in the President's attitude. Beauregard at one time al- lowed himself to be talked of as a presidential candidate and made the movement rather more prominent by os- tentatious modesty. It was natural that Davis should not like this. But I think his treatment of his subordinate was based chiefly on lack of confidence in the subordinate's ability, and on a feeling that the work could be done quite as well by men who were more thoroughly in sym- pathy with the Government.
At any rate, the relations between the two were un- pleasant, with evident fault on both sides. Davis, as always where he disliked, made himself extremely disagreeable. Sometimes he patronizes, as when Beauregard complains of a rebuke from Benjamin: *'Now, my dear sir, let me entreat you to dismiss this small matter from your mind. In the hostile masses before you, you have a subject more worthy of your contemplation." ^^ Sometimes the president takes a sharper tone, as on the same topic:
- ' You surely did not intend to inform me that your army
or yourself are outside the limits of the law." i^ if the general proposes a plan, it is disregarded. If he asks for more men, he is told that he should do more with what he has. If he retreats, he has done it too soon, or too late, or unskillfully. If he absents himself for a little time on account of illness, his departure is taken advantage of to put another in his place.
No doubt these things were trying. But they were partly brought about by Beauregard's own desire to be
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