A Man of the People Part 47

LEE

Led by their old masters--they'll fight--to a man.

DAVIS

It would be necessary to give each black volunteer his freedom?

LEE

Of course. I, as you know, freed my own slaves before entering the service of the South. It is one of the ironies of Fate that I am supposed to be fighting for slavery--I who refuse to own a slave and my opponent General Grant is through his wife's estate a slaveholder.

Slavery is doomed, sir. It can never survive this tragedy. The Legislature of Virginia came within one vote of freeing her slaves, years ago.

DAVIS

I know. But the great Gulf States and South Carolina with their majority of Negro population will never agree to the arming of half a million slaves.

LEE

And you will allow Mississippi, Louisiana, and South Carolina to defeat a plan necessary to save the life of the Confederacy?

DAVIS

The States are sovereign, General Lee--for this principle we are fighting.

LEE

Then I think it may be time to ask ourselves, heart to heart, the question whether the Confederacy, as organized, does not carry within its own body the seeds of death? The rights of a state must somewhere yield to the supreme power of a nation. The Negro will make a brave soldier, and he can save the South. Will you use him?

DAVIS

I'll consider your suggestion, General, but I can't see it--I can't see it now. I won't detain you longer.

[GENERAL LEE _salutes and exits_--DAVIS _goes to the opposite door--opens it and calls._]

I am ready, gentlemen.

[OULD, BENJAMIN _and_ VAUGHAN _reenter._]

BENJAMIN

You have decided?

DAVIS

Yes.

[_He sits and writes a pa.s.s._]

It is probably a bad business for us----

BENJAMIN

There can be no doubt about that, sir----

DAVIS

But it would alienate many of our Northern friends if we held these men. I have decided to let them go. Give them this pa.s.s.

[_Hands pa.s.s to_ OULD.]

Show them through the hospitals and Libby Prison and conduct them back to General Grant's lines.

OULD

You have acted wisely, sir.

BENJAMIN

[_With deep feeling to_ VAUGHAN.]

He has made exactly the blunder I feared----

VAUGHAN

[_With elation._]

We'll hope for the best, sir! With the twist I'll give the news----

CURTAIN

SCENE II

SET SCENE: _The same as Acts I and II, except that a small table has been placed down center on the side near Lincoln's desk. A telegraph instrument has been installed on this table._

AT RISE: _At rise, the audience sees only_ LINCOLN _and_ OPERATOR, _the lights gradually rise until full day shows the entire room. It is the morning of September 3, 1864._

LINCOLN

[_Bending over the key._]

Try to get Atlanta again, my boy.

[_The_ OPERATOR _tries again and again to get Atlanta._]

OPERATOR