The Political History of the United States of America During the Great Rebellion

The lists of the organization of the Rebel "Provisional" and "Permanent" Government have been made up from every accessible source, and, though not complete, are more nearly so than any other yet published north of the Potomac, and as nearly so as present facilities afford. They are the result of careful and extensive examination. As a matter of interest, the names of those of the conspirators who were once members of the Congress of the Union have been put in italic.

This work was undertaken a few months ago without a realizing sense of the labor it involved. I can scarcely hope to have escaped errors, both of omission and commission, but have striven to make it fair, impartial, and truthful. It deals with the most momentous events of this Century, which will be studied while civil Government exists. I trust that the volume will be of service to those consulting it, and that its general effect will be to help strengthen the purpose of the American people to maintain their Unity, their Freedom, and their Power.

August 11, 1864.

EDWARD MCPHERSON.

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.

I have revised the entire work, and corrected every error ascertained. The Appendix has expanded greatly beyond the original design. Much of the matter in it is quite inaccessible, and the delays and uncertainties of procuring it led almost insensibly to an enlargement, and also somewhat disturbed the methodical arrangement elsewhere preserved. The historic papers of the South Carolina Convention, as now printed, are from official copies, and differ very suggestively from current versions, in numerous material points. The votes on Secession Ordinances, and subsequently on the Extinction of Slavery, in several of the rebellious States, form a pleasing contrast.

The copious chapter on "The Church and the Rebellion" has been gathered with great care, and will serve to show their mutual relations and influence, as well as the singularly diverse views which have prevailed in Church courts. The contributions from the Bureau of Military Justice illustrate the practical working of the Emancipation policy, and will amply justify attention. To the action of the last session of Congress, and the record of the Presidential canvass which preceded it—of the result of which an official tabular statement is furnished-every student of American politics will have constant occasion to refer. On the great unsettled question of Reconstruction, the full record is presented.

It would be improper, in issuing this enlarged, and it is hoped improved edition, not to express my thanks for the kind reception given the first by the Press and the Public.

March 24, 1865.

EDWARD MCPHERSON

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Action of Conventions in South Carolina, Geor

gia, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, Alabama,

Arkansas, Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee,

Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri-Insurrec

tionary Proceedings in the State of Maryland

-Inter-State Commissioners-Organization of

a Southern Congress," and Provisional Gov-

ernment-Address of South Carolina to the

Slaveholding States, her Declaration of Inde-

pendence, and Debates on them-Speech of

Alexander H. Stephens before the Georgia Legis-

lature, Nov. 14, 1860-Extracts from Addresses

by A. II. Stephens, July, 1859, and Jan., 1861;

James H. Hainmond, October, 1858; and R. M.

T. Hunter, 1860-Extract from the Appeal for

Recognition, by Yancey, Rost, and Mann, and

Earl Russell's Reply-Seizure and Surrender of

Public Property, from November 4, 1860, to March

4, 1861-Changes in President Buchanan's Cab-

inet-Correspondence between President Buch-
anan and the South Carolina "Commission-
ers"-Demand for Surrender of Fort Sumter-
Report on the Transfer of Arms to the South
in 1859 and 1860-Davis's Bill for the Sale of
Government Arms to the States-How the Tel-
egraph aided Secession-Intrigues for a Pacific
Republic-Mayor Wood's Message Recommend-
ing that New York be made a Free City-"Per-
sonal Liberty" Laws.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE GOVERNMENT IN RE-

LATION TO THE ACTION OF THE INSUR-

BECTIONARY STATES.................................. .................

Names of the Senators and Representatives of

the Thirty-Sixth Congress, Second Session-

President Buchanan's Last Annual Message-

Attorney General Black's Opinion on the Powers

of the President-The House Committee of

Thirty-Three and their Proposition for Adjust-

ment, together with abstracts of all other propo-

sitions, and votes thereon-Votes on Resolutions

respecting the "Personal Liberty" Laws, the

Union, Major Anderson's Course, Coercion, Non-

Interference with Slavery, and on the Bill to

Suppress Insurrection, and to provide for the

Collection of Customs-Report of Committee

upon the Danger of the Capital, and Vote upon

Branch's Resolution to withdraw Troops from

the District of Columbia, with Secretary Holt's

Report-Disposition of the Navy, and Vote of

Censure upon Secretary Toucey-Propositions

in Congress by Mason, Hunter, Clingman, Craige,

and others Settlement of the Question of Sla

very in the Teritories.

