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the gunners were at work。〃 Nevertheless； 〃as if served with a new
impulse；〃 the guns of Sumter redoubled their fire。 But it was not
in human endurance to keep on in the midst of the burning fort。
This splendid last effort was short。 At a quarter after one；
Anderson ceased firing and raised a white flag。 Negotiations
followed ending in terms of surrenderAnderson to be allowed to
remove his garrison to the fleet lying idle beyond the bar and to
salute the flag of the United States before taking it down。 The
bombardment had lasted thirty…two hours without a death on either
side。 The evacuation of the fort was to take place next day。
The afternoon of Sunday； the 14th of April； was a gala day in the
harbor of Charleston。 The sunlight slanted across the roofs of
the city； sparkled upon the sea。 Deep and rich the harbor always
looks in the spring sunshine on bright afternoons。 The filmy
atmosphere of these latitudes； at that time of year； makes the
sky above the darkling； afternoon sea a pale but luminous
turquoise。 There is a wonderful soft strength in the peaceful
brightness of the sun。 In such an atmosphere the harbor was
flecked with brilliantly decked craft of every description； all
in a flutter of flags and carrying a host of passengers in gala
dress。 The city swarmed across the water to witness the ceremony
of evacuation。 Wherry men did a thriving business carrying
passengers to the fort。
Anderson withdrew from Sumter shortly after two o'clock amid a
salute of fifty guns。 The Confederates took possession。 At half
after four a new flag was raised above the battered and
fire…swept walls。
Chapter II。 The Davis Government
It has never been explained why Jefferson Davis was chosen
President of the Confederacy。 He did not seek the office and did
not wish it。 He dreamed of high military command。 As a study in
the irony of fate； Davis's career is made to the hand of the
dramatist。 An instinctive soldier； he was driven by circumstances
three times to renounce the profession of arms for a less
congenial civilian life。 His final renunciation； which proved to
be of the nature of tragedy； was his acceptance of the office of
President。 Indeed； why the office was given to him seems a
mystery。 Rhett was a more logical candidate。 And when Rhett；
early in the lobbying at Montgomery； was set aside as too much of
a radical； Toombs seemed for a time the certain choice of the
majority。 The change to Davis came suddenly at the last moment。
It was puzzling at the time； it is puzzling still。
Rhett； though doubtless bitterly disappointed； bore himself with
the savoir faire of a great gentleman。 At the inauguration； it
was on Rhett's arm that Davis leaned as he entered the hall of
the Confederate Congress。 The night before； in a public address；
Yancey had said that the man and the hour were met。 The story of
the Confederacy is filled with dramatic moments； but to the
thoughtful observer few are more dramatic than the conjunction of
these three men in the inauguration of the Confederate President。
Beneath a surface of apparent unanimity they carried； like
concealed weapons； points of view that were in deadly antagonism。
This antagonism had not revealed itself hitherto。 It was destined
to reveal itself almost immediately。 It went so deep and spread
so far that unless we understand it； the Confederate story will
be unintelligible。
A strange fatality destined all three of these great men to
despair。 Yancey； who was perhaps most directly answerable of the
three for the existence of the Confederacy； lost influence almost
from the moment when his dream became established。 Davis was
partly responsible； for he promptly sent him out of the country
on the bootless English mission。 Thereafter； until his death in
1863； Yancey was a waning； overshadowed figure； steadily lapsing
into the background。 It may be that those critics are right who
say he was only an agitator。 The day of the mere agitator was
gone。 Yancey passed rapidly into futile but bitter antagonism to
Davis。 In this attitude he was soon to be matched by Rhett。
The discontent of the Rhett faction because their leader was not
given the portfolio of the State Department found immediate
voice。 But the conclusion drawn by some that Rhett's subsequent
course sprang from personal vindictiveness is trifling。 He was
too large a personality； too well defined an intellect； to be
thus explained。 Very probably Davis made his first great blunder
in failing to propitiate the Rhett faction。 And yet few things
are more certain than that the two men； the two factions which
they symbolized； could not have formed a permanent alliance。 Had
Rhett entered the Cabinet he could not have remained in it
consistently for any considerable time。 The measures in which；
presently； the Administration showed its hand were measures in
which Rhett could not acquiesce。 From the start he was
predestined to his eventual positionthe great； unavailing
genius of the opposition。
As to the comparative ignoring of these leaders of secession by
the Government which secession had created； it is often said that
the explanation is to be found in a generous as well as politic
desire to put in office the moderates and even the conservatives。
Davis； relatively； was a moderate。 Stephens was a conservative。
Many of the most pronounced opponents of secession were given
places in the public service。 Toombs； who received the portfolio
of State； though a secessionist； was conspicuously a moderate
when compared with Rhett and Yancey。 The adroit Benjamin； who
became Attorney…General； had few points in common with the great
extremists of Alabama and South Carolina。
However； the dictum that the personnel of the new Government was
a triumph for conservatism over radicalism signifies little。
There was a division among Southerners which scarcely any of them
had realized except briefly in the premature battle over
secession in 1851。 It was the division between those who were
conscious of the region as a whole and those who were not。
Explain it as you will； there was a moment just after the
secession movement succeeded when the South seemed to realize
itself as a whole； when it turned intuitively to those men who；
as time was to demonstrate； shared this realization。 For the
moment it turned away from those others； however great their part
in secession； who lacked this sense of unity。
At this point； geography becomes essential。 The South fell；
institutionally； into two grand divisions： one； with an old and
firmly established social order； where consciousness of the
locality went back to remote times； another； newly settled； where
conditions were still fluid； where that sense of the sacredness
of local institutions had not yet formed。
A typical community of the first…named class was South Carolina。
Her people had to a remarkable degree been rendered
state…conscious partly by their geographical neighbors； and
partly by their long and illustrious history； which had been
interwoven with great European interests during the colonial era
and with great national interests under the Republic。 It is
possible also that the Huguenots； though few in numbers； had
exercised upon the State a subtle and pervasive influence through
their intellectual power and their Latin sense for institutions。
In South Carolina； too； a wealthy leisure class with a passion
for affairs had cultivated enthusiastically that fine art which
is the pride of all aristocratic societies； the service of the
State as a profession high and exclusive； free from vulgar taint。
In South Carolina all things conspired to uphold and strengthen
the sense of the State as an object of veneration； as something
over and above the mere social order； as the sacred embodiment of
the ideals of the community。 Thus it is fair to say that what has
animated the heroic little countries of the Old World Switzerland
and Serbia and ever…glorious Belgiumwith their passion to
remain themselves； animated South Carolina in 1861。 Just as
Serbia was willing to fight to the death rather than merge her
identity in the mosaic of the Austrian Empire； so this little
American community saw nothing of happiness in any future that
did not secure its virtual independence。
Typical of the newer order in the South was the community that
formed the President of the Confederacy。 In the history of
Mississippi previous to the war there are six great namesJacob
Thompson； John A。 Quitman； Henry S。 Foote； Robert J。 Walker；
Sergeant S。 Prentiss； and Jefferson Davis。 Not one of them was
born in the State。 Thompson was born in North Carolina； Quitman
in New York； Foote in Virginia； Walker in Pennsylvania； Prentiss
in Maine； Davis in Kentucky。 In 1861 the State was but forty…four
years old； younger than its most illustrious sonsif the paradox
may be permitted。 How could they think of it as an entity
existing in itself； antedating not only themselves but their
traditions； circumscribing them with its all…embracing；
indisputable reality？ These men spoke the language of state
rights。 It is true that in politics； combating the North； they
used the political philosophy taught them by South Carolina。 But
it