ostensibly　to　make　effective　the　clause　in　its　constitution
  prohibiting　the　African　slave…trade。　The　quick　eye　of　Davis　had
  detected　in　it　a　mode　of　evasion；　for　cargoes　of　captured　slaves
  were　to　be　confiscated　and　sold　at　public　auction。　The　President
  had　exposed　this　adroit　subterfuge　in　his　message　vetoing　the
  bill；　and　the　slavery…at…any…price　men　had　not　sufficient
  influence　in　Congress　to　override　the　veto；　though　they　muttered
  against　it　in　the　public　press。
  The　slavery…at…any…price　men　did　not　again　conspicuously　show
  their　hands　until　three　years　later　when　the　Administration
  included　emancipation　in　its　policy。　The　ultimate　policy　of
  emancipation　was　forced　upon　the　Government　by　many
  considerations　but　more　particularly　by　the　difficulty　of
  securing　labor　for　military　purposes。　In　a　country　where　the
  supply　of　fighting　men　was　limited　and　the　workers　were　a　class
  apart；　the　Government　had　to　employ　the　only　available　laborers
  or　confess　its　inability　to　meet　the　industrial　demands　of　war。
  But　the　available　laborers　were　slaves。　How　could　their　services
  be　secured？　By　purchase？　Or　by　conscription？　Or　by　temporary
  impressment？
  Though　Davis　and　his　advisers　were　prepared　to　face　all　the
  hazards　involved　in　the　purchase　or　confiscation　of　slaves；　the
  traditional　Southern　temper　instantly　recoiled　from　the
  suggestion。　A　Government　possessed　of　great　numbers　of　slaves；
  whether　bought　or　appropriated；　would　have　in　its　hands　a
  gigantic　power；　perhaps　for　industrial　competition　with　private
  owners；　perhaps　even　for　organized　military　control。　Besides；　the
  Government　might　at　any　moment　by　emancipating　its　slaves　upset
  the　labor　system　of　the　country。　Furthermore；　the　opportunities
  for　favoritism　in　the　management　of　state…owned　slaves　were
  beyond　calculation。　Considerations　such　as　these　therefore
  explain　the　watchful　jealousy　of　the　planters　toward　the
  Government　whenever　it　proposed　to　acquire　property　in　slaves。
  It　is　essential　not　to　attribute　this　social…political　dread　of
  government　ownership　of　slaves　merely　to　the　clutch　of　a　wealthy
  class　on　its　property。　Too　many　observers；　strangely　enough；　see
  the　latter　motive　to　the　exclusion　of　the　former。　Davis　himself
  was　not；　it　would　seem；　free　from　this　confusion。　He　insisted
  that　neither　slaves　nor　land　were　taxed　by　the　Confederacy；　and
  between　the　lines　he　seems　to　attribute　to　the　planter　class　the
  familiar　selfishness　of　massed　capital。　He　forgot　that　the　tax　in
  kind　was　combined　with　an　income　tax。　In　theory；　at　least；　the
  slave　and　the　landeven　non…farming　landwere　taxed。　However；
  the　dread　of　a　slave…owning　Government　prevented　any　effective
  plan　for　supplying　the　army　with　labor　except　through　the
  temporary　impressment　of　slaves　who　were　eventually　to　be
  returned　to　their　owners。　The　policy　of　emancipation　had　to　wait。
  Bound　up　in　the　labor　question　was　the　question　of　the　control　of
  slaves　during　the　war。　In　the　old　days　when　there　were　plenty　of
  white　men　in　the　countryside；　the　roads　were　carefully　patrolled
  at　night；　and　no　slave　ventured　to　go　at　large　unless　fully
  prepared　to　prove　his　identity。　But　with　the　coming　of　war　the
  comparative　smallness　of　the　fighting　population　made　it　likely
  from　the　first　that　the　countryside　everywhere　would　be　stripped
  of　its　white　guardians。　In　that　event；　who　would　be　left　to
  control　the　slaves？　Early　in　the　war　a　slave　police　was　provided
  for　by　exempting　from　military　duty　overseers　in　the　ratio
  approximately　of　one　white　to　twenty　slaves。　But　the　marvelous
  faithfulness　of　the　slaves；　who　nowhere　attempted　to　revolt；　made
  these　precautions　unnecessary。　Later　laws　exempted　one　overseer
  on　every　plantation　of　fifteen　slaves；　not　so　much　to　perform
  patrol　duty　as　to　increase　the　productivity　of　plantation　labor。
  This　〃Fifteen　Slave〃　Law　was　one　of　many　instances　that　were
  caught　up　by　the　men　of　small　property　as　evidence　that　the
  Government　favored　the　rich。　A　much　less　defensible　law；　and　one
  which　was　bitterly　attacked　for　the　same　reason；　was　the
  unfortunate　measure　permitting　the　hiring　of　substitutes　by　men
  drafted　into　the　army。　Eventually；　the　clamor　against　this　law
  caused　its　repeal；　but　before　that　time　it　had　worked　untold　harm
  as　apparent　evidence　of　〃a　rich　man's　war　and　a　poor　man's
  fight。〃　Extravagant　stories　of　the　avoidance　of　military　duty　by
  the　ruling　class；　though　in　the　main　they　were　mere　fairy　tales；
  changed　the　whole　atmosphere　of　Southern　life。　The　old　glad
  confidence　uniting　the　planter　class　with　the　bulk　of　the　people
  had　been　impaired。　Misapprehension　appeared　on　both　sides。　Too
