to bring a half million of men against her.

Now, when she woke to the plain fact that her existence depended--not
only on keeping in the ranks every man already there, but of adding
largely to their numbers--it was but natural that the Government's
torpor had, in a slight degree, reacted upon its soldiers.

When the Government had assumed more form and regularity with increased
proportions and the conviction, forced upon the most obtuse mind, that
a struggle was at hand demanding most perfect organization, the
looseness of a divided system had become apparent. The laws against any
State maintaining a standing army were put into effect; and the
combined military power was formally turned over, as a whole, to the
Confederate authorities. This change simply meant that complete
organizations were accepted as they stood, as soldiers of the
Confederacy instead of soldiers of the states; the men were mustered
into the Confederate service and the officers had their state
commissions replaced by those from the Confederate War Department. From
that date, the troops were to look to the central Government for their
pay, subsistence, and supplies.

In mustering in, all troops--with only exceptions where their contracts
with state governments demanded--were received "for three years of the
war." At Montgomery, many admirable organizations had been tendered to
the Government for one year; and much discussion had ensued on the
subject of their reception. It was then generally believed, even by the
longest heads in the Cabinet, that the war would be _only a campaign_.
I have elsewhere alluded to the tenacity with which its supporters
clung to this idea; and Mr. Davis was almost alone in his persistent
refusal to accept the troops for less than three years, or the war. To
the one campaign people he said, very justly, that if the troops were
taken for twelve months, and the war were really over in six, here was
the Government saddled with the incubus at a standing army, infinitely
greater than its needs; and here large bodies of men who might be of
incalculable service elsewhere, tied to the vitiating and worse than
useless influences of a peace camp. On the other hand, should the war
last longer, in its very climax a large body of educated soldiers, just
trained to a point of usefulness, would have the right to demand their
discharge, when their places would be difficult to fill even with raw
levies. There was much dissatisfaction am