correspondent　in　Mobile　that　〃men　have　been　taught　to　look　upon
  the　President　as　an　inexorably　self…willed　man　who　will　see　the
  country　to　the　devil　before　giving　up　an　opinion　or　a　purpose。〃
  This　deliberate　fostering　of　an　anti…Davis　spirit　might　seem　less
  malicious　if　the　fact　were　not　known　that　many　editors　detested
  Davis　because　of　his　desire　to　abolish　the　exemption　of　editors
  from　conscription。　Their　ignoble　course　brings　to　mind　one　of　the
  few　sarcasms　recorded　of　Leethe　remark　that　the　great　mistake
  of　the　South　was　in　making　all　its　best　military　geniuses　editors
  of　newspapers。　But　it　must　be　added　in　all　fairness　that　the
  great　opposition　journals；　such　as　the　Mercury；　took　up　this　new
  issue　with　the　President　because　they　professed　to　see　in　his
  attitude　toward　the　press　a　determination　to　suppress　freedom　of
  speech；　so　obsessed　was　the　opposition　with　the　idea　that　Davis
  was　a　monster！　Whatever　explanations　may　be　offered　for　the
  prevalence　of　graft；　the　impotence　of　the　Government　at　Richmond
  contributed　to　the　general　demoralization。　In　regions　like
  Georgia　and　Alabama；　the　Confederacy　was　now　powerless　to　control
  its　agents。　Furthermore；　in　every　effort　to　assume　adequate
  control　of　the　food　situation　the　Government　met　the　continuous
  opposition　of　two　groups　of　opponentsthe　unscrupulous　parasites
  and　the　bigots　of　economic　and　constitutional　theory。　Of　the
  activities　of　the　first　group；　one　incident　is　sufficient　to　tell
  the　whole　story。　At　Richmond；　in　the　autumn　of　1864；　the　grocers
  were　selling　rice　at　two　dollars　and　a　half　a　pound。　It　happened
  that　the　Governor　of　Virginia　was　William　Smith；　one　of　the
  strong　men　of　the　Confederacy　who　has　not　had　his　due　from　the
  historians。　He　saw　that　even　under　the　intolerable　conditions　of
  the　moment　this　price　was　shockingly　exorbitant。　To　remedy
  matters；　the　Governor　took　the　State　of　Virginia　into　business；
  bought　rice　where　it　was　grown；　imported　it；　and　sold　it　in
  Richmond　at　fifty　cents　a　pound；　with　sufficient　profit　to　cover
  all　costs　of　handling。
  Nevertheless；　when　Smith　urged　the　Virginia　Legislature　to　assume
  control　of　business　as　a　temporary　measure；　be　was　at　once
  assailed　by　the　second　groupthose　martinets　of
  constitutionalism　who　would　not　give　up　their　cherished
  Anglo…Saxon　tradition　of　complete　individualism　in　government。
  The　Administration　lost　some　of　its　staunchest　supporters　the
  moment　its　later　organ；　the　Sentinel；　began　advocating　the
  general　regulation　of　prices。　With　ruin　staring　them　in　the　face；
  these　devotees　of　tradition　could　only　reiterate　their　ancient
  formulas；　nail　their　colors　to　the　mast；　end　go　down；　satisfied
  that；　if　they　failed　with　these　principles；　they　would　have
  failed　still　more　terribly　without　them。　Confronting　the
  practical　question　how　to　prevent　speculators　from　charging　400
  per　cent　profit；　these　men　turned　grim　but　did　not　abandon　their
  theory。　In　the　latter　part　of　1864　they　aligned　themselves　with
  the　opposition　when　the　government　commissioners　of　impressment
  fixed　an　official　schedule　that　boldly　and　ruthlessly　cut　under
  market　prices。　The　attitude　of　many　such　people　was　expressed　by
  the　Montgomery　Mail　when　it　said：
  〃The　tendency　of　the　age；　the　march　of　the　American　people；　is
  toward　monarchy；　and　unless　the　tide　is　stopped　we　shall　reach
  something　worse　than　monarchy。
  〃Every　step　we　have　taken　during　the　past　four　years　has　been　in
  the　direction　of　military　despotism。
  〃Half　our　laws　are　unconstitutional。〃
  Another　danger　of　the　hour　was　the　melting　away　of　the
  Confederate　army　under　the　very　eyes　of　its　commanders。　The
  records　showed　that　there　were　100；000　absentees。　And　though　the
  wrathful　officials　of　the　Bureau　of　Conscription　labeled　them　all
  〃deserters；〃　the　term　covered　great　numbers　who　had　gone　home　to
  share　the　sufferings　of　their　families。
  Such　in　brief　was　the　fateful　background　of　the　congressional
  attack　upon　the　Administration　in　January；　1865。　Secretary
  Seddon；　himself　a　Virginian；　believing　that　he　was　the　main
  target　of　the　hostility　of　the　Virginia　delegation；　insisted　upon
  resigning。　Davis　met　this　determination　with　firmness；　not　to　say
  infatuation；　and　in　spite　of　the　congressional　crisis；　exhausted
  every　argument　to　persuade　Seddon　to　remain　in　office。　He　denied
  the　right　of　Congress　to　control　his　Cabinet；　but　he　was　finally
  constrained　to　allow　Seddon　to　retire。　The　bitterness　inspired　by
  these　attempts　to　coerce　the　President　may　be　gauged　by　a　remark
  attributed　to　Mrs。　Davis。　Speaking　of　the　action　of　Congress　in
