The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1868-12-09
The Confederate Congress.


The GALAXY for December publishes an
article from Mr.. Edward a. Pollard, en-
titled "The Confederate Congress-,
chapter in the history of the late war"
OF course MIR. Pollard says some very Sc
we're things of that Congress. as also, IN.
cidentally, ,-ot Mr. Davis, the President OF
the Conteaeracy We extract the follow
ing c.,
There we're, properly, two Southern
Congresses, two distinct Legislative organ
izations in the history OF the war; one
Provisional, the other permanent. The
Provisional Congress. was composed OF
delegates sent to Montgomery, and alter
ward to Richmond, by the different State
Conventions, as they respectively passed
Ordinances of Secession. 1t was part OF
the political structure, desi 5ned merely
Tor CARRYING on q war which 1T was sup
ooscd would continue for only few
months; and it is u fac. not generally no.
ticei or estimated, that it was designed
ut Montgomery to determine permanent
system of government for the South only
alter the war had concluded, and to ac-
commodate It's results. The length aud
pre.occupation of the war defeated this
design, and SO busy was the South repell-
ing the enemy in February lS62-the pc
aiod appointed for permanent organiza
,ion of the government-that there was
no time for the political aiter-thought, no
tisse to execute q design, which possl,
DIV lurked in the minds of some OF the
Southern leaders, to change the form OF
government; and thus tie provisional
passed into the permanent government
with slight ceremony, and without even
81 CANVASS or an opposing candidate TO
question the succession OF MIR. Davis to
the Presidency or to disturb his authority.
He asccnded from the mere provisional
chief OF rebellion to the oihce OF Presi-
dent of the Confederate States tor the
term of six years, without question: With
out effort or concession, making no
cbat,re- whatever in his cabinet, or-n the
executive branches OF his government. .
The decision that excluded military OF
ficers from Congress was, probably, just,
but in many respects unfortunate. III
accounts for that extreme intellectual
degradation which made the Confederate
Congress- Il peculiar stock OF shame IN the
war; actually one OF the weakest and
most insane bodies that ever met under
lhettle of legislative assembly III his
1orical times. 1t came, 1T last, to be COM
posed chiefly of two ciasses-mcn who
Were never before publicly known, or OLD
politicians, too far broken down in their
Fortunes 10 attempt new careers or to he
invited by the prospect of military honors.
When the Permanent Congress came
in-which it did wnen Mr.. Davis was in
ausuratcd President on tho 22d Of Feb
ruary, lS62-it was hoped that there
would be an infusion OF new blood and
vsor in this withcred branch OF the Gov
crnment. 1t commenced well, with the
passaSe of conscrption law, in place
OF tic old system OF volunteers. The
critical value OF this law may be estimated
from the fact that nearly two-thlrds OF
tho forces with which Gencral Ice, some
months later, saved Richmond from the
hosts Of Mcclellan, were gathered under
its operations.
In the conscription law, Congress de.
manded from the people the greatest OF
sacrifices; and it followed the act by reso-
buttons, offered by Mr. Rawles of Alabama,
and unanimously adopted, announcing to
the world that Kit is the unaltcrablc de-
termination of the people OF the Canteder-
ate States to suffer all the calamities OF
the most protractcd war, but that they
will never, on any terms, politically afiill-
ate with people who are guilty OF an
invasion of their soil and the butchcry OF
their citizens" Would it be believed that
after such testimonies, this Congress
would, few weeks later, give, in the
person of it's own members, an exhibition
of the most arrant cowardice and the
meanest scfshness-an exhibition almost
incredible, and unparalleled, perhaps, in
similar historical circumstances in modern
times.
It was at the time when Mcclellan was
approaching Richmond, and it was feared
that the Confederate Capital would fall
into his possession. 1t was Il memorable
season Of popular alarm; there were un-
easy whispers in Richmond; panic was
threatened; ard it was just that critical
period when the authorities We're required
and called upon to do everything to
nourish and sustain public confidence
The infamous response OF Congress to the
popular alarm was to exceed it, to adjourn
precipitately, to break up in confusion,
it's members fleeing to the safety OF their
obscure homes, amid the oXecrations OF
the press, the houtngs of the popuacc
and with even the contempt of the women
thrown after them. The cowardice of the
Congress in this flight from Mcclellan
was so extravagant that the people Of
Richmond actually took heart from its
contrast to their own reasonable fears,
in which they had not yet lost their self
possession. and amused themselves in
rdiculing and lampooning it. The Rich
mond Whig announced the hasty adjourn-
ment and it's consequences in the follow