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CHAPTER V.

The Inaction of Government.-The Bewilderment of the North.-Movement of the South.-Precipitancy of South Carolina. Election of Convention of South Carolina.-Impatience of Action.-Anticipatory Programme.---Governor Gist's last Message.-Action of other Slave States.-Alabama Declaration of Causes.--Immediate Secession views of the Governor of Florida. -Immediate Secession views of the Governor of Georgia.-Vigilance Committees. --Arming and Equipping.-Conventions called.—Meeting of South Carolina Convention.-Adjournment to Charleston.—Ordinance of Secession.—Manifestation of Popular Feeling in the South.-Audacity of Southern Members of Congress.-Proceedings of South Carolina Convention.-Proclamation of the Act of Secession of South Carolina.— Declaration of Causes.-Withdrawal from Congress of the Members of South Carolina.-Apparent attempts made to check the precipitate action of South Carolina.—Motives of such attempts.-Opposition to Disunion from Maryland. -Union Sentiments in Virginia.-Loyalty of Eastern and Western Virginia contrasted.-Proposed Conferences. — Disposition of Tennessee.-Firm stand for the Union of Johnson and Etheredge.-Letter of Bell, of Tennessee.— Feeling in Kentucky.-Governor Magoffin's Propositions.-Manful resistance of Governor Houston, of Texas. Silence of Arkansas.-Irresolution of Georgia.—Union eloquence of Alexander H. Stephens.-Feeling in Alabama. -Mississippi.-Louisiana.-How the Propositions of the other Slave States were received by South Carolina.-South Carolina's Assurances.-Force of Example.-Anticipated Effect.-Ordinance of Concurrence.

1860.

WHILE the President, meekly submissive to the influence of his traitorous advisers, was confessing and manifesting impotency; while the national councils, alternately frightened by the defiance of audacious rebels and provoked by their threats, were now striving to soothe them by plans of conciliation and compromise, and again contending with them in angry discussion; while the people of the North, bewildered by the inaction of the Federal authority, the perplexing deliberations of Congress, and the frivolous conjectures of their leaders, seemed doubtful whether to hope or to fear, and willing to yield their destiny to the uncertainties of chance, the South was moving with unhesitating strides toward rebellion.

South Carolina, with characteristic precipitancy, established her claim to precedence in secession. The delegates to the convention called by the act of

the Legislature were elected on the 5th of December, to meet on the 17th. The leaders of South Carolina, however, as if impatient of all deliberation, did not await its action. They summoned the people in masses throughout the State, and distinctly announced the programme of rebellion. At a large meeting in Charleston, Mr. Memminger, an Nov. able lawyer of that city, and a 30. prominent politician, declared even before the election of the delegates that the convention, within three days of its assembling, would declare South Carolina out of the Union; that a commissioner would be sent to the capital of the United States to treat in regard to the forts and other Federal property, which would be formally demanded, and if not given up, that the armed men of South Carolina would take them. suming upon the easy temper of Buchanan, or the corrupt connivance of his traitorous advisers, he did not hesitate

Pre

IMMEDIATE SECESSION RECOMMENDED.

to declare that he had no fear of the interference of the President, while he complacently dwelt upon the powerlessness of his successor, who would be too much embarrassed by the difficulty of organizing his government and obtaining the sanction of Congress, to apply coercion to South Carolina, until she had been joined by the other cotton States, when, thus strengthened, she would be able to resist it.

The governor of the State, in his Dec. last message, urged the prospective 7. convention to immediate action. "The delay," he said, "of the convention for a single week to pass the ordinance of secession, will have a blighting and chilling influence upon the action of the other Southern States. The opponents of the movement everywhere will be encouraged to make another effort to rally their now disorganized and scattered forces to defeat our action and stay our onward march. Fabius conquered by delay, and there are those of his school, though with a more unworthy purpose, who, shrinking from open and manly attack, use this veil to hide their deformity, and from a masked battery to discharge their missiles. But

I trust they will strike the armor of truth and fall harmless at our feet, and that by the 28th of December no flag but the Palmetto will float over any part of South Carolina."

Great encouragement had already come from the leaders of the other cotton States, who hoped, by the hasty action of South Carolina, to precipitate

*Gist.

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"We will not give the enemy time to collect his strength and wield the powers of government against us, by waiting for any further 'overt act.' Therefore, be it Resolved, 1. That the election of Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency upon the principles avowed by the Black Republican party is, in our opinion, a virtual overthrow of the Constitution and of the equal right of the States.

"2. That the idea of submission by the South to the rule of such a man and such a party should be repudiated from one end of her borders to the other.

"3. That in the language of the Constitution of Alabama, under which she was admitted into the Union, All political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and intended for their benefit; and, therefore, they have at all times an inalienable and indefeasible right to alter, reform, or abolish their form of government in such manner as they may think expedient.'

"4. That, in the present state of things, it is the deliberate opinion of

tions called, whose purpose was unequivocally the severance of their connection with the Federal Union.

this meeting, assembled without distinction of parties, that the State of Alabama should withdraw from the Federal Union without any further delay than The Convention of South Carolina may be necessary to obtain in the speed- assembled on the day appointed, but in iest manner a consultation with other consequence of the prevalence of Dec. slaveholding States, in the hope of se- an epidemic of small-pox at the 17. curing their co-operation in a move- capital, move- capital, adjourned from Columbia to ment which we deem essential to our Charleston, where, by a unanimous vote safety." on the 20th of December, this, the first formal act of secession, was passed:

It is true that in this document a consultation with other slaveholding States was recommended, with the hope of securing their co-operation, but at the same time it advised immediate action. A meeting was held in Louisiana, at which a similar declaration was suggested.

