e among the southern masses;
or that "loyal citizens" were as one in ten thousand!

Whole communities may have murmured; there may have been "schism in the
council and robbery in the mart;" demagogues may have used wild
comparisons and terrible threats about the Government; staunch and
fearless newspapers may have boldly exposed its errors and mercilessly
lashed its weak or unworthy members; some men may have skulked and
dodged from their rightful places in the battle's front!

But, however misplaced the world's verdict may declare their
zeal--however great the error for which they fought and suffered and
died--no man to-day dare refuse to the southern people the need of
their unparalleled constancy!

Even conquered--manacled and gagged by the blind and blood-thirsty
faction in power--the southern people held on to the small fragments
of rights left them, with brave tenacity. Willing to accept that
arbitration to which they had submitted their cause, and ready to
suffer with the bright memories of their past, rather than efface them
by signing their own degradation.

They were conquered and bound in the flesh, but there was enough of
manhood left in the spirit to say--

"Though you conquer us, men of the North, know ye not
What fierce, sullen hatred lurks under the scar?
How loyal to Hapsburg is Venice, I wot!
How dearly the Pole loves 'his father'--the Czar!"

No more singular sight was presented by all the war than the conscript
depot at Richmond. The men from the "camps of instruction" in the
several states--after a short sojourn to learn the simplest routine of
the camp, and often thoroughly untaught in the manual even--were sent
here to be in greater readiness when wanted. Such officers as could be
spared were put in charge of them, and the cadets of the Virginia
Military Institute were employed as drill officers.

Citizens of various states--young, old, honest and vicious alike--the
conscripts were crowded together in camp, left to their own devices
enough to make them learn to live as soldiers; and put through constant
drill and parade to accustom them to the use of arms.

Almost every variety of costume obtained among them. The butternut
jacket with blue pants of the Federal soldier, the homespun shirt with
the cast-off pants of some lucky officer; and the black broadcloth
frock and jauntily-cut pants that some friendly lady had ransacked her
absent one's stores to give, all appeare