Conspiracy of certain Senators to defeat the "Little Giant of the West" in his supposed presidential Aspirations.—Signal Triumph of this Gen- tleman as a Debater over all Opposition.-Opening of the senatorial Contest between Mr. Douglas and Mr. Lincoln, of Illinois.-Extraordi- nary Efforts of Mr. Buchanan and other Individuals of the Democratic Party to effect Mr. Douglas's Defeat and secure the Election of his Op- ponent.-Eventual Triumph of Mr. Douglas, who returns to the Senate to undergo Ostracism at the Hands of senatorial Democrats in Caucus under the direction of Mr. Buchanan.-Deep Injury done to the South- ern Cause by the unjust Course pursued toward Mr. Douglas, which caused many of this Gentleman's political Supporters in the North to grow lukewarm in the support of Southern Rights.—Special Causes which now operated to produce sectional Excitement.-Indecent and ruffianly Assault upon Mr. Sumner.-Dred Scott Decision.-The South indiscreetly exultant over it, and the North indignant.-Attempt by certain Persons in the South to bring about the reopening of the Afri- can Slave-trade.-Important judicial Contest in Ohio touching the va- lidity of the Fugitive Slave Law.-Ossawatomie Brown upon a Ram- page in the Bosom of Virginia as a radical, political, and moral Re- former, ready to shed Oceans of Blood in defense of universal Free- dom.-Interesting Debate in the United States Senate on this Subject. -Impolitic Execution of Brown, by which he was unnecessarily made Other Causes of sectional Excitement at this Period.—The Helper Book, and its unfortunate Discussion in Congress. -Resolutions forced through the Senate, mainly though the Agency of Mr. Davis, of Missis- sippi, having in View the double Object of destroying Mr. Douglas, and dragging the Democratic Party into an unnational and aggressive At- titude.-Movements of William L. Yancey in the Year 1859, and early in the Year 1860, having in View the breaking up of the Federal Union in the event of a Republican President being elected.-Efforts in the South to bring about the Election of Mr. Lincoln, in order to obtain the desired Object.-Democratic Conventions at Charleston and Balti- more reviewed.-Leading Incidents of the Presidential Canvass of 1860 Movements in the South looking to Secession.-South Carolina takes the Lead in the Execution of her long-cherished Scheme.-Adoption of the Ordinance of Secession by that State.-Georgia and the other Cotton States follow the Lead of South Carolina.-Commendable Ef- forts in several of the States of the North to moderate Southern Excite- ment and secure the yielding of reasonable Concessions to the slave- holding Interests of the South.-Tennessee and the Border States still remain firm.—Extraordinary Message of Mr. Buchanan to Congress in the Month of December, 1860, and its unhappy Effect upon public Sen- timent.-Furious Debate in both Houses of Congress upon the Ques- tions pending at this Crisis.-All Efforts at Compromise prove abor- tive.-Unwise and unpatriotic Conduct on the Part of Southern Sena- tors and Representatives in vacating their Seats in Congress. Page 295 Speculative Views as to the self-defensive Powers of all Governments, and of the Government of the United States in particular.-View of the Circumstances existing, so far as the State of Tennessee is con- cerned, in the Outset of the War, and Vindication of the Conduct of that State. View of the Condition of Things existing in Washington in particular, and of the non-action Policy of Mr. Buchanan.-Notice of this Gentleman's late Defense of himself.-View of Mr. Lincoln's moderate and patriotic Conduct after his Election, and Notice of Speeches made by him at Indianapolis, Pittsburg, and Philadelphia.— Mr. Lincoln's Inaugural Speech, and commendatory Remarks there- upon.-Admirably patriotic Speech of Mr. Alexander H. Stephens, of Georgia, demonstrating the gross Impolicy of Secession.-Some Allu- sions to the early Movements of the War, and a short Discussion of the Monroe Doctrine.-Enforcement of that Doctrine the true Means of re- Beginning of the War.-Its gross Impolicy.-Mr. Davis and his official - ical Impracticability of Secession.-Philosophic Views of the Effects of CHAPTER XVIII. Observations mainly upon the Facts recited in the preceding Chap- ters...... Conclusion 418 433 SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS. CHAPTER I. Introductory Remarks.-Allusion to the "Irrepressible Conflict" Theory. -Direct Issue made therewith.-Sectionalism.-Its dangerous Tendencies.-Geographical Parties.-Washington's Warning against them. -Mr. Webster's Remarks upon Sectionalism.-Author's first Acquaintance with Mr. Webster in 1825.-Renewal of that Acquaintance twenty Years thereafter.-Allusions to Mr. Webster's Life and Character.— Remarks upon his great Ability as a Statesman and Orator.-His amiable Qualities in private Life.-Mr. Webster's funeral Notice of his great Rival, Mr. Calhoun. IN no community of Christendom can the public mind be reasonably supposed, at the present moment, to be prepared to receive with a fitting respect an honest and impartial account of all the exciting and lamentable occurrences which have had their progress on this continent, and in the bosom of our own country, during the ·last four years. Various and conflicting interests, existing to some extent wheresoever commerce is known or free intercourse by mail has been provided for, diverse and repugnant statements, embodied in massy and imposing volumes, in pointed and glittering editorials, in gusty and delusive partisan harangues (the wordy wonders of an hour), in solemn, didactic discourses, in labored official documents, and in innumerable reports of sanguinary battles, of obstinate and long-continued sieges, of the fearful and heartrending devastation of large and populous districts, or brilliant and sudden assaults and captures upon land or water, and fierce marauding incursions-a necessary concomitant of war, and yet how shocking and deplorable-have awakened and diffused such clashing and intensely-cherished prejudices and predilections as naught would be of power to remove, save, perchance, the toilsome diligence of such discriminating writers as some future age may supply, and the ever softening and effacing influence of Time. If this be true in regard even to distant nations, how much more forcibly must the statement just made be found applicable to the different parts of our own country, within whose territorial limits all these momentous events have been taking place, and where all the multiplied sources of error referred to have had their original location. But, even were those who are now upon the stage of action, in our own and in other lands, ever so ready to receive the truth in relation to occurrences so irritating and so recent, there would seem to be but little reason to expect that a suitable writer would be found to record, in language worthy of general credence and respect, scenes which the powers of a Livy or a Tacitus would have been scarcely able to depicture, and of a nature well calculated to discompose even the philosophic serenity of a Gibbon or a Hume. With such views as these, and with no exorbitant conception of my own ability as a writer, it will not be held surprising that I have chosen to indicate in advance, by the title which I have thought proper to prefix to this work, that I do not at all aspire to be recognized as the Historian of the most momentous conflict of arms, viewed |