message　to　the　Confederate　Congress　advising　the　conscription　of
  all　white　males　between　the　ages　of　eighteen　and　thirty…five。　For
  this　suggestion　Congress　was　ripe；　and　the　first　Conscription　Act
  of　the　Confederacy　was　signed　by　the　President　on　the　16th　of
  April。　The　age　of　eligibility　was　fixed　as　Davis　had　advised；　the
  term　of　service　was　to　be　three　years；　every　one　then　in　service
  was　to　be　retained　in　service　during　three　years　from　the　date　of
  his　original　enlistment。
  This　statute　may　be　thought　of　as　a　great　victory　on　the　part　of
  the　Administration。　It　was　the　climax　of　a　policy　of
  centralization　in　the　military　establishment　to　which　Davis　had
  committed　himself　by　the　veto；　in　January；　of　〃A　bill　to
  authorize　the　Secretary　of　War　to　receive　into　the　service　of　the
  Confederate　States　a　regiment　of　volunteers　for　the　protection　of
  the　frontier　of　Texas。〃　This　regiment　was　to　be　under　the　control
  of　the　Governor　of　the　State。　In　refusing　to　accept　such　troops；
  Davis　laid　down　the　main　proposition　upon　which　he　stood　as
  military　executive　to　the　end　of　the　war；　a　proposition　which
  immediately　set　debate　raging：　〃Unity　and　cooperation　by　the
  troops　of　all　the　States　are　indispensable　to　success；　and　I　must
  view　with　regret　this　as　well　as　all　other　indications　of　a
  purpose　to　divide　the　power　of　States　by　dividing　the　means　to　be
  employed　in　efforts　to　carry　on　separate　operations。〃
  In　these　military　measures　of　the　early　months　of　1862　Davis's
  purpose　became　clear。　He　was　bent　upon　instituting　a　strong
  government；　able　to　push　the　war　through；　and　careless　of　the
  niceties　of　constitutional　law　or　of　the　exact　prerogatives　of
  the　States。　His　position　was　expressed　in　the　course　of　the　year
  by　a　Virginia　newspaper：　〃It　will　be　time　enough　to　distract　the
  councils　of　the　State　about　imaginary　violations　of
  constitutional　law　by　the　supreme　government　when　our
  independence　is　achieved；　established；　and　acknowledged。　It　will
  not　be　until　then　that　the　sovereignty　of　the　States　will　be　a
  reality。〃　But　there　were　many　Southerners　who　could　not　accept
  this　point　of　view。　The　Mercury　was　sharply　critical　of　the　veto
  of　the　Texas　Regiment　Bill。　In　the　interval　between　the　Texas
  veto　and　the　passing　of　the　Conscription　Act；　the　state
  convention　of　North　Carolina　demanded　the　return　of　North
  Carolina　volunteers　for　the　defense　of　their　own　State。　No　sooner
  was　the　Conscription　Act　passed　than　its　constitutionality　was
  attacked。　As　the　Confederacy　had　no　Supreme　Court；　the　question
  came　up　before　state　courts。　One　after　another；　several　state
  supreme　courts　pronounced　the　act　constitutional　and　in　most　of
  the　States　the　constitutional　issue　was　gradually　allowed　to
  lapse。
  Nevertheless；　Davis　had　opened　Pandora's　box。　The　clash　between
  State　and　Confederate　authority　had　begun。　An　opposition　party
  began　to　form。　In　this　first　stage　of　its　definite　existence；　the
  opposition　made　an　interesting　attempt　to　control　the　Cabinet。
  Secretary　Benjamin；　though　greatly　trusted　by　the　President；
  seems　never　to　have　been　a　popular　minister。　Congress　attempted
  to　load　upon　Benjamin　the　blame　for　Roanoke　Island　and　Fort
  Donelson。　In　the　House　a　motion　was　introduced　to　the　effect　that
  Benjamin　had　〃not　the　confidence　of　the　people　of　the　Confederate
  States　nor　of　the　army。。。and　that　we　most　respectfully
  request　his　retirement〃　from　the　office　of　Secretary　of　War。
  Friends　of　the　Administration　tabled　the　motion。　Davis　extricated
  his　friend　by　taking　advantage　of　Hunter's　retirement　and
  promoting　Benjamin　to　the　State　Department。　A　month　later　a
  congressional　committee　appointed　to　investigate　the　affair　of
  Roanoke　Island　exonerated　the　officer　in　command　and　laid　the
  blame　on　his　superiors；　including　〃the　late　Secretary　of　War。〃
  With　Benjamin　safe　in　the　Department　of　State；　with　the　majority
  in　the　Confederate　Congress　still　fairly　manageable；　with　the
  Conscription　Act　in　force；　Davis　seemed　to　be　strong　enough　in
  the　spring　of　1862　to　ignore　the　gathering　opposition。　And　yet
  there　was　another　measure；　second　only　in　the　President's　eyes　to
  the　Conscription　Act；　that　was　to　breed　trouble。　This　was　the
  first　of　the　series　of　acts　empowering　him　to　suspend　the
  privilege　of　the　writ　of　habeas　corpus。　Under　this　act　he　was
  permitted　to　set　up　martial　law　in　any　district　threatened　with
  invasion。　The　cause　of　this　drastic　measure　was　the　confusion　and
  the　general　demoralization　that　existed　wherever　the　close
  approach　of　the　enemy　created　a　situation　too　complex　for　the
  ordinary　civil　authorities。　Davis　made　use　of　the　power　thus
