The Fall of the Confederacy. 599 
kept alive a constant jealousy of Europe ? Why in the hour 
of civil dissension were there mutterings against England? 
It is no secret that in bygone days the threat of a foreign 
war was regarded as the remedy for symptoms of disunion 
at home. If there was a chance of the West joining the 
South, or of the Border States uniting with the Confede- 
racy, secession should have been delayed, or at least war 
should have been postponed. When war was begun there 
was no chance of the West or of the Border States going 
over to the Cofnederacy. Having enlisted under the flag 
of the Union, a junction with the Confederacy involved the 
scandal of desertion. War, no doubt, put a sudden end 
to Unionism in the South, but it also intensified the 
Unionism of the North. There was, we repeat, a proba- 
bility that if the Confederacy triumphed the Union would 
be split up into two or more federations; but the pro- 
bable results of victory could not help the Confederacy, 
and indeed were in this case more likely to help the North. 
Instead of predicting further disunion, it would have been 
prudent for the Confederate administration to have con- 
cealed a danger that must needs have inspired the North 
to fight on whilst there was a dollar in the treasury and a 
man to be enlisted. It was an excess of candour to per- 
petually assure the North that the establishment of the 
Southern Confederacy would bring about the secession of 
the Western States. 
Curiously enough, whilst the Confederate administration 
to some extent calculated upon a division in the North, 
and whilst it was of course their policy to promote dis- 
union, they did many things that were sure to embitter 
North, East, and West, and all classes against the Con- 
federacy. It was supposed that the merchants and traders 
of the North were kindly disposed to the Confederacy. 
What was the conduct of the Confederate administration ? 
They sent forth cruisers to capture and destroy Northern 
shipping. Now these exploits had not the slightest influ-- 
ence on the progress of the war. They did not add to the 
military strength of the South, or detract from the military 
strength of the North. The only effect they had was to 
incense the commercial community, and to make the mer- 
chants of the North the implacable foes of the Confede- 
racy. Then how did the Confederate administration deal 
with the West? The Western States were exhorted not 
to injure their best customers. They were told that it 
was their interest to ally themselves with the free-trade 
