CHAPTER III.

CONGRESSIONAL RUFFIANISM

Sumner's Senate Speech on Kansas. Brooks's Assault
on Sumner. Action of the Senate. Action of the
House. Resignation and Reëlection of Brooks. Wilson
Challenged. Brooks Challenges Burlingame. Sum-
ner's Malady. Reëlection of Sumner. Death of Butler
and Brooks. Sumner's Re-appearance in the Senate. 47

CHAPTER IV. THE DRED SCOTT DECISION

The Dred Scott Case. Its Origin. The Law of Slavery.
Preliminary Decisions of the Case. Appeal to the U.S.
Supreme Court. The Case Twice Argued. Opinion of
Justice Nelson. Political Conditions. Mr. Buchanan's
Announcement. The Dred Scott Decision. Opinions
by all the Judges. Opinion of the Court. Dred
Scott Declared Not a Citizen. Slavery Prohibition
Declared Unconstitutional. Language of Chief-Justice
Taney. Dissenting Opinions

58

CHAPTER V. DOUGLAS AND LINCOLN ON DRED SCOTT
Political Effects of the Dred Scott Decision. Douglas's
Springfield Speech on the Dred Scott Decision. He
Indorses Chief-Justice Taney's Opinion. Freeport
Doctrine Foreshadowed. Lincoln's Speech in Reply to
Douglas. Uses of Judicial Decisions. Prospects of the
Colored Race in the United States. Principles of the
Declaration of Independence.

CHAPTER VI. THE LECOMPTON CONSTITUTION
Constitutional Convention Called by the Legislature.
Resignation and Flight of Governor Geary. Walker
Appointed Governor. Promises of Buchanan and his
Cabinet. Walker's Kansas Policy. Action of the
Free-State Mass Meeting. Pro-slavery Convention at
Lecompton. Election of Delegates. Governor Walker
favors Submission of the Constitution to Popular Vote.
Protests from Southern States. The Walker-Buchanan
Correspondence. Lecompton Constitutional Conven-
tion. The October Election. The Oxford and McGee

. 81

Frauds. The Lecompton Constitution. Extra Session
of the Legislature. Secretary Stanton's Removal.
Governor Walker's Resignation

CHAPTER VII. THE REVOLT OF DOUGLAS

90

Douglas's Quarrel with Buchanan. Buchanan's Silli-
man Letter. His Annual Message. Douglas's Speech
on Lecompton. Lecompton Constitution Declared
Adopted. Buchanan's Special Message. The Pro-
slavery Reaction. Buchanan's Views on Cuba. The
Lecompton Constitution in Congress. The Crittenden-
Montgomery Substitute. The English Bill. The
Opposition of Douglas. The Administration Organ. 119

66

CHAPTER VIII. THE LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATES
Growing Republican Chances. Illinois Politics in 1858.
Candidates for Senator. The Senatorial Campaign.
Lincoln's House Divided Against Itself" Speech.
Republican Sympathy for Douglas. Horace Greeley's
Attitude. Lincoln on Greeley and Seward. Corre-
spondence Between Lincoln and Crittenden. The
Lincoln-Douglas Debates.

CHAPTER IX. THE FREEPORT DOCTRINE

135

The Debate at Ottawa. The Debate at Freeport. The
Freeport Doctrine. Benjamin's Speech on Douglas.
The November Election. Douglas Reëlected Senator.
Cause of Lincoln's Defeat. Lincoln's Letters on the
Result. Douglas Removed from the Chairmanship of
the Senate Committee on Territories.
156

CHAPTER X. LINCOLN'S OHIO SPEECHES

Douglas's Tour Through the South. His Advanced
Views on Slavery. Senate Discussion Between Brown
and Douglas. Douglas's Letter to Dorr. Lincoln's
Growing Prominence. Lincoln's Correspondence with
Schuyler Colfax. Letter to Canisius. Letter to Pierce
and Others. Douglas's "Harper's Magazine" Article.
Lincoln's Ohio Speeches. The Douglas-Black Con-
troversy. Publication of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates. 171

John Brown. His Part in the Kansas Civil War. His
Plan of Slave Liberation. Pikes and Recruits. The
Peterboro Council. The Chatham Meeting. Change
of Plan. Harper's Ferry. Brown's Campaign. Colonel
Lee, and the U. S. Marines. Capture of Brown. His
Trial and Execution. The Senate Investigation. Pub-
lic Opinion. Lincoln on John Brown. Speakership
Contest. Election of William Pennington

190

CHAPTER XII. LINCOLN'S COOPER INSTITUTE SPEECH
Lincoln Invited to Lecture in New York. The Meet-
ing in Cooper Institute. Public Interest in the Speaker.
Lincoln's Speech. His Definition of "The Question."
Historical Analysis. His Admonition to the South.
The Right and Wrong of Slavery. The Duty of the
Free States. Criticisms of the Address. Speeches in
New England.
216

