der instructions from the Governor, at the same time those in Alabama were occupied by the troops of that State. At the most important forts, as Pickens, Jefferson, and Taylor, there were such garrisons as were able to defend them. The investment of the former was immediately made by the troops from Florida, with reenforcements from Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. The navy yard and forts on the mainland at Pensacola were thus occupied, but Pickens defied all the efforts of the besiegers. Mississippi moved next. A session of her Legislature was held at Jackson early in November, 1860, for making the preliminary arrangements for a State Convention. It passed an act calling such Convention on the 7th of January, and fixed the 20th of December as the day upon which an election should be held for members. The measures were passed unanimously. The following resolutions were also adopted unanimously:

Resolved, That the Governor be requested to appoint as many Commissioners as in his judgment may be necessary to visit each of the slaveholding States, and designate the State or States to which each Commissioner shall be commissioned, whose duty it shall be to inform them that this Legislature has passed an act calling a Convention of the people of this State to consider the present threatening relations of the Northern and Southern sections of the Confederacy, aggravated by the recent election of a President upon principles of hostility to the States of the South, and to express the earnest hope of Mississippi that those States will cooperate with her in the adoption of efficient measures for their common defence and safety. Resolved, That, should any Southern State not have convened its Legislature, the Commissioner to such State shall appeal to the Governor thereof to call the Legislature together, in order that its cooperation be immediately secured.

One of the members, Mr. Lamar, advocated separate secession of the State, and recommended that the Senators and Representatives in the Federal Congress from the Southern States should withdraw and form a Congress of a new republic, and appoint electors for President of a Southern Confederacy. The Legislature adjourned on the 30th of November, 1860.

The people of the State were divided on the question of secession. The election of members of the State Convention took place on the 20th of December. The number of members to be elected was ninety-nine. Of these more than one-third were cooperationists. This distinction into cooperationists and secessionists only referred to the manner of proceeding which the State should adopt. The latter advocated immediate and separate secession, the former preferred consultation and cooperation with the other slaveholding States. The ultimate object of each was the same, as expressed in the following language by one of the citizens: "These are household quarrels. As against Northern combination and aggression we are united. We are all for resistance. We differ as to the mode; but the fell spirit of abolitionism has no deadlier and we believe no more practical foes than the cooperationists of the South. We are willing to give the North a chance to say whether

it will accept or reject the terms that a united South will agree upon. If accepted, well and good; if rejected, a united South can win all its rights in or out of the Union."

The State Convention organized on the 7th of January, and immediately appointed a committee to prepare and report an ordinance of secession with a view of establishing a new confederacy to be comprised of the seceded States. The Committee duly reported the following ordinance, and it was adopted on the 9thayes, 84; noes, 15:

The people of Mississippi, in Convention assembled, do ordain and declare, and it is hereby ordained and declared, as follows, to wit:

SEC. 1. That all the laws and ordinances by which the said State of Mississippi became a member of the Federal Union of the United States of America be, and the same are hereby repealed, and that all obliga tions on the part of the said State, or the people thereof, be withdrawn, and that the said State does hereby resume all the rights, functions, and powers which by any of the said laws and ordinances were conveyed to the Government of the said United States, and is absolved from all the obligations, restraints, and duties incurred to the said Federal Union, and shall henceforth be a free, sovereign, and independent State.

SEC. 2. That so much of the first section of the seventh article of the Constitution of this State, as requires members of the Legislature and all officers, both legislative and judicial, to take an oath to support the Constitution of the United States, be, and the same is hereby abrogated and annulled.

SEC. 3. That all rights acquired and vested under the Constitution of the United States, or under any act of Congress passed in pursuance thereof, or any law of this State, and not incompatible with this ordinance, shall remain in force, and have the same effect as if the ordinance had not been passed.

SEC. 4. That the people of the State of Mississippi hereby consent to form a Federal Union with such of

the States as have seceded or may secede from the Union of the United States of America, upon the basis of the present Constitution of the United States, except such parts thereof as embrace other portions than such seceding States.

Delegations from South Carolina and Alabama were invited to seats in the Convention, and were greeted with much applause. Efforts were made to postpone action, but these were voted down, and only fifteen voted nay on the final passage of the measure. The vote was subsequently made unanimous. The first aggressive movement was made by Governor Pettus on the 12th of January, when he ordered a piece of artillery to Vicksburg to be used in stopping for examination boats passing on the Mississippi. Movements were at the same time commenced to complete the organization of the militia of the State. Judge Gholson, of the United States Court, resigned. South Carolina was recognized by the Convention as sovereign and independent, and steps were taken to cut asunder every tie to the United States, excepting the postal arrangements. The subsequent movements were reported to the Legislature by the Governor in a Message on the 15th of January. He says:

"As soon as I was informed that the Governor of Louisiana had taken the arsenal at Baton Rouge, I sent Col. C. G. Armstead with

a letter to Gov. Moore, requesting him to furnish Mississippi with ten thousand stand of arms on such terms as he might deem just. Col. Armstead informs me that his Excellency has responded to my request by ordering eight thousand muskets, one thousand rifles, and six twenty-four pound guns, with carriages, and a considerable amount of ammunition, to be delivered to him, which will be shipped to Mississippi as soon as possible."