  forcing　upon　him　the　new　plan　for　a　single　commanding　general　of
  all　the　armies；　she　is　said　to　have　exclaimed；　〃I　think　I　am　the
  proper　person　to　advise　Mr。　Davis　and　if　I　were　he；　I　would　die
  or　be　hung　before　I　would　submit　to　the　humiliation。〃
  Nevertheless　the　President　surrendered　to　Congress。　On　January
  26；　1865；　he　signed　the　bill　creating　the　office　of　commanding
  general　and　at　once　bestowed　the　office　upon　Lee。　It　must　not　be
  supposed；　however；　that　Lee　himself　had　the　slightest　sympathy
  with　the　congressional　cabal　which　had　forced　upon　the　President
  this　reorganization　of　the　army。　In　accepting　his　new　position　he
  pointedly　ignored　Congress　by　remarking；　〃I　am　indebted　alone　to
  the　kindness　of　His　Excellency；　the　President；　for　my　nomination
  to　this　high　and　arduous　office。〃
  The　popular　clamor　for　the　restoration　of　Johnston　had　still　to
  be　appeased。　Disliking　Johnston　and　knowing　that　the　opposition
  was　using　a　popular　general　as　a　club　with　which　to　beat　himself；
  Davis　hesitated　long　but　in　the　end　yielded　to　the　inevitable。　To
  make　the　reappointment　himself；　however；　was　too　humiliating。　He
  left　it　to　the　new　commander…in…chief；　who　speedily　restored
  Johnston　to　command。
  Chapter　X。　Disintegration
  While　these　factions；　despite　their　disagreements；　were　making
  valiant　efforts　to　carry　on　the　war；　other　factions　were
  stealthily　cutting　the　ground　from　under　them。　There　were　two
  groups　of　men　ripe　for　disaffectionoriginal　Unionists
  unreconciled　to　the　Confederacy　and　indifferentists　conscripted
  against　their　will。
  History　has　been　unduly　silent　about　these　disaffected　men。　At
  the　time　so　real　was　the　belief　in　state　rights　that
  contemporaries　were　reluctant　to　admit　that　any　Southerner；　once
  his　State　had　seceded；　could　fail　to　be　loyal　to　its　commands。
  Nevertheless　in　considerable　areassuch；　for　example；　as　East
  Tennesseethe　majority　remained　to　the　end　openly　for　the　Union；
  and　there　were　large　regions　in　the　South　to　which　until　quite
  recently　the　eye　of　the　student　had　not　been　turned。　They　were
  like　deep　shadows　under　mighty　trees　on　the　face　of　a　brilliant
  landscape。　When　the　peasant　Unionist　who　had　been　forced　into　the
  army　deserted；　however；　he　found　in　these　shadows　a　nucleus　of
  desperate　men　ready　to　combine　with　him　in　opposition　to　the
  local　authorities。
  Thus　were　formed　local　bands　of　free　companions　who　pillaged　the
  civilian　population。　The　desperadoes　whom　the　deserters　joined
  have　been　described　by　Professor　Dodd　as　the　〃neglected
  byproducts〃　of　the　old　regime。　They　were　broken　white　men；　or　the
  children　of　such；　of　the　sort　that　under　other　circumstances　have
  congregated　in　the　slums　of　great　cities。　Though　the　South　lacked
  great　cities；　nevertheless　it　had　its　sluma　widespread　slum；
  scattered　among　its　swamps　and　forests。　In　these　fastnesses　were
  the　lowest　of　the　poor　whites；　in　whom　hatred　of　the　dominant
  whites　and　vengeful　malice　against　the　negro　burned　like　slow
  fires。　When　almost　everywhere　the　countryside　was　stripped　of　its
  fighting　men；　these　wretches　emerged　from　their　swamps　and
  forests；　like　the　Paris　rabble　emerging　from　its　dens　at　the
  opening　of　the　Revolution。　But　unlike　the　Frenchmen；　they　were
  too　sodden　to　be　capable　of　ideas。　Like　predatory　wild　beasts
  they　revenged　themselves　upon　the　society　that　had　cast　them　off；
  and　with　utter　heartlessness　they　smote　the　now　defenseless
  negro。　In　the　old　days；　with　the　country　well　policed；　the　slaves
  had　been　protected　against　their　fury；　but　war　now　changed　all。
  The　negro　villagesor　〃streets；〃　as　the　term　waswere　without
  arms　and　without　white　police　within　call。　They　were　ravaged　by
  these　marauders　night　after　night；　and　negroes　were　not　the　only
  victims；　for　in　remote　districts　even　murder　of　the　whites　became
  a　familiar　horror。
  The　antiwar　factions　were　not　necessarily；　however；　users　of
  violence。　There　were　some　men　who　cherished　a　dream　which　they
  labeled　〃reconstruction〃；　and　there　were　certain　others　who
  believed　in　separate　state　action；　still　clinging　to　the　illusion
  that　any　State　had　it　in　its　power　to　escape　from　war　by
  concluding　a　separate　peace　with　the　United　States。
  Yet　neither　of　these　illusions　made　much　headway　in　the　States
  …that　had　borne　the　strain　of　intellectual　leadership。　Virginia
  and　South　Carolina；　though　seldom　seeing　things　eye　to　eye　and
  finally　drifting　in　opposite　directions；　put　but　little　faith　in
  either　〃reconstruction〃　or　separate　peace。　Their　leaders　had
  learned　the　truth　about　men　and　nations；　they　knew　that　life　is　a
  grim　business；　they　knew　that　war　had　unloosed　passions　t