THE CONSTITUTION.

Constitution of the United States-Points of

Difference between It and the "Confederate"

Constitution, with an Index to both-Speech of

Alexander H. Stephens, expounding the "Con-

federate" Constitution.

ADMINISTRATION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN.... 105

President Lincoln's Inaugural Address-Secre-

tary Seward and the "Confederate Commis-

sioners," with Statements of Judge Campbell

and Thurlow Weed-The President's Reply to

the Virginia Delegation-Commencement of hos-

ADMINISTRATION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN-

Continued.

tilities against the United States, and Why-

The "War Power" called out-Call for 75,000

Men, and all subsequent Calls arranged in

Chronological Order-National Legislation on

Military Affairs-"Confederate" Legislation

and Proclamations and Orders-The Thirty-

Seventh Congress-President's Message of July,

1861, December, 1861, and December, 1862-The

Thirty-Eighth Congress-Annual Message, 1863

-Amnesty Proclamation, and Circular of the

Attorney General-Proclamations concerning

the Blockade, Non-Intercourse with States in Re-

bellion, and declaring Boundaries of the Re-

bellion.

Page.

THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE................... 150

The Soward-Lyons Treaty-Vote in the Senate

upon bill to give it effect-Action of the "Con-

federate" Congress on Slave Trade-Jefferson

Davis's Veto thereof-Intercepted Despatch

from Judah P. Benjamin to L. Q. C. Lamar.

ARREST OF CITIZENS, THE WRIT OF HABEAS

CORPUS, AND SUPPRESSION OF NEWS-

153

Arrest of Members of the Maryland Legislature

and of the Baltimore Police Commissioners-

Orders of Gen. McClellan and Secretary Came-

ron-John Merryman's Case and Chief Justice

Taney's Opinion-Attorney General Bates's

Opinion on the President's Power to Arrest and

to Suspend the Privilege of the Writ of Habeas

Corpus-Views of Horace Binney and Theophilus
Parsons-Case of C. L. Vallandigham; Decision
of the Supreme Court therein; his Letter on
Retaliation; his return to Ohio, and Speech at
Hamilton-Proclamation of the President Sus-
pending the Privilege of the Writ of Habeas
Corpus-Indemnification of the President-De-
cision of the New York Supreme Court in the
Case of George W. Jones vs. W. H. Seward-
"Confederate" Legislation upon the suspension
of the Writ-Suppressions and Seizures of News-
papers, with the Proceedings of the Courts,
Congress, and the Post Office Department.

CONFISCATION AND EMANCIPATION............ 195

The Confiscation Bills, and Amendatory Joint

Resolution, and Special Message thereon-

Emancipation in the Thirty-Seventh Congress—

Proposed Repeal of the Joint Resolution afore-

said-Sequestration in the Rebel States-Judi-

cial and Military Proceedings under the Confis-

cation Law-Proclamation thereon-President's

Message, March, 1862, recommending Compen-

sated Emancipation-Congressional Proceedings

thereon-Interview of Border State Congress-

men with the President-Emancipation in

the District of Columbia-The President's Ap-

peal to the Border State Congressmen, and their

Reply-Extract from the President's Annual

Message, December, 1862-Emancipation in

Maryland and Proceedings of the Constitutional

Convention thereof-Emancipation Proclama-

tions-Votes thereon and Resolutions con-

cerning them-Interview between the Chicago

Deputation and the President-Address of the

Loyal Governors-Mr. Boutwell's Statement

concerning the Issue of the Proclamation-Let-

ters of Charles Sumner and Owen Lovejoy.

Page.

