▁This ▁book ▁port rayed ▁the ▁war ▁as ▁a ▁contest ▁between ▁" two ▁nations ▁of ▁opposite ▁civil izations " ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁different ▁since ▁colonial ▁times . ▁Un lik ed ▁the ▁Pur itan ▁North , ▁the ▁Caval ier ▁South ▁had ▁developed ▁a ▁" fe ud al " ▁society ▁based ▁on ▁slave ▁labor , ▁which ▁" est ab lished ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁a ▁peculiar ▁and ▁noble ▁type ▁of ▁civil ization ." ▁ ▁Pol l ard ▁argued ▁that ▁sla very ▁" in cul c ated ▁not ions ▁of ▁ch ival ry ," ▁" pol ished ▁the ▁man ners " ▁of ▁slave hold ers , ▁and ▁rel ieved ▁the ▁“ dem ands ▁of ▁physical ▁labor ,” ▁thus ▁aff ording ▁the ▁" o pport unity ▁for ▁extraordinary ▁culture .” ▁Pol l ard ▁also ▁wor ried ▁that ▁the ▁w art ime ▁defeat ▁might ▁cause ▁the ▁South ▁to ▁" lose ▁its ▁moral ▁and ▁intellectual ▁distinct iveness ▁as ▁a ▁people , ▁and ▁ce ase ▁to ▁assert ▁its ▁well - known ▁super iour ity ▁in ▁civil ization ." ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 7 ▁Pol l ard ▁wrote ▁that ▁the ▁re bell ion ▁would ▁re - open ▁and ▁be ▁successful , ▁but ▁the ▁real ities ▁of ▁Cong r essional ▁Re const ruction ▁forced ▁him ▁to ▁re cons ider . ▁Also , ▁Republican ▁political ▁g ains ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 8 6 7 ▁and ▁the ▁make up ▁of ▁the ▁Virginia ▁Constitution al ▁Convention ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 7 – 1 8 6 8 ▁after ▁many ▁ex - Conf eder ates ▁either