Слике страница
PDF
ePub

Napoleon's Mexican venture undoubtedly furnishes the secret of his friendly feeling for the Confederacy. The success of his scheme was deliberately calculated on the overthrow of the American Union. The Confederates quickly caught at the suggestion of an alliance between Mexico and the South with the power of France to back it, but Napoleon was afraid of the American navy, and did not care to go the whole length of recognizing the Confederacy as an independent power without the coöperation of England. His designs on Mexico, however, made England very cautious about entering into any agreement with him. At each successive step taken by the French to establish their power in Mexico Secretary Seward protested, and after the close of the war his protests assumed the form of a practical ultimatum and Louis Napoleon finally withdrew his troops.

Last effort to secure

foreign aid

In December, 1864, Judah P. Benjamin, the Confederate secretary of state, informed President Davis that there was no remaining hope of securing foreign aid unless the Confederacy was willing to abandon slavery, and he urged that a commissioner be sent abroad with full powers to negotiate treaties on the basis of emancipation and government seizure of cotton with which to pay for arms and munitions. Davis finally consented to the plan and selected for the delicate mission Duncan F. Kenner, of Louisiana, one of the largest slaveholders in the South and chairman of the ways and means committee of the Confederate Congress. In case the move proved successful, Davis hoped to persuade the Congress to ratify the treaties and carry out their stipulations. After vainly trying to get out through the blockade at Wilmington, Kenner went to New York in disguise and through the aid of a friendly hotel proprietor secured passage for Europe. When he reached London and Paris Sherman's army was already in the Carolinas and Lee was making his last stand before Petersburg. The British and French governments

received the proposal but gave it scant consideration. A few days later came the news of Lee's surrender at Appomattox.

TOPICAL REFERENCES

1. Recognition of Belligerency : Rhodes, History of United States, Vol. III, pp. 417-434; Bancroft, W. H. Seward, Vol. II, Chap. XXXI; J. M. Callahan, Diplomatic History of the Southern Confederacy, Chap. IV; C. F. Adams, Charles Francis Adams, Chap. IX.

2. The Trent Affair: Rhodes, Vol. III, pp. 520-543; Bancroft, W. H. Seward, Vol. II, Chap. XXXIII; Adams, Charles Francis Adams, Chap. XII; T. L. Harris, The Trent Affair.

3. Attitude of England and France: Rhodes, Vol. III, pp. 502519; Schouler, Vol. VI, pp. 111-129; Callahan, Chaps. V-IX; Adams, Charles Francis Adams, Chaps. XIII-XVI; C. F. Adams, Trans-Atlantic Historical Solidarity, Chaps. II, III.

4. The Alabama and Other Confederate Cruisers: Rhodes, Vol. IV, pp. 85–95, 365–372, 510–511; Adams, Charles Francis Adams, Chap. XVII; Maclay, History of the Navy, Vol. II, Chap. XX; J. R. Soley, The Blockade and the Cruisers, Chap. VII; Scharf, Confederate States Navy, Chap. XXVI; Raphael Semmes, Service Afloat; J. D. Bulloch, Secret Service of Confederate States in Europe.

5. The Blockade of the Confederacy: Soley, The Blockade and the Cruisers, Chaps. II-VI; Scharf, Chap. XVI; Maclay, Vol. II, Chap. XXIII; Bancroft, W. H. Seward, Vol. II, pp. 374–382; C. F. Adams, Studies Military and Diplomatic, Chap. VII.

6. French intervention in Mexico: Rhodes, Vol. IV, pp. 345, 471, Vol. VI, pp. 205-211; Bancroft, W. H. Seward, Vol. II, Chap. XL; J. B. Moore, Digest of International Law, Vol. VI, pp. 483-506.

