The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 21, July 1917 - April, 1918 Page: 285
434 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Confederate Trans-Mississippi Department, 1863-1865 285
at Richmond, for, on account of his inability to communicate with
Richmond, these were absolutely necessary in order for him to
augment his army and put the department in the best state of
defense; that such powers, which had not been granted by act
of Congress to any general in the army, were only powers of ad-
ministration, and should be exercised according to existing laws;
that nothing should be changed except the agents by which the
operations of the government in this department are carried on.
Extreme caution on the part of the committee is shown by refer-
ence to the fact that no act of Congress authorized such assumption
of power and that the state governments still existed and had
officers capable of exercising all power inherent in such local units.
The members of the committee made no effort to define specifically
what functions were to be assumed, but they were careful to
assert that the civil power was superior to the military.
The second report was from the committee to which had been
referred the following subjects: the best means of restoring con-
fidence and of checking disloyalty; the condition of the states,
the temper of the people, and the ability of each state to contribute
to the defense of the department; plans for bringing the entire
population of military age into service; and measures to secure
arms and ordnance. Underlying the solution of these questions
was that of the military administration of the department. The
report, which was adopted, declared that the mass of the people
were still loyal to the cause of the Confederacy and had full con-
fidence in the ability and integrity of the commanding general;
it included a tabulated statement of the resources of the several
states; and it showed that the supply of arms and ammunition
received from the general government had not at any time been
adequate, that now the loss of the Mississippi and the blockade of
the Gulf coast had cut off the hope of receiving even a meager
supply from that source and had thrown the department entirely
on its own resources.
"Beleaguered as we are by the enemy," the report continued,
"the commanding general can neither transmit reports nor receive
orders from the capital. Hence the safety of our people requires
that he assume at once and exercise the discretion, power, and
prerogatives of the President of the Confederate States and his
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 21, July 1917 - April, 1918, periodical, 1918; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101073/m1/291/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.