CHAPTER XIII. THE CHARLESTON CONVENTION

The Democratic Party. Its National Convention at
Charleston. Sentiments of the Delegates. Differences
North and South. Douglas as a Candidate. The Jef-
ferson Davis Senate Resolutions. Caleb Cushing made
Chairman. The Platform Committee. Majority and
Minority Reports. Speech of William L. Yancey.
Speech of Senator Pugh. Speech of Senator Bigler.
Second Majority and Minority Reports. Minority
Report Adopted. Cotton State Delegates Secede.
Yancey's Prophecy

CHAPTER XIV. THE BALTIMORE NOMINATIONS
Nomination of Douglas Impossible. Charleston Con-
vention adjourned to Baltimore. Seceders' Convention
in St. Andrew's Hall. Adjourns to meet at Richmond.
Address of Southern Senators. The Davis-Douglas De-
bate. Charleston Convention Reassembles at Baltimore.
A Second Disruption. Nomination of Douglas. Nomi-
nation of Breckinridge. The Constitutional Union
Convention. Nomination of John Bell

227

243

CHAPTER XV. THE CHICAGO CONVENTION

The Republican Party. The Chicago Convention.
Lincoln's Fairness to Rivals. Chances of the Cam-
paign. The Pivotal States. The Wigwam. Organ-
ization of the Convention. Chicago Platform. Contrast
between the Charleston and Chicago Conventions.
The Balloting. Lincoln Nominated for President.
Hamlin Nominated for Vice-President

CHAPTER XVI. LINCOLN ELECTED

The Presidential Campaign. Parties, Candidates, and
Platforms. Pledges to the Union. The Democratic
Schism. Douglas's Campaign Tour. The "Illinois
Rail-splitter." The "Wide Awakes." Lincoln during
the Canvass. Letters about "Know-Nothings." Fu-
sion. The Vote of Maine. The October States. The
Election. The Electoral College. The Presidential
Count. Lincoln Declared Elected

CHAPTER XVII. BEGINNINGS OF REBELLION
Early Disunion Sentiment. Nullification. The Agita-
tion of 1850. The Conspiracy of 1856. The "Scarlet
Letter." "The 1860 Association." Governor Gist's
Letter to Southern Governors. Replies to Governor
Gist. Conspiracy at Washington

CHAPTER XVIII. THE CABINET CABAL

Mr. Buchanan's Cabinet. Extracts from Floyd's Diary.
Cabinet Conferences on Disunion. The Drayton-Gist
Correspondence. Mr. Trescott's Letters. Floyd's Sale
of Arms. Secretary Thompson's Mission. Jefferson
Davis and the Governor of Mississippi.
Davis and President Buchanan's Message

Jefferson

CHAPTER XIX. FROM THE BALLOT TO THE

225

279

296

315

BULLET

Governor Gist's Proclamation. Caucus of South Caro-
linians. Governor Gist's Message. The Disunion

Cult. Presidential Electors Chosen. Effect of
Lincoln's Election. Disunion Sentiment. Military
Appropriation. Convention Bill Passed. Charleston
Mass-Meeting.

CHAPTER XX. MAJOR ANDERSON

Buchanan and Secession. General Scott and Nulli-
fication. "Views" Addressed to the President.
The President's Criticism. Scott's Rejoinder. The
Charleston Forts. Foster's Requisition. Colonel Gard-
ner asks for Reënforcements. Fitz-John Porter's In-
spection Report. Gardner Relieved from Command.
Anderson sent to Charleston

CHAPTER XXI. THE CHARLESTON FORTS

Anderson's Arrival at Charleston. His Tour of Inspec-
tion. Report to the War Department. The Forts and
the Harbor. Anderson asks reënforcements. Dis-
couraging Reply from Washington. Insurrectionary
Sentiment in Charleston. Floyd's Instructions to An-
derson. Colonel Huger.
Anderson's Visit to the
Mayor of Charleston

CHAPTER XXII. THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Mr. Buchanan's Opportunity. Cabinet Opinions on
Disunion. Advice to the President in Preparing his
Message. The Message. Arguments on Slavery.
Recommends a National Convention. Arguments on
Disunion. The Powers and Duties of Congress. Coer-
cion Denied. Criticisms of the Message

CHAPTER XXIII. THE CHARLESTON CONSPIR-

ATORS

Debate on the Message.

Adverse Criticisms. Buch-
Movements of Secession.
South Carolina Legislation. Magrath's Comments.
Non-Coercion and Coercion. Fort Moultrie. Intrigue
for its Capture. Governor Gist's Letter. South Caro-
lina's Complaints and Demands

anan's Doctrines and Policy.

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