CHAPTER XXIV

THE OUTCOME OF THE WAR

WHILE the South, as a result of the blockade, was being thrown back on its own resources and was slowly dying of

Development of Northern resources

exhaustion and inanition, the North was growing prosperous. Instead of being adversely affected by the war, Northern commerce and manufactures were greatly stimulated. This result was due in part to the fact that the North had already made considerable industrial progress, in part to the wise legislation of Congress, and in part to the advantages derived from foreign commerce, for, although the Confederate cruisers forced Northern commerce to seek shelter under foreign flags, the great volume of trade with other countries was not interrupted.

land

In 1862 Congress chartered the Union Pacific Railway and provided for its construction by enormous grants of Railroad and public lands; it passed the homestead bill which made it possible for actual settlers on the public legislation domain to acquire lands at nominal fees; and it provided for the establishment by the States of colleges of agriculture and the mechanic arts to be supported in part out of the proceeds of the sales of public lands. Few Congresses have passed acts of such far-reaching importance. These and similar measures were designed to strengthen the resources of the country and of the government.

The customs receipts were greatly increased by a high protective tariff, though the primary object of the tariff was to stimulate domestic industries, while internal revenue receipts were enormously increased by taxes on manufactures,

war

on the gross receipts of railroad, steamboat, and express companies, on various articles of luxury, and on incomes. A stamp tax was laid on bank checks, receipted Meeting the bills, and on various classes of legal and commer- cost of the cial documents. It was impossible, however, to raise enough money to meet the enormous cost of the war, which soon reached $1,000,000 a day and finally exceeded $3,000,000. Bonds bearing interest at a specified rate and redeemable at a specified time were issued in large amounts. Nevertheless finances were seriously deranged, gold became very scarce, and Congress found it necessary to authorize the issue of paper money to the amount Currency of $500,000,000, which it undertook to force into legislation circulation by making it full legal tender. Notwithstanding this latter precaution the notes rapidly depreciated to about half the value of gold, and specie payments had to be suspended. It was fifteen years after the close of the war before the government was in a condition to redeem these notes in gold. In 1863 the national banking system, proposed by Secretary Chase, was established. It not only helped to provide a sound currency secured by the deposit of United States bonds, but it created a permanent demand for these bonds. It took several years, however, to extend the new banking system throughout the country and to get it into full operation, so that it did not afford immediate financial relief; but during the years following the war it was of great assistance in providing a more stable currency and in helping the government to return to specie payments.

Strain on

The Civil War imposed a terrific strain on constitutional government both North and South. Between the fall of Fort Sumter in April, 1861, and the convening of Congress in July, President Lincoln assumed a temporary military dictatorship. He pro- tional govclaimed a blockade of the coasts of the Confederacy, thus assuming the constitutional right of Congress

constitu

ernment

to declare war; he called for 42,000 volunteers to serve for three years, and added 22,000 men to the regular army and 18,000 to the navy, without constitutional warrant; furthermore, he authorized General Scott to suspend the writ of habeas corpus at any point on the railroad line between Philadelphia and Washington, and when the Supreme Court gave its opinion that this power was given by the Constitution to Congress and ordered the release of prisoners, he directed the military authorities to ignore the order of the Court.

Congress

An act of Congress of August 6 validated all acts, proclamations, and orders of the president relating to military affairs issued since the 4th of March preceding. backs the The president continued the practice of suspendpresident ing the writ of habeas corpus, and the number of arbitrary arrests and imprisonments of inhabitants of Northern States accused of disloyalty grew to large proportions and caused a decided reaction of popular feeling. The election of 1862 shook the power of the Republican party, and Congress finally placed the suspension of the writ on a legal basis, providing for a judicial examination within twenty days after each arrest and the discharge of the prisoner on the failure of the grand jury to indict.

in the South

In the South, too, the writ of habeas corpus was suspended, but by act of Congress and under more restrictions Conditions than at the North. The powers of government were, however, overtaxed from the first and the executive was given free rein. Civil affairs were soon overshadowed by military, and the Confederate Congress sank into comparative insignificance. Little attention was paid to its debates and few men of ability who were fit for service in the field cared to serve in it. The burden of carrying on the war fell more heavily on the States than at the North. Both Congress and State legislatures issued bonds and paper currency in large amounts, and

« ПретходнаНастави »