sounding like trumpets； these mutterings of discontent formed an
ominous accompaniment。
Yancey； speaking of the disturbed temper of the time； attributed
it to the general lack of information on the part of Southern
people as to what the Confederate Government was doing。 His
proposed remedy was an end of the censorship which that
Government was attempting to maintain； the abandonment of the
secret sessions of its Congress； and the taking of the people
into its full confidence。 Now a Senator from Alabama； he
attempted； at the opening of the congressional session in the
autumn of 1862； to abolish secret sessions； but in his efforts he
was not successful。
There seems little doubt that the Confederate Government had
blundered in being too secretive。 Even from Congress； much
information was withheld。 A curious incident has preserved what
appeared to the military mind the justification of this
reticence。 The Secretary of War refused to comply with a request
for information； holding that be could not do so 〃without
disclosing the strength of our armies to many persons of
subordinate position whose secrecy cannot be relied upon。〃 〃I beg
leave to remind you；〃 said he； 〃of a report made in response to a
similar one from the Federal Congress； communicated to them in
secret session； and now a part of our archives。〃
How much the country was in the dark with regard to some vital
matters is revealed by an attack on the Confederate
Administration which was made by the Charleston Mercury； in
February。 The Southern Government was accused of unpardonable
slowness in sending agents to Europe to purchase munitions。 In
point of fact； the Confederate Government had been more prompt
than the Union Government in rushing agents abroad。 But the
country was not permitted to know this。 Though the Courier was a
government organ in Charleston； it did not meet the charges of
the Mercury by disclosing the facts about the arduous attempts of
the Confederate Government to secure arms in Europe。 The reply of
the Courier to the Mercury； though spirited； was all in general
terms。 〃To shake confidence in Jefferson Davis；〃 said the
Courier； 〃is。。。to bring 'hideous ruin and combustion' down
upon our dearest hopes and interests。〃 It made 〃Mr。 Davis and his
defensive policy〃 objects of all admiration； called Davis 〃our
Moses。〃 It was deeply indignant because it had been 〃reliably
informed that men of high official position among us〃 were
〃calling for a General Convention of the Confederate States to
depose him and set up a military Dictator in his place。〃 The
Mercury retorted that； as to the plot against 〃our Moses；〃 there
was no evidence of its existence except the Courier's assertion。
Nevertheless； it considered Davis 〃an incubus to the cause。〃 The
controversy between the Mercury and the Courier at Charleston was
paralleled at Richmond by the constant bickering between the
government organ； the Enquirer； and the Examiner； which shares
with the Mercury the first place among the newspapers hostile to
Davis。*
* The Confederate Government did not misapprehend the attitude of
the intellectual opposition。 Its foreign organ； The Index；
published in London； characterized the leading Southern papers
for the enlightenment of the British public。 While the Enquirer
and the Courier were singled out as the great champions of the
Confederate Government； the Examiner and the Mercury were
portrayed as its arch enemies。 The Examiner was called the
〃Ishmael of the Southern press。〃 The Mercury was described as
〃almost rabid on the subject of state rights。〃
Associated with the Examiner was a vigorous writer having
considerable power of the old…fashioned； furious sort； ever ready
to foam at the mouth。 If he had had more restraint and less
credulity； Edward A。 Pollard might have become a master of the
art of vituperation。 Lacking these qualities； he never rose far
above mediocrity。 But his fury was so determined and his
prejudice so invincible that his writings have something of the
power of conviction which fanaticism wields。 In midsummer； 1862；
Pollard published a book entitled The First Year of the War；
which was commended by his allies in Charleston as showing no
〃tendency toward unfairness of statement〃 and as expressing views
〃mainly in accordance with popular opinion。〃
This book； while affecting to be an historical review； was
skillfully designed to discredit the Confederate Administration。
Almost every disaster； every fault of its management was
traceable more or less directly to Davis。 Kentucky had been
occupied by the Federal army because of the 〃dull expectation〃 in
which the Confederate Government had stood aside waiting for
things somehow to right themselves。 The Southern Congress had
been criminally slow in coming to conscription； contenting itself
with an army of 400；000 men that existed 〃on paper。〃 〃The most
distressing abuses were visible in the ill…regulated hygiene of
our camps。〃 According to this book； the Confederate
Administration was solely to blame for the loss of Roanoke
Island。 In calling that disaster 〃deeply humiliating；〃 as he did
