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 Independence, and Debates on them-Speech of Alexander H. Stephens before the Georgia Legislature, Nov. 14, 1860-Extracts from Addresses by A. H. Stephens, July, 1859, and Jan., 1861; James H. Hammond, 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, 1800,to March 4, 1861-Changes in President Buchanan's Cabinet-Correspondence between President Buchanan and the South Carolina "Commissioners"-Demand for Surrender of Fort SumterReport 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 Telegraph aided Secession-Intrigues for a Pacific Republic-Mayor Wood's Message Recommending that New York be made a Free City-"PerSonal Liberty" Laws. PROCEEDINGS OF THE GOVERNMENT IN RELATION TO THE ACTION OF THE INSURRECTIONARY STATES....... Names of the Senators and Representatives of the Thirty-Sixth Congress, Second SessionPresident Buchanan's Last Annual MessageAttorney General Black's Opinion on the Powers of the President-The House Committee of Thirty-Three and their Proposition for Adjustment, together with abstracts of all other propositions, and votes thereon-Votes on Resolutions respecting the "Personal Liberty" Laws, the Union, Major Anderson's Course, Coercion, NonInterference 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. 48 .... 91 Constitution of the United States-Points of ADMINISTRATION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN.... 105 President Lincoln's Inaugural Address-Secre ADMINISTRATION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN tilities against the United States, and Why- Page. Arrest of Members of the Maryland Legislature and of the Baltimore Police CommissionersOrders of Gen. McClellan and Secretary Cameron-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 Suspending the Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus Indemnification of the President-Decision of the New York Supreme Court in the Case of George W. Jones vs. W. II. Seward"Confederate" Legislation upon the suspension of the Writ-Suppressions and Seizures of Newspapers, 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 thereonEmancipation in the Thirty-Seventh CongressProposed Repeal of the Joint Resolution aforesaid-Sequestration in the Rebel States-Judicial and Military Proceedings under the Confiscation Law-Proclamation thereon-President's Message, March, 1862, recommending Compensated Emancipation-Congressional Proceedings thereon-Interview of Border State Congress men with the President-Emancipation in the District of Columbia-The President's Appeal 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 concerning them-Interview between the Chicago Deputation and the President-Address of the Loyal Governors-Mr. Boutwell's Statement concerning the Issue of the Proclamation-Letters of Charles Sumner and Owen Lovejoy. OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, DURING THE GREAT REBELLION, -INCLUDING A CLASSIFIED SUMMARY OF THE LEGISLATION OF THE SECOND SESSION OF THE THIRTY-SIXTH CON- AND THE IMPORTANT 1 EXECUTIVE, JUDICIAL, AND POLITICO-MILITARY FACTS OF THAT EVENTFUL PERIOD; TOGETHER WITH THE ORGANIZATION, LEGISLATION, AND GENERAL PROCEEDINGS OF THE REBEL ADMINISTRATION; AND AN APPENDIX CONTAINING THE PRINCIPAL POLITICAL FACTS OF THE CAMPAIGN OF 1864 A CHAPTER ON THE CHURCH AND THE REBELLION, AND THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND SESSION OF THE THIRTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS. US54049.2 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the District of Columbia JL 14 1916 PREFACE. THIS volume is intended to be a Record of the Legislation, and the general Political History of the United States, for the last four years—a period of unexampled activity and of singularly deep interest and inportance, whether reference be had to the vast material interests involved in the stupendous struggle, or the precedents, principles, and measures which the Convulsion has produced. It is further intended to be a Record rather of those salient facts which embody or illustrate principles, than of those which relate to men or parties, and hence have transient and inferior significance. So abundant have been the materials, that compression has been a necessity. Selection has been made with the purpose of presenting, fully and fairly, the facts as they are, and the agencies by which they came-viewing all else as subordinate. The first Ninety pages are devoted to the period of Secession, and contain a narrative of the successive steps in the movement in each State, in chronological order; also, the elaborate justifying papers of the South Carolina Convention, with counter-selections from other authorities; together with a condensation of the various propositions of Adjustment made in or out of Congress and the vote upon each taken in either body, and the various Official Papers of the day tending to show the relations of the parties, the wrongs complained of, and the remedies proposed. Closely examining this Record, it is difficult for a candid person to escape the conviction that Adjustment was hopeless-Revolution having been the pre-determined purpose of the reckless men who had obtained control of the State machinery of most of the slaveholding States. This conviction will be strengthened by study of what has since transpired. It will be remembered that the Thirty-Sixth Congress proposed permanently to settle the security of slavery in the slaveholding States by an amendment of the Constitution, which was adopted by a two-thirds vote in each House. And that it completely disposed of the Territorial feature of the difficulties by agreeing upon, and almost unanimously passing, bills organizing Territories covering the entire area owned by the Government. The record of these two important historical facts is given within. They have great significance in establishing the character of the Rebellion. |