And　in　the　midst　of　this　critical　period；　the　labor　problem
  pushed　to　the　fore　again。　The　revocation　of　industrial　details；
  necessary　as　it　was；　had　put　almost　the　whole　male　populationin
  theory；　at　leastin　the　general　Confederate　army。　How
  far…reaching　was　the　effect　of　this　order　may　be　judged　from　the
  experience　of　the　Columbia　and　Augusta　Railroad　Company。　This
  road　was　building　through　the　interior　of　the　State　a　new　line
  which　was　rendered　imperatively　necessary　by　Sherman's　seizure　of
  the　lines　terminating　at　Savannah。　The　effect　of　the　revocation
  order　on　the　work　in　progress　was　described　by　the　president　of
  the　road　in　a　letter　to　the　Secretary　of　War：
  〃In　July　and　August　I　made　a　fair　beginning　and　by　October　we　had
  about　600　hands。　General　Order　No。　77　took　off　many　of　our
  contractors　and　hands。　We　still　had　increased　the　number　of　hands
  to　about　400　when　Sherman　started　from　Atlanta。　The　military
  authorities　of　Augusta　took　about　300　of　them　to　fortify　that
  city。　These　contractors　being　from　Georgia　returned　with　their
  slaves　to　their　homes　after　being　discharged　at　Augusta。　We　still
  have　between　500　and　600　hands　at　work　and　are　adding　to　the
  force　every　week。
  〃The　great　difficulty　has　been　in　getting　contractors　exempt　or
  definitely　detailed　since　Order　No。　77。　I　have　not　exceeded　eight
  or　nine　contractors　now　detailed。　The　rest　are　exempt　from　other
  causes　or　over　age。〃
  It　was　against　such　a　background　of　economic　confusion　that
  Magrath　wrote　to　the　Governor　of　North　Carolina　making　a
  revolutionary　proposal。　Virtually　admitting　that　the　Confederacy
  had　been　shattered；　and　knowing　the　disposition　of　those　in
  authority　to　see　only　the　military　aspects　of　any　given
  situation；　he　prophesied　two　things：　that　the　generals　would　soon
  attempt　to　withdraw　Lee's　army　south　of　Virginia；　and　that　the
  Virginia　troops　in　that　army　would　refuse　to　go。　〃It　is　natural
  under　the　circumstances；〃　said　he；　〃that　they　would　not。〃　He
  would　prepare　for　this　emergency　by　an　agreement　among　the
  Southeastern　and　Gulf　States　to　act　together　irrespective　of
  Richmond；　and　would　thus　weld　the　military　power　of　these　States
  into　〃a　compact　and　organized　mass。〃
  Governor　Vance；　with　unconscious　subtlety；　etched　a　portrait　of
  his　own　mind　when　he　replied　that　the　crisis　demanded
  〃particularly　the　skill　of　the　politician　perhaps　more　than　that
  of　the　great　general。〃　He　adroitly　evaded　saying　what　he　really
  thought　of　the　situation　but　he　made　two　explicit
  counter…proposals。　He　suggested　that　a　demand　should　be　made　for
  the　restoration　of　General　Johnston　and　for　the　appointment　of
  General　Lee　to　〃full　and　absolute　command　of　all　the　forces　of
  the　Confederacy。〃　On　the　day　on　which　Vance　wrote　to　Magrath；　the
  Mercury　lifted　up　its　voice　and　cried　out　for　a　Lee　to　take
  charge　of　the　Government　and　save　the　Confederacy。　About　the　same
  time　Cobb　wrote　to　Davis　in　the　most　friendly　way；　warning　him
  that　he　had　scarcely　a　supporter　left　in　Georgia；　and　that；　in
  view　of　the　great　popular　reaction　in　favor　of　Johnston；
  concessions　to　the　opposition　were　an　imperative　necessity。　〃By
  accident；〃　said　he；　〃I　have　become　possessed　of　the　facts　in
  connection　with　the　proposed　action　of　the　Governors　of　certain
  States。〃　He　disavowed　any　sympathy　with　the　movement　but　warned
  Davis　that　it　was　a　serious　menace。
  Two　other　intrigues　added　to　the　general　political　confusion。　One
  of　these；　the　〃Peace　Movement；〃　will　be　considered　in　the　next
  chapter。　The　other　was　closely　connected　with　the　alleged
  conspiracy　to　depose　Davis　and　set　up　Lee　as　dictator。　If　the
  traditional　story；　accepted　by　able　historians；　may　be　believed；
  William　C。　Rives；　of　the　Confederate　Congress；　carried　in
  January；　1865；　to　Lee　from　a　congressional　cabal　an　invitation　to
  accept　the　role　of　Cromwell。　The　greatest　difficulty　in　the　way
  of　accepting　the　tradition　is　the　extreme　improbability　that　any
  one　who　knew　anything　of　Lee　would　have　been　so　foolish　as　to
  make　such　a　proposal。　Needless　to　add；　the　tradition　includes
  Lee's　refusal　to　overturn　the　Government。　There　can　be　no　doubt；
  however；　that　all　the　enemies　of　Davis　in　Congress　and　out　of　it；
  in　the　opening　months　of　1865；　made　a　determined　series　of
  attacks　upon　his　Administration。　Nor　can　there　be　any　doubt　that
  the　popular　faith　in　Lee　was　used　as　their　trump　card。　To　that
  end；　a　bill　was　introduced　to　create　the　office　of　commanding
  general　of　the　Confederate　armies。　The　bill　was　generally
  applauded；　and　every　one　assumed　that　the　new　office　was　to　be
  given　to　Lee。　On　the　day　after　the　bill　had　passed　the　Senate　the