  much　has　been　said　lately；　however；　in　justification　of　the
  poorer　classes　who　were　thus　wakened　suddenly　to　a　distrust　of
  the　aristocracy；　and　too　little　has　been　said　of　the　proud　recoil
  of　the　aristocracy　in　the　face　of　a　sudden；　credulous　perversion
  of　its　motivesa　perversion　inspired　by　the　pinching　of　the
  shoe；　and　yet　a　shoe　that　pinched　one　class　as　hard　as　it　did
  another。　It　is　as　unfair　to　charge　the　planter　with　selfishness
  in　opposing　the　appropriation　of　slaves　as　it　is　to　make　the　same
  charge　against　the　small　farmers　for　resisting　tithes。　In　face　of
  the　record；　the　planter　comes　off　somewhat　the　better　of　the　two；
  but　it　must　be　remembered　that　he　had　the　better　education；　the
  larger　mental　horizon。
  The　Confederacy　had　long　recognized　women　of　all　classes　as　the
  most　dauntless　defenders　of　the　cause。　The　women　of　the　upper
  classes　passed　without　a　tremor　from　a　life　of　smiling　ease　to　a
  life　of　extreme　hardship。　One　day；　their　horizon　was　without　a
  cloud；　another　day；　their　husbands　and　fathers　had　gone　to　the
  front。　Their　luxuries　had　disappeared；　and　they　were　reduced　to
  plain　hard　living；　toiling　in　a　thousand　ways　to　find　provision
  and　clothing；　not　only　for　their　own　children　but　for　the　poorer
  families　of　soldiers。　The　women　of　the　poor　throughout　the　South
  deserve　similar　honor。　Though　the　physical　shock　of　the　change
  may　not　have　been　so　great；　they　had　to　face　the　same　deep
  realitieshunger　and　want；　anxiety　over　the　absent　soldiers；
  solicitude　for　children；　grief　for　the　dead。　One　of　the　pathetic
  aspects　of　Confederate　life　was　the　household　composed　of　several
  families；　all　women　and　children；　huddled　together　without　a　man
  or　even　a　half…grown　lad　to　be　their　link　with　the　mill　and　the
  market。　In　those　regions　where　there　were　few　slaves　and　the
  exemption　of　overseers　did　not　operate；　such　households　were
  numerous。
  The　great　privations　which　people　endured　during　the　Confederacy
  have　passed　into　familiar　tradition。　They　are　to　be　traced　mainly
  to　three　causes：　to　the　blockade；　to　the　inadequate　system　of
  transportation；　and　to　the　heartlessness　of　speculators。　The
  blockade　was　the　real　destroyer　of　the　South。　Besides　ruining　the
  whole　policy　based　on　King　Cotton；　besides　impeding　to　a　vast
  extent　the　inflow　of　munitions　from　Europe；　it　also　deprived
  Southern　life　of　numerous　articles　which　were　hard　to
  relinquishnot　only　such　luxuries　as　tea　and　coffee；　but　also
  such　utter　necessities　as　medicines。　And　though　the　native　herbs
  were　diligently　studied；　though　the　Government　established
  medical　laboratories　with　results　that　were　not　inconsiderable；
  the　shortage　of　medicines　remained　throughout　the　war　a
  distressing　feature　of　Southern　life。　The　Tredegar　Iron　Works　at
  Richmond　and　a　foundry　at　Selma；　Alabama；were　the　only　mills　in
  the　South　capable　of　casting　the　heavy　ordnance　necessary　for
  military　purposes。　And　the　demand　for　powder　mills　and　gun
  factories　to　provide　for　the　needs　of　the　army　was　scarcely
  greater　than　the　demand　for　cotton　mills　and　commercial　foundries
  to　supply　the　wants　of　the　civil　population。　The　Government
  worked　without　ceasing　to　keep　pace　with　the　requirements　of　the
  situation；　and；　in　view　of　the　immense　difficulties　which　it　had
  to　face；　it　was　fairly　successful　in　supplying　the　needs　of　the
  army。　Powder　was　provided　by　the　Niter　and　Mining　Bureau；　lead
  for　Confederate　bullets　was　collected　from　many　sourceseven
  from
  the　window…weights　of　the　houses；　iron　was　brought　from　the　mines
  of　Alabama；　guns　came　from　newly　built　factories；　and　machines
  and　tools　were　part　of　the　precious　freight　of　the
  blockade…runners。　Though　the　poorly　equipped　mills　turned　a
  portion　of　the　cotton　crop　into　textiles；　and　though　everything
  that　was　possible　was　done　to　meet　the　needs　of　the　people；　the
  supply　of　manufactures　was　sadly　inadequate。　The　universal
  shortage　was　betrayed　by　the　limitation　of　the　size　of　most
  newspapers　to　a　single　sheet；　and　the　desperate　situation　clearly
  and　completely　revealed　by　the　way　in　which；　as　a　last　resort；
  the　Confederates　were　compelled　to　repair　their　railroads　by
  pulling　up　the　rails　of　one　road　in　order　to　repair　another　that
  the　necessities　of　war　rendered　indispensable。
  The　railway　system；　if　such　it　can　be　called；　was　one　of　the
  weaknesses　of　the　Confederacy。　Before　the　war　the　South　had　not
  felt　the　need　of　elaborate　interior　communication；　for　its
  commerce　in　the　main　went　seaward；　and　thence　to　New　England　or
  to　Europe。　Hitherto　the　railway　lines　had　seen　no　reason　for
  merging　their　loca