prentiss
in　Maine；　Davis　in　Kentucky。　In　1861　the　State　was　but　forty…four
years　old；　younger　than　its　most　illustrious　sonsif　the　paradox
may　be　permitted。　How　could　they　think　of　it　as　an　entity
existing　in　itself；　antedating　not　only　themselves　but　their
traditions；　circumscribing　them　with　its　all…embracing；
indisputable　reality？　These　men　spoke　the　language　of　state
rights。　It　is　true　that　in　politics；　combating　the　North；　they
used　the　political　philosophy　taught　them　by　South　Carolina。　But
it