REPEAL OF THE FUGITIVE SLAVE LAWS, "CON-

TRABANDS," AND KINDRED SUBJECTS....... 234

Votes on the Passage of the Acts of 1793 and

1850-Repealing Movements in the Thirty-

Second, Thirty-Third, Thirty-Seventh, and

Thirty-Eighth Congresses-Census Report rela-

ting to the Escape of Fugitive Slaves from 1850

to 1860-The New Article of War-Employment

of Slaves in Government Dock-Yards, &c.-Re-

cognition of Hayti and Liberia-Robert Small-

Proposed Removal of the Disqualification of

Color in Carrying the Mails-Negro Suffrage in

the District of Columbia and Montana Territory

-Exclusion of Colored Persons from Rail-cars-

Colored Persons as Witnesses-Repeal of Laws

regulating the Coastwise Slave Trade-Orders

and Letters concerning "Contrabands," by
Gens. McClellan and Butler, and Secretary
Cameron-Fremont's Proclamation of Eman-
cipation, and Correspondence with the President
thereupon-"Contrabands" in the District of
Columbia-Gen. Burnside's Proclamation in
North Carolina-Orders and Proclamations by
Gens. Halleck, Buell, Hooker, McDowell, Double-
day and others-General Instructions by the
President concerning "Contrabands"-Gens.
Phelps and Butler on Arming Negroes-Pro-
posed Congressional Censure of Gen. Halleck's
Order No. 3-Prohibition of Slavery in the Ter-
ritories-Amendments to the Constitution, pro-
posed in the Thirty-Eighth Congress, First Ses-
sion-Resolutions on Slavery in the States, in the
same Congress-Bureau of Freedmen's Affairs.

LEGISLATION, ORDERS, PROCLAMATIONS AND

PROPOSITIONS, RELATIVE TO THE WAR,

AND TO "PEACE".....................

The Enrollment Acts of 1863 and 1864, with the

votes upon all their leading Features and Char-

acteristics-Resolutions relative to the Enroll-

ment-Orders of the War Department enforcing

the Draft of 1862-Gen. McClellan's Recommen-

dation of a Draft in 1861-Colored Soldiers and

their Pay-Opinion of Attorney General Bates

respecting the pay of Rev. S. Harrison, colored

Chaplain of the 54th Mass. Regiment-Rules

and Orders for the Protection of Colored Sol-

diers, and the President's Speech thereon-Use

of Colored Men in the "Confederate" Military

Service-Negro Enlistment Act of the Tennes-

see Rebel Legislature-"Confederate" Legisla-

tion upon the Treatment of captured Colored

Troops and their Officers-Homesteads for Sol-

diers-Unemployed Generals-Resolutions upon

the Objects and Prosecution of the War, in the

Thirty-Seventh and Thirty-Eighth Congresses—

"Peace" Propositions in the same-Correspond-

ence between the President and Fernando Wood

-The Niagara Falls Conference and Correspond-

ence-Peace Propositions in the Rebel Congress

-Correspondence between Governor Vance and

Jefferson Davis-Reported Statement of Davis

to Gilmore.

261

The Reconstruction Bill, with the President's
Proclamation thereon, and Statement of Sena-
tor Wade and Representative Davis-Electoral
Vote of Rebel States-Proposed Commission of
Inquiry Senators from Arkansas-Process of
Reconstruction in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Vir-
ginia-Resolutions by sundry Senators and Rep.
resentatives concerning the Relations of Rebel
States to the Government-Rebel Views of Recon-
struction, being Resolutions by the First "Con-
federate" Congress, and Legislatures of Rebel
States, with Statements of prominent Rebels.

MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS AND SPEECHES OF

THE PRESIDENT.............................. 333

Message of May 29, 1862-Remarks at Union

Meeting in Washington City, August 6, 1862--

Pago.

MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS AND SPEECHES Or

THE PRESIDENT―(Continued.)

Response to a Serenade, July, 1863-Speech at

the Philadelphia Fair, June 16, 1864-Letters to

Horace Greeley, to the Springfield Mass Conven-

tion, to Col. A. G. Hodges, of Kentucky, and

to the Grant Meeting in New York, June, 1864.