"Yes? Well, suppose, however, that your State should take that step, in the hope that she would be allowed to withdraw in peace; would her citizens be bound by her action?" "Of course. South Carolina, you say, has withdrawn; that being the case, every citizen of the State is bound by her act, as long as he remains a citizen." "South Carolina has withdrawn, but her hope for a peaceable withdrawal is met by United States armies trying to force her back into the Union. Under these circumstances, what is the duty of a citizen of South Carolina?" "I should say that so long as he remains a citizen of the State, he must obey the State. He must obey the State, or get out of it." "And if he gets out of it, must he join the armies that are invading his State and killing his neighbours and kinsmen?" "I think no man would do that." "But every one who leaves his State goes over to the enemies of his State, at least in a measure, for he deprives his State of his help, and influences others to do as he has done. Do you think that South Carolina should allow any of her citizens to leave her in this crisis?" "No; that would be suicidal. Every one unwilling to bear arms would thus be allowed to go." "And a premium would be put upon desertion?" "In a certain sense--yes." "Can a State's duty conflict with the duty of her citizens?" "That is a hard question, Doctor; if I should be compelled to reply, I should say no." "Then if it is South Carolina's duty to call you into military service, is it not your duty to serve?" "Yes; but have you shown that it is her duty to make me serve?" "That brings up the question whether it is a citizen's duty to serve his country in a wrong cause, and you have already said that a man should obey her laws or else renounce his citizenship." "Yes, Doctor, that seems the only alternative." "Then you are going to serve again, or get out of the country?" "You are putting it very strongly, Doctor; can there be no exception to rules?" "The only exception to the rule is that the alternative does not exist in time of war. The Confederate States have called into military service all males between eighteen and forty-five. You could not leave the country--excuse me for saying it; I speak in an impersonal sense--even if you should wish to leave it. Every man is held subject to military service; as you have already said, the State would commit suicide if she renounced the population from which she gets her soldiers. But, in any case, what would you do if you were not forced into service?" "I am helpless," I said gloomily.