"What do you mean?"
"Just what I say. Stop in time. We inaugurated a Provisional Government
at Montgomery to last one year. Why one year? Because we believed the
war would be over before that year expired. It would have been madness
to provide for the establishment of the elaborate and clumsy forms of a
Constitutional Government during the progress of war. Why set up a
Constitution until you have won by the sword the power to maintain it?"
"But," Davis interrupted, "if we delay the adoption of a Constitution we
confess to the world our want of confidence in the success of our cause.
Such a permanent Constitution will be to our people the supreme sign of
faith--"
"With these jackals and hyenas of the press yelping and snarling and
snapping at your heels? These men will destroy the faith of our best men
and women if you only allow them to repeat their lies often enough. They
will believe them at last, themselves. You have the confidence to-day of
the whole South. Your bitterest enemy could not name a candidate to
oppose your election last November. Give these traitors time and they
will change all--"
"Not with military success--"
"Granted. But if these jackals break down the confidence of the people
in the administration, volunteering ceases and we have no army.
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