calming our passions, suggesting new views of the things about which we contended, whispering excuses for our antagonist, and persuading us that there is nothing we shall ever regret in fraternal forgiveness for the injuries we have received. Can there be any thing more acceptable than the promotion of such a result? Attempts of this kind, though they may be imperfect, will, I am sure, for the sake of their object, find a warm welcome in the American heart. With such resistless energy and such rapidity does the Republic march to imperial power, that social changes take place among us in a manner unexampled in the more stationary populations of Europe. There, public calamities are long remembered, and ancient estrangements are nourished for centuries. Here, perhaps in little more than a single generation, our agony will have been forgotten in the busy industry of a hundred millions of people, animated by new intentions, developing wealth and power on an unparalleled scale, and looking, as Americans always do look, only to the future, not to the past. In writing this book I have endeavored to bear continually in mind the rules which Cicero prescribes for those who venture on historical compositions: "It is the first and fundamental law of history that it should neither dare to say any thing that is false, nor fear to say any thing that is true, nor give any just suspicion either of favor or disaffection; that, in the relation of things, the writer should observe the order of time, and add also the description of places; that in all great and memorable transactions he should first explain the counsels, then the acts, lastly the events; that in the counsels he should interpose his own judgment on the merit of them; in the acts he should relate not only what was done, but how it was done; in the events he should show what share chance, or rashness, or prudence had in them; that in regard to persons he should describe not only their particular actions, but the lives and characters of all those who bear an eminent part in the story." It will be remarked that I have refrained from burdening my pages with many facts of American history, which, though they PREFACE. may abound in interest, are not immediately connected with the object in view. When I have apparently departed from this rule, it has been because I know that this book will have many readers in Europe, who are, perhaps, not perfectly familiar with the details of our affairs. I have endeavored to present such incidents in a condensed manner, restricting myself to those points which seemed most essential to a clear comprehension of the subject, and have placed them in such a position and with such a frugality of words as not to be unnecessarily obtrusive on the American who knows well his own national annals. The remaining two volumes of the work I shall publish as speedily as I can. The portion now offered to the public may, however, be considered as complete in itself, its object being to set forth the causes of the war. So abundant are the materials at the disposal of the historian of this war, that his difficulty consists, not in acquiring more, but in condensing and compressing what he has. Owing partly to the inquisitive genius of our people, which searches into the details of every thing; partly to our habit of giving publicity to national affairs, and partly to the omnipresent espionage of American journalism, the secret history of these events has been laid bare in a manner that has never occurred in the political convulsions of Europe. I desire, however, here to acknowledge the obligations I am under to officers both of the army and navy, and also to civilians in eminent stations, who have sent me important documents, and furnished me with other valuable information. I would ask for a continuance of those favors. University, Washington Square, JOHN WILLIAM DRAPER. New York. March, 1867. CONTENTS. INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. The Subject proposed, 17.-Contemporary History, 18, 19.-The three chief Acts of American Life, 20.-The Union and the Nation, 21.-Primitive Position of Virginia, 22.-Her ascendency in the Union, 23.-The North becomes dissatis-- fied, 24.—Political Force of Ideas, 25.-Anti-slavery Ideas and Relation of the Constitution to Slavery, 26.-Growth of the Slave Interest, 27.-Opposition to it in the North, 28.-Secession, 29.-Opinions of Mr. Webster and Mr. Seward, 30. -Avoidance of natural Influences, 31, 32.-Necessity of a Study of Nature, 33.- Opinion of Mr. Calhoun, 34; and of Mr. Lincoln, 35.-Plan of this work, 36, 37, TOPOGRAPHY AND METEOROLOGY OF THE REPUBLIC. American Rivers, 40, 41.—The Mississippi Valley, 42.-The Atlantic Border, 42.— Basin of the West, Pacific Region, 43.—Columbia Basin, 44.-Atlantic and Pa- cific Regions, 45.-Section across the Continent, 46.-Actual Configuration of the Continent, 47.—The Rains of the United States, 48.-Rains of the Atlantic Region, 49.-Course of the great Rivers, 50.-The American Winds, 51.-Winds of Texas and the Pacific, 52.-Climate of the Mississippi Valley, 53.-Distribu- tion of Heat, 54.—Isothermal Lines, 55.—Their present Imperfections, 56.-Heat in the Pacific Region, 58.-Aspect of the Eastern States, 59.-Aspect of the Southern States, 60.-Importance of the Mississippi, 60.-Columbia River Terri- tory, 61.-The Pacific States, 62.—Political Future of the Mississippi Valley, 62. OF THE GRADUAL FORMATION OF NORTH AMERICA. The first Region of the Continent, 63.-Successive Epochs of Formation, 64.— Length of Time required, 65.—The First Age, 66.—The Second and Third Ages, 67.-Formation of Coal, 68.-Climate in those Times, 69.-The Fourth Age, 70, 71.-The Fifth Age, 72, 73.-The Sixth and present Age, 74.-Man in North America, 75.-Extinct Indians, 75, 76.-Peru the primary American Centre, 76. -Survey of the Continent, 77.-There have been gradual Successions of Climate, 78.--Those Successions of Climate have modified every living Thing, 79. Climate defined, 80.-Possibility of modifying Plants and Animals, 81.-The Pow- er of gradual Disturbance, 82; and the Response of Organic Forms, 83.-Exter- mination and Transformation, 84.-Modifications of Indian Corn, 85.-Modifica- tions of the Sugar-cane and Cotton, 86.-Case of the Cereal Grains, and partic- ularly of Barley, 87.-Each Zone of Life has two Sides, 88.-All European Plants THE SPECIAL EFFECTS OF CLIMATE ON MAN. Man changes with his Place of Residence, 89.-Effect on American Indians, 90.— The Inca Indians, 91.-Influence of Race as an historical Element, 92.-Janu- ary Isothermal of 41°, Type differences in America East and West, North and South, 93.-Grouping of the States, disturbing Effect of Locomotion, 94.-The same Type tends to Think and Act alike, 95.—Report of the Sanitary Commis- sion, 96.-Death Rate in the North and South, 97.-Acclimatization in England, France, etc., 98, 99.-Contrast of Character in the North and South, 100, 101.- Geographical Law of Human Character, 102.—Modifications of Men in Western ON THE PRODUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL CLIMATES BY MAN. Control by Man over Climate.-Indian and European compared, 104.-Fictitious Climates best created in the North, 105.-Effect of Varieties of Food, 106.-Ef- fect of Clothing and Shelter, 107.--Production of Sameness in Nations, 108.- Cause of Desire for Political Unity, 108.—Incompleteness of artificial Compen- ON THE IDENTIFICATION OF NATIONAL CHARACTER BY CLIMATE ZONES. Every Climate has its Type of Humanity, 110.-Political Foreknowledge-local ́to Prisoners of War, 116.-Its Intellectual Capacity, 117.-The North-African Slave System, 118.-Negro Slavery in Morocco, 119.-Impolicy of Blood Con- tamination, 120.-Summary of this Zone, 120.-Absence of Indigenous Negroes in America, Track of the Warmth Equator, 121.-Negro Characteristics, 122.- Recession of the Mediterranean, 122.-Track of the Warmth Equator in Ameri- ca, 123.-Metamorphosis of the Negro, 123.-Limit of Negro Life, 123.-Pecul- iarities of the Winter Line of 41°; Cause of the non-existence of great Men in the Southern Hemisphere, 124.-Effect of Rainless Countries, 125. |