"AN ORDINANCE TO DISSOLVE THE UNION BE-
TWEEN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND
OTHER STATES UNITED WITH HER UNDER THE
COMPACT ENTITLED THE CONSTITUTION OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:

"We, the people of the State of South Carolina, in convention assembled, do declare and ordain, and it is hereby declared and ordained, that the ordinance adopted by us in convention, on the 23d day of May, in the year of our Lord 1788, whereby the Constitution of the United States of America was ratified, and also all acts and parts of acts of the General Assembly of this State ratifying the amendments of the said Constitution, are hereby repealed, and that the Union now subsisting between South Carolina and other States under the name of the United States of Amer

The Governor of Florida invoked the Nov. Legislature to immediate secession. 26. "For myself," he said, " in full view of the responsibility of my position, I most decidedly declare that, in my opinion, the only hope the Southern States have for domestic peace or safety, or for future respectability and prosperity, is dependent on their action now; and that the proper action is, secession from our faithless, perjured confederates." Governor Brown, too, of Georgia-a State thought to be extremely reluctant to dissolve its connection with the Union-ica is hereby dissolved." Dec. had written a letter in favor of early 9. secession. Mississippi had sent commissioners to all the slaveholding States to confer with them on the means "for their common defence and safety." Vigilance committees had been formed in the cotton States, money appropriated for equipping and arming, and conven

That in Charleston and throughout South Carolina the passage of this ordinance should be received with a manifestation of popular joy was expected; that in Mobile, and New Orleans, Memphis, Macon, Norfolk, and even in Baltimore, it should be welcomed by the firing of guns, the cheers of the people, mili

AUDACITY OF TREASON

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This was followed by the-"DECLARATION OF CAUSES WHICH INDUCED THE SECESSION OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

tary parades, the singing of the Marseillaise, the decorating of busts of Calhoun with secession cockades, the raising of the Palmetto flag, the burning of bonfires, "The people of the State of South and the illuminating of the streets, was, Carolina, in convention assembled, on if a discouraging, not a surprising, exhi- the 2d day of April, A.D. 1852, debition on the part of an excited and de-clared that the frequent violations of the luded people; that, however, a member Constitution of the United States by the of the Federal Congress, in the very Federal Government, and its encroachcapital of the Union, should venture to ments upon the reserved rights of the applaud this attempt to dissolve it by States, fully justified this State in their declaring that "one of the sovereign withdrawal from the Federal Union; States of this confederacy has, by the but in deference to the opinions and glorious act of her people, withdrawn, in wishes of the other slaveholding States, vindication of her rights, from the she forbore at that time to exercise this Union,"* and that some of his fellows right. Since that time these encroachshould clap their hands in sympathetic ments have continued to increase, and response, was an audacity of treason as further forbearance ceases to be a astounding as it was unexampled.

The Convention of South Carolina proceeded rapidly in its work of dissoDec. lution. Commissioners were ap21. pointed to proceed to Washington, and to treat for a peaceful settlement of the relations between the United States and the "sovereign" State of South Carolina, and negotiate for the transfer of forts and other public property.

The newly elected governor, Pickens, Dec. proclaimed to the world, in accord22. ance with the act of secession, that South Carolina is, and has a right to be, a separate, sovereign, free, and independent State, and, as such, has a right to levy war, conclude peace, negotiate treaties, leagues, or covenants, and to do all acts whatever that rightDec. fully appertain to a free and inde24. pendent State."

• Mr. Garnet, member of Congress for Virginia.

virtue.

"And now the State of South Carolina having resumed her separate and equal place among nations, deems it due to herself, to the remaining United States of America, and to the nations of the world, that she should declare the immediate causes which have led to this act.

"In the year 1765, that portion of the British empire embracing Great Britain undertook to make laws for the government of that portion composed of the thirteen American Colonies. A struggle for the right of self-government ensued, which resulted, on the 4th of July, 1776, in a declaration, by the Colonies, that they are, and of right ought to be, FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES; and that, as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce,

and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do.'

"They further solemnly declared that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of the ends for which it was established, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new government.' Deeming the Government of Great Britain to have become destructive of these ends, they declare that the Colonies are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.'

"In pursuance of this Declaration of Independence, each of the thirteen States proceeded to exercise its separate sovereignty; adopted for itself a constitution, and appointed officers for the administration of government in all its departments-legislative, executive, and judicial. For purposes of defence they united their arms and their counsels; and in 1778 they entered into a league known as the Articles of Confederation, whereby they agreed to intrust the administration of their external relations to a common agent, known as the Congress of the United States, expressly declaring, in the first article, 'that each State retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right which is not, by this confederation, expressly delegated to the United States in Congress assembled.'

"Under this confederation the war of the Revolution was carried on; and on the 3d of September, 1783, the contest

ended, and a definite treaty was signed by Great Britain, in which she acknowledged the independence of the Colonies in the following terms:

"ARTICLE 1. His Britannic Majesty acknowledges the said United States, viz.: New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, to be FREE, SOVEREIGN, AND INDEPENDENT STATES; that he treats with them as such; and, for himself, his heirs, and successors, relinquishes all claims to the government, property, and territorial rights of the same and every part thereof.'

"Thus were established the two great principles asserted by the Colonies, namely, the right of a state to govern itself; and the right of a people to abolish a government when it becomes destructive of the ends for which it was instituted. And concurrent with the establishment of these principles was the fact, that each Colony became, and was recognized by the mother country, as a FREE, SOVEREIGN, AND INDEPENDENT STATE.

"In 1787, deputies were appointed by the States to revise the articles of confederation; and on 17th September, . 1787, these deputies recommended, for the adoption of the States, the articles. of union known as the Constitution of the United States.

"The parties to whom this constitution was submitted were the several sovereign States; they were to agree or

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