New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-16

ern Legislatures the election by the Montgomery
Convention, were empty forms. The secret Juh'"
had created the Rebellion, and resolved that sep"
ton should be final The people of the Soutn' up "
the moment Of actual bloodshed cherished the nope
of peaceful reconstruction; but their leaders nau
nlotted nothing less than revolution ana III spite
of repeated popular protests resolved to drlVe tho
South into war. History" says our author mas
had few instances of such daring and stllueht usuI
nation as that commenced by fourteen men plotting
revolution in q committee room at "ashhgtoh anu
contaminated by an irresponsible convention pro-
claiming n war. eIecting leader, and organizing
government without let or hinderance" Not only
was there a popular protest against the extreme
measures of the revOutionists, but there was
dissatisfaction also with the choice OF DAVIS
for n leader. Yet Mr.. Pollard admits that he had
many distinguished qualifications for that eminence
He was passionate, brilliant, commanding IN man
ner face in conversation, powerful in DEBATE elo-
ouent in the best and highest sense OF the word
accomplished in the learning of books ana tne
praces of social life and familiar with the woIIu'
He was naughty and cultivated man VINO repre-
sented the traditional aristOcrat OF the South ana
illustrated that type of scholarly craftsmanship sup
posed TO be nourshed by the institution OF Slavery
in the elegant leisure which 1t affords 1Or literary
culture and the Improvement OF the lndl-
vidual. He was a model of department. IN the
social circle, a picture OF graceful ana Well
poised dignity in the American Senate"
There can he no uuestion of his integrity and deyo
ton to the cause On the other hand he was the prey
of petty ieaousies he descended be the rival Of his
subordinates; his vanity was enormous; his ambl-
ton intoxicated by sublime opportunities became
at last magn and paltry and his interference with
military operations was so fatal that he brought the
Southern cause to uneQualed ruin, and stands in
history as " q failure Teproach, and an abomlna-
ton" There was an exhibition OF his vanity as
early as the first battle of Manassas, when no rode
out from Richmond to take command In person,
and Mr.. Pollard says he never forgave Beauregard
for winning the victory before he got
there II was his fault, says our
anthor. that McDowels routed troops were not pur-
sued to Washington although Beauregards official
report speaks of pursuit in the shattered condition
of his own army, as military imposslDihty y ana
it was his fault that the victorious South renamed
so long afterward inactive. council OF war was
held few weeks after the battle at which johnston
Beauregard and G. w. Smith urged concentration
If all the available troops and campaign across the
Potomac before Mcclellan had time to organize his
army. But Mr. Davis was possessed with poetical
idea of defending every inch Of Southern SOIL and
60 Dispensing his armies along the whole frontier ;
and not until disaster had demonstrated
that his government :" had attempted more
than il had power successfully to achieve, was he
induced to abandon this absurd policy From the
disagreement on this subject probably began that
dislike of General Johnston which led Mr.. Davis to
make the most terrible of all his military plumbers,
the substitution of Hood for that excellent com
mander at Atlanta Nor while the armies were rust
| ing in small detachmepts was anything done 10
strengthen the domestic administration OF AFFAIRS
| The Congress was weak andinefficient body when
merely registered the Presidents wishes. Mr..
| Davis was almost autOcratic as the Emperor OIL
the French. He was responsible for the entire
policy of the Government, and answerable for
all its failures That supplies and arms were
not brought in from Europe while the ports
were still open that such obvious schemes of reve-
nue. as the cotton loan rejected and the finances
tortured with visionary projects. until the Confede
racy was driven to the issue of ilimitabie paper
currency, which declined rapidly in value that
| MI Memminger finally exchanged paper for gold al
the rate of 6OfOr that disqualification was brought
into the army by the passing of absurd military
laws-these matters for which Mr.. Davis must be
held to strict accountability. So complete became
the generalization of the people under his inefficient
rule that when Mcclellan drew his lines along
the ChickahOminy the COnfederacy was almost
at the point Of dissolution. Mr. Davis had
secretly resolved to evacuate Richmond. Congress
broke Nd in confusion and its members fed 10 their
homes amid the excavations of the press the boot
ings of the pOpulace and the contempt Of the wo-
men. The threatened fate was averted partly by
the unreadiness of Mcclellan, and partly by a cir
cumstance which seemed at the time grave HisfOr-
time TO the South This was the severe woundng OF
Gen Johnston at the battle of Seven Pines His re-
| tirement from the field obliged the Government TO
call up Gen. Lee from the coast, and, under the
| new commander, who had more influence over tho
President than his predecessor, the armies were con-
sOlidated, and affairs put brighter face. John
ston was sent TO the West his recovery but he had
! only the appearance of command, with no real
power Pemberton at Yicksburg, Maury at Mobile,
| Bragg at Tullahoma, We're nominally his subordi-
mates but each reported directly TO Richmond each
was favOrte of Davss, and felt at perfect liberty
to disobey his commanding general as often as he
! chose The assignment of PembertOn to the vital
point of YicksbuTg was one Of the strange military
freaks by which it is charged that the Confederacy
was brought to ruin Aman of small capacity, small
experience, and immense cOnceit he seems to have
been very much such a thorn in JOhnston's side as
McClernand was in Grants. Yet Mr.. Davis looked upon
him as a great military genius resisted all attempts
for his removal sent him independent orders with
ont the knowledge of Gen. Johnston, aud directed
him at all hazards to keep close hold upon Vicks-
burg Hence when Grant crossed the Mississippi
and began his celebrated march towards Jackson,
Pemberton disObeyed all Johnstons orders, and,
instead of combining with his superior in the open
field, he was instructed to do, determined to stand
siege. and captured with his whole army.
The tram Of great events which followed from his
surrender we need not here recapitulate. All of
them are traced by Mr.. Pollard TO Daviss confden-
tal orders to PembertOn. Those orders were outra-
geous, but is it certain that the result would have
been different had they never been issued
The fact is that neither PemberOn nor Johnston I'M
derstOod Grants daring plan in cutting entirely loose
from bis base getting between the two Rebel COM