  given　to　him　and　proclaimed　martial　law　in　Richmond；　in　Norfolk；
  in　parts　of　South　Carolina；　and　elsewhere。　It　was　on　Richmond
  that　the　hand　of　the　Administration　fell　heaviest。　The　capital
  was　the　center　of　a　great　camp；　its　sudden　and　vast　increase　in
  population　bad　been　the　signal　for　all　the　criminal　class　near
  and　far　to　hurry　thither　in　the　hope　of　a　new　field　of
  spoliation；　to　deal　with　this　immense　human　congestion；　the　local
  police　were　powerless；　every　variety　of　abominable　contrivance　to
  entrap　and　debauch　men　for　a　price　was　in　brazen　operation。　The
  first　care　of　the　Government　under　the　new　law　was　the　cleansing
  of　the　capital。　General　John　H。　Winder；　appointed　military
  governor；　did　the　job　with　thoroughness。　He　closed　the　barrooms；
  disarmed　the　populace；　and　for　the　time　at　least　swept　the　city
  clean　of　criminals。　The　Administration　also　made　certain
  political　arrests；　and　even　imprisoned　some　extreme　opponents　of
  the　Government　for　〃offenses　not　enumerated　and　not　cognizable
  under　the　regular　process　of　law。〃　Such　arrests　gave　the　enemies
  of　the　Administration　another　handle　against　it。　As　we　shall　see
  later；　the　use　that　Davis　made　of　martial　law　was　distorted　by　a
  thousand　fault…finders　and　was　made　the　basis　of　the　charge　that
  the　President　was　aiming　at　absolute　power。
  At　the　moment；　however；　Davis　was　master　of　the　situation。　The
  six　months　following　April　1；　1862；　were　doubtless；　from　his　own
  point　of　view；　the　most　satisfactory　part　of　his　career　as
  Confederate　President。　These　months　were　indeed　filled　with
  peril。　There　was　a　time　when　McClellan's　advance　up　the　Peninsula
  appeared　so　threatening　that　the　archives　of　the　Government　were
  packed　on　railway　cars　prepared　for　immediate　removal　should
  evacuation　be　necessary。　There　were　the　other　great　disasters
  during　that　year；　including　the　loss　of　New　Orleans。　The
  President　himself　experienced　a　profound　personal　sorrow　in　the
  death　of　his　friend；　Albert　Sidney　Johnston；　in　the　bloody　fight
  at　Shiloh。　It　was　in　the　midst　of　this　time　that　tried　men's
  souls　that　the　Richmond　Examiner　achieved　an　unenvied
  immortality　for　one　of　its　articles　on　the　Administration。　At　a
  moment　when　nothing　should　have　been　said　to　discredit　in　any　way
  the　struggling　Government；　it　described　Davis　as　weak　with　fear
  telling　his　beads　in　a　corner　of　St。　Paul's　Church。　This　paper；
  along　with　the　Charleston　Mercury；　led　the　Opposition。　Throughout
  Confederate　history　these　two；　which　were　very　ably　edited；　did
  the　thinking　for　the　enemies　of　Davis。　We　shall　meet　them　time
  and　again。
  A　true　picture　of　Davis　would　have　shown　the　President　resolute
  and　resourceful；　at　perhaps　the　height　of　his　powers。　He
  recruited　and　supplied　the　armies；　he　fortified　Richmond；　he
  sustained　the　great　captain　whom　he　had　placed　in　command　while
  McClellan　was　at　the　gates。　When　the　tide　had　turned　and　the　Army
  of　the　Potomac　sullenly　withdrew；　baffled；　there　occurred　the　one
  brief　space　in　Confederate　history　that　was　pure　sunshine。　In
  this　period　took　place　the　splendid　victory　of　Second　Manassas。
  The　strong　military　policy　of　the　Administration　had　given　the
  Confederacy　powerful　armies。　Lee　had　inspired　them　with　victory。
  This　period　of　buoyant　hope　culminated　in　the　great　offensive
  design　which　followed　Second　Manassas。　It　was　known　that　the
  Northern　people；　or　a　large　part　of　them；　had　suffered　a
  reaction；　the　tide　was　setting　strong　against　the　Lincoln
  Government；　in　the　autumn；　the　Northern　elections　would　be　held。
  To　influence　those　elections　and　at　the　same　time　to　drive　the
  Northern　armies　back　into　their　own　section；　to　draw　Maryland　and
  Kentucky　into　the　Confederate　States；　to　fall　upon　the　invaders
  in　the　Southwest　and　recover　the　lower　Mississippito　accomplish
  all　these　results　was　the　confident　expectation　of　the　President
  and　his　advisers　as　they　planned　their　great　triple　offensive　in
  August；　1862。　Lee　was　to　invade　Maryland；　Bragg　was　to　invade
  Kentucky；　Van　Dorn　was　to　break　the　hold　of　the　Federals　in　the
  Southwest。　If　there　is　one　moment　that　is　to　be　considered　the
  climax　of　Davis's　career；　the　high…water　mark　of　Confederate
  hope；　it　was　the　moment　of　joyous　expectation　when　the　triple
  offensive　was　launched；　when　Lee's　army；　on　a　brilliant　autumn
  day；　crossed　the　Potomac；　singing　〃Maryland；　my　Maryland〃。
  Chapter　III。　The　Fall　Of　King　Cotton
  While　the　Confederate　Executive　was　building　up　its　military
  establishment；　the　Treasury　was　struggling　with　the　problem　of
  paying　for　it。　The　problem　was　destined　to　become　insoluble。　From
  t