UNITED STATES. 



699 



During the month of November, the State 

 of South Carolina had passed an act requiring 

 a State Convention to assemble on the 17th of 

 December. Preparations were commenced in 

 other States bordering on the Gulf of Mexico, 

 to secure similar convent ions. These prepara- 

 tions consisted of proclamations by the Gover- 

 nors calling an extra session of the legislatures, 

 or of the demonstrations of citizens in favor 

 of the same object. Evidently a boastful and 

 violent spirit was becoming aroused, which was 

 determined to effect a separation of the States 

 of the Union. Its development could be seen 

 almost daily, and the first apprehensions 

 awakened were, that it might acquire so much 

 force and violence as to overwhelm those senti- 

 ments of attachment to the Union, which were 

 known to be alive in the bosom of the mass of 

 the people in each of the Southern States. In 

 the border States of Virginia, Tennessee, North 

 Carolina, and Arkansas, the love for the Union 

 was supposed to be sufficient to check the vio- 

 lence of every hostile passion, and retain them 

 under the Federal Government, unless new mo- 

 tives for sece>sion should arise. So it for a time 

 proved. But in those farther south, the Union 

 demonstrations, although numerous, could not 

 withstand the torrent of passion with which 

 they were assailed. The calm and manly elo- 

 quence of Stephens, uttered at the request of 

 members of the Legislature of Georgia, on the 

 evening of November 14, was soon forgotten 

 amid the excitement of passion that followed, 

 and he himself was swept away by it. At that 

 hour, standing in the hall of the House of Rep- 

 resentatives of Georgia, he said : 



"I look upon this country, with our institu- 

 tions, as the Eden of the world, the paradise of 

 the universe. It may be that out of it we 

 may become greater and more prosperous, but 

 I am candid and sincere in telling you that I 

 fear if we rashly evince passion, and without 

 sufficient cause shall take that step, that instead 

 of becoming greater or more peaceful, prosper- 

 ous, and happy instead of becoming gods, we 

 will become demons, and at no distant day 

 commence cutting one another's throats. This 

 is my apprehension. Let us, therefore, what- 

 ever we do, meet these difficulties, great as 

 they are, like wise and sensible men, and 

 consider them in the light of all the conse- 

 quences which may attend our action. Let us 

 see first clearly where the path of duty leads, 

 and then we may not fear to tread therein." 



He then proceeded to meet and refute the 

 popular argument in favor of secession in these 

 direct and plain words : 



" The first question that presents itself is, Shall 

 the people of the South secede from the Union 

 in consequence of the election of Mr. Lincoln 

 to the Presidency of the United States ? My 

 countrymen, I tell you frankly, candidly, and 

 earnestly, that I do not think that they ought. 

 In my judgment, the election of no man, con- 

 stitutionally chosen to that high office, is suffi- 

 cient cause for any State to separate from the 



Union. It ought to stand by and aid still in 

 maintaining the Constitution of the country. 

 To make a point of resistance to the Govern- 

 ment, to withdraw from it because a man has 

 been constitutionally elected, puts us in the 

 wrong. We are pledged to maintain the Con- 

 stitution. Many of us have sworn to >npport 

 it. Can we, therefore, for the mere election 

 of a man to the Presidency and that too in ac- 

 cordance with the prescribed forms of the Con- 

 stitution make a point of resistance to the 

 Government without becoming the breakers of 

 that sacred instrument ourselves, by withdraw- 

 ing ourselves from it? Would we not be in the 

 wrong? "Whatever fate is to befall this coun- 

 try, let it never be laid to the charge of the 

 people of the South, and especially to the people 

 of Georgia, that we were untrue to our nation- 

 al engagements. Let the fault and the wrong 

 rest upon others. If all our hopes are to be 

 blasted, if the Republic is to go down, let us be 

 found to the last moment standing on the deck, 

 with the Constitution of the United States 

 waving over our heads. Let the fanatics of the 

 North break the Constitution, if such is their 

 fell purpose. Let the responsibility be upon 

 them. I shall speak presently more of their 

 acts ; but let not the South, let us not be the 

 ones to commit the aggression. We went into 

 the election with this people. The result was 

 different from what we wished ; but the elec- 

 tion has been constitutionally held. Were we 

 to make a point of resistance to the Govern- 

 ment and go out of the Union on that account, 

 the record would be made up hereafter against 

 us." 



Hours passed during which a crowded au- 

 dience listened to his arguments and eloquence 

 in favor of the Union. Three months later, 

 and this man becomes the Vice-President of 

 a Southern Confederacy. The Union, in his 

 view, is dissolved, the past is forgotten, the fu- 

 ture spreads a glorious vision before his eyes. 

 (See COXFEDEEATE STATES, page 129.) , 



The secession of the Southern States was not 

 accomplished by a movement of the people. 

 It was a preconceived and arranged purpose 

 on the part of many prominent public men, 

 cherished until the favorable hour should come 

 for its execution. The hour thus selected was 

 that upon which the election of Mr. Lincoln 

 took place. Then the plan was put in execra- 

 tion without regard to the forms of law, or the 

 numbers of the Union men. 



The Congress of the United States assembled 

 on the 3d of December, 1860, (see CONGKESS 

 U. S.,) and the Message of President Buchanan 

 was immediately delivered. (See Prsnc DOCU- 

 MENTS.) In this Message he denied in strong 

 and unanswerable language the right of seces- 

 sion, and indicated his purpose to collect the 

 revenue and defend the forts of South Caro- 

 lina. 



The attitude of South Carolina already ex- 

 cited the apprehensions of the Government. 

 The subject of sending reinforcements to the 