  Virginia　Legislature　resolved　that　the　appointment　of　General　Lee
  to　supreme　command　would　〃reanimate　the　spirit　of　the　armies　as
  well　as　the　people　of　the　several　States　and。。。inspire
  increased　confidence　in　the　final　success　of　the　cause。〃　When　the
  bill　was　sent　to　the　President；　it　was　accompanied　by　a
  resolution　asking　him　to　restore　Johnston。　While　Davis　was
  considering　this　bill；　the　Virginia　delegation　in　the　House；
  headed　by　the　Speaker；　Thomas　S。　Bocock；　waited　upon　the
  President；　informed　him　what　was　really　wanted　was　a　change　of
  Cabinet；　and　told　him　that　three…fourths　of　the　House　would
  support　a　resolution　of　want　of　confidence　in　the　Cabinet。　The
  next　day　Bocock　repeated　the　demand　in　a　note　which　Davis
  described　as　a　〃warning　if　not　a　threat。〃
  The　situation　of　both　President　and　country　was　now　desperate。
  The　program　with　which　the　Government　had　entered　so　hopefully
  upon　this　fated　year　had　broken　down　at　almost　every　point。　In
  addition　to　the　military　and　administrative　disasters；　the
  financial　and　economic　situation　was　as　bad　as　possible。　So
  complete　was　the　financial　breakdown　that　Secretary　Memminger；
  utterly　disheartened；　had　resigned　his　office；　and　the　Treasury
  was　now　administered　by　a　Charleston　merchant；　George　A。
  Trenholm。　But　the　financial　chaos　was　wholly　beyond　his　control。
  The　government　notes　reckoned　in　gold　were　worth　about　three
  cents　on　the　dollar。　The　Government　itself　avoided　accepting
  them。　It　even　bought　up　United　States　currency　and　used　it　in
  transacting　the　business　of　the　army。　The　extent　of　the　financial
  collapse　was　to　be　measured　by　such　incidents　as　the　following
  which　is　recounted　in　a　report　that　had　passed　under　Davis's　eye
  only　a　few　weeks　before　the　〃threat〃　of　Bocock　was　uttered：
  〃Those　holding　the　four　per　cent　certificates　complain　that　the
  Government　as　far　as　possible　discredits　them。　Fractions　of
  hundreds　cannot　be　paid　with　them。　I　saw　a　widow　lady；　a　few　days
  since；　offer　to　pay　her　taxes　of　1；271。31　with　a　certificate　of
  1；300。　The　tax…gatherer　refused　to　give　her　the　change　of
  28。69。　She　then　offered　the　whole　certificate　for　the　taxes。
  This　was　refused。　This　apparent　injustice　touched　her　far　more
  than　the　amount　of　the　taxes。〃
  A　letter　addressed　to　the　President　from　Griffin；　Georgia；
  contained　this　dreary　picture：
  〃Unless　something　is　done　and　that　speedily；　there　will　be
  thousands　of　the　best　citizens　of　the　State　and　heretofore　as
  loyal　as　any　in　the　Confederacy；　that　will　not　care　one　cent
  which　army　is　victorious　in　Georgia。。。。　Since　August　last
  there　have　been　thousands　of　cavalry　and　wagon　trains　feeding
  upon　our　cornfields　and　for　which　our　quartermasters　and　officers
  in　command　of　trains；　regiments；　battalions；　companies；　and
  squads；　have　been　giving　the　farmers　receipts；　and　we　were　all
  told　these　receipts　would　pay　our　government　taxes　and　tithing；
  and　yet　not　one　of　them　will　be　taken　by　our　collector。。。。
  And　yet　we　are　threatened　with　having　our　lands　sold　for　taxes。
  Our　scrip　for　corn　used　by　our　generals　will　not　be　taken。。。。
  How　is　it　that　we　have　certified　claims　upon　our　Government；　past
  due　ten　months；　and　when　we　enter　the　quartermaster's　office　we
  see　placed　up　conspicuously　in　large　letters　〃no　funds。〃　Some　of
  these　said　quartermasters　＇who＇　four　years　ago　were　not　worth　the
  clothes　upon　their　backs；　are　now　large　dealers　in　lands；
  negroes；　and　real　estate。〃
  There　was　almost　universal　complaint　that　government　contractors
  were　speculating　in　supplies　and　that　the　Impressment　Law　was
  used　by　officials　to　cover　their　robbery　of　both　the　Government
  and　the　people。　Allowing　for　all　the　panic　of　the　moment；　one　is
  forced　to　conclude　that　the　smoke　is　too　dense　not　to　cover　a
  good　deal　of　fire。　In　a　word；　at　the　very　time　when　local
  patriotism　everywhere　was　drifting　into　opposition　to　the　general
  military　command　and　when　Congress　was　reflecting　this　widespread
  loss　of　confidence；　the　Government　was　loudly　charged　with
  inability　to　restrain　graft。　In　all　these　accusations　there　was
  much　injustice。　Conditions　that　the　Government　was　powerless　to
  control　were　cruelly　exaggerated；　and　the　motives　of　the
  Government　were　falsified。　For　all　this　exaggeration　and
  falsification　the　press　was　largely　to　blame。　Moreover；　the
  press；　at　least　in　dangerously　large　proportion；　was　schooling
  the　people　to　hold　Davis　personally　responsible　for　all　their
  suffering。　General　Bragg　was　informed　in　a　letter　from　a
  correspondent　in　Mobile　that　〃men　have　been　taught　to　look　upon
  the　President　as　an　inexor