in a message to Congress； Davis was trying to shield his favorite
Benjamin at the cost of gallant soldiers who had been sacrificed
through his incapacity。 Davis's promotion of Benjamin to the
State Department was an act of 〃ungracious and reckless defiance
of popular sentiment。〃 The President was 〃not the man to consult
the sentiment and wisdom of the people； he desired to signalize
the infallibility of his own intellect in every measure of the
revolution and to identify； from motives of vanity； his own
personal genius with every event and detail of the remarkable
period of history in which he had been called upon to act。 This
imperious conceit seemed to swallow up every other idea in his
mind。〃 The generals 〃fretted under this pragmatism〃 of one whose
〃vanity〃 directed the war 〃from his cushioned seat in Richmond〃
by means of the one formula； 〃the defensive policy。〃
One of Pollard's chief accusations against the Confederate
Government was its failure to enforce the conscription law。 His
paper； the Examiner； as well as the Mercury； supported Davis in
the policy of conscription； but both did their best； first； to
rob him of the credit for it and； secondly； to make his conduct
of the policy appear inefficient。 Pollard claimed for the
Examiner the credit of having originated the policy of
conscription； the Mercury claimed it for Rhett。
In other words； an aggressive war party led by the Examiner and
the Mercury had been formed in those early days when the
Confederate Government appeared to be standing wholly on the
defensive； and when it had failed to confide to the people the
extenuating circumstance that lack of arms compelled it to stand
still whether it would or no。 And yet； after this Government had
changed its policy and had taken up in the summer of 1862 an
offensive policy； this partyor faction； or what you
willcontinued its career of opposition。 That the secretive
habit of the Confederate Government helped cement the opposition
cannot be doubted。 It is also likely that this opposition gave a
vent to certain jealous spirits who had missed the first place in
leadership。
Furthermore； the issue of state sovereignty had been raised。 In
Georgia a movement had begun which was distinctly different from
the Virginia…Carolina movement of opposition； a movement for
which Rhett and Pollard had scarcely more than disdainful
tolerance； and not always that。 This parallel opposition found
vent； as did the other； in a political pamphlet。 On the subject
of conscription Davis and the Governor of Georgiathat same
Joseph E。 Brown who had seized Fort Pulaski in the previous
yearexchanged a rancorous correspondence。 Their letters were
published in a pamphlet of which Pollard said scornfully that it
was hawked about in every city of the South。 Brown； taking alarm
at the power given the Confederate Government by the Conscription
Act； eventually defined his position； and that of a large
following； in the extreme words： 〃No act of the Government of the
United States prior to the secession of Georgia struck a blow at
constitutional liberty so fell as has been stricken by the
conscript acts。〃
There were other elements of discontent which were taking form as
early as the autumn of 1862 but which were not yet clearly
defined。 But the two obvious sources of internal criticism just
described were enough to disquiet the most resolute
administration。 When the triple offensive broke down； when the
ebb…tide began； there was already everything that was needed to
precipitate a political crisis。 And now the question arises
whether the Confederate Administration had itself to blame。 Had
Davis proved inadequate in his great undertaking？
The one undeniable mistake of the Government previous to the
autumn of 1862 was its excessive secrecy。 As to the other
mistakes attributed to it at the time； there is good reason to
call them misfortunes。 Today we can see that the financial
situation； the cotton situation； the relations with Europe； the
problem of equipping the armies； were all to a considerable
degree beyond the control of the Confederate Government。 If there
is anything to be added to its mistaken secrecy as a definite
cause of irritation； it must be found in the general tone given
to its actions by its chief directors。 And here there is
something to be said。
With all his high qualities of integrity； courage； faithfulness；
and zeal； Davis lacked that insight into human life which marks
the genius of the supreme executive。 He was not an artist in the
use of men。 He had not that artistic sense of his medium which
distinguishes the statesman from the bureaucrat。 In fact； he had
a dangerous bent toward bureaucracy。 As Reuben Davis said of him；
〃Gifted with some of the highest attributes of a statesman； he
lacked the pliancy which enables a man to adapt his measures to
the crisis。〃 Furthermore； he lacked humor； there was no
safety…valve to his intense nature； and he was a man of delicate
health。 Mrs。 Davis； describing the effects which nervous
dyspepsia and neuralgia had upon him； says he would come hom