Alabama soon followed. The southern portion of the State was strongly in favor of secession. Early in December, 1860, commissioners were sent to the authorities and people of the other slaveholding States, to urge forward a movement in favor of secession, and a union of these States in a separate Confederacy. All represented that the purpose of Alabama was fixed to secede, even if no other State did. The

announcement of the secession of South Carolina was hailed with great joy in Mobile. One hundred guns were fired. Bells were rung. The streets were crowded by hundreds expressing their joy, and many impromptu speeches were made. A military parade ensued.

The first official movement in Alabama toward secession was the announcement by Governor Moore of his intention to order an election of Delegates to a State Convention. He advised the people to prepare for secession. This election was held on the 24th of December, 1860, and the Convention subsequently assembled on January 7th. At the election, the counties in North Alabama selected " "coöperation" members. The members throughout the State were classed as immediate secessionists, and cooperationists. The coöperationists were divided into those who were for secession in coöperation with other cotton States, those who required the cooperation of a majority, and those who required the cooperation of all the slave States. Montgomery County, which polled 2,719 votes on the Presidential election, now gave less than 1,200 votes. The inference drawn from this at the time was, that the county was largely in favor of conservative action. The vote reported from all but ten counties of the State was: for secession,, 24,445; for cooperation, 33,685. Of the ten counties, some were for secession, others for cooper

ation.

The Convention met at Montgomery on the 7th of January. All the counties of the State were represented. Wm. M. Brooks was chosen President. A strong Union sentiment was soon found to exist in the Convention. On the day on which it assembled, the Representatives from the State in Washington met, and resolved to telegraph to the Convention, advising immediate secession, stating that in their opinion there was no prospect of a satisfactory adjustment.

On the 9th the following resolutions were offered and referred to a committee of thirteen: Resolved, That separate State action would be unwise and impolitic.

Resolved, That Alabama should invite the Southern States to hold a Convention as early as practicable, and the manner of obtaining redress, whether in the to consider and agree upon a statement of grievances Union or in independence out of it.

Mr. Baker, of Russell, offered a resolution requesting the Governor to furnish information of the number of arms, their character and de

scription, and the number of military companies, etc., in the State, which was adopted. Also the following was offered and discussed:

Resolved, by the people of Alabama, That all the Powers of this State are hereby pledged to resist any attempt on the part of the Federal Government to coerce any seceding State.

After a lively discussion of some days, a brief preamble and resolution refusing to submit to the Republican Administration, were proposed in such a form as to command the unanimous vote of the Convention. It was in these words:

Whereas the only bond of union between the several States is the Constitution of the United States; and whereas that Constitution has been violated by a majority of the Northern States in their separate legislative action, denying to the people of the Southern States their constitutional rights; and whereas a sectional party, known as the Republican party, has, in a recent election, elected Abraham Lincoln for President and Hannibal Hamlin for Vice-President of these United States, upon the avowed principle that the Constitution of the United States does not recognize property in slaves, and that the Government should the United States, and that the power of the Governprevent its extension into the common territories of ment should be so exercised that slavery should in time be extinguished: Therefore be it

Resolved by the people of Alabama in Convention assembled, That the State of Alabama will not submit to dent and Vice-President of the United States, upon the Administration of Lincoln and Hamlin, as Presithe principles referred to in the foregoing preamble.

On the 10th, the ordinance of secession was secret session by a vote of ayes, 61; noes, 39. reported, and on the 11th it was adopted in It was as follows:

AN ORDINANCE to dissolve the Union between the State of

Alabama and other States united under the compact styled The Constitution of the United States of America."

Whereas the election of Abraham Lincoln and Han

nibal Hamlin to the offices of President and VicePresident of the United States of America, by a sectional party, avowedly hostile to the domestic institutions and to the peace and security of the people of the State of Alabama, preceded by many and danger

ous infractions of the Constitution of the United States by many of the States and people of the Northern section, is a political wrong of so insulting and menacing a character as to justify the people of the State of Alabama in the adoption of prompt and decided measures for their future peace and security: Therefore,

Be it declared and ordained by the people of the State of Alabama in convention assembled, That the State of Alabama now withdraws, and is hereby withdrawn, from the Union known as "the United States of United States, and is, and of right ought to be, a America," sovereign and independent State.

," and henceforth ceases to be one of said

SEC. 2. Be it further declared and ordained by the people of the State of Alabama in convention assembled, That all the powers over the territory of said State, and over the people thereof, heretofore delegated to the Government of the United States of America, be and they are hereby withdrawn from said Govern

ment, and are hereby resumed and vested in the people of the State of Alabama.

And as it is the desire and purpose of the State of Alabama to meet the slaveholding States of the South who may approve such purpose, in order to frame a provisional as well as permanent government, upon the principles of the Constitution of the United States, Be it resolved by the people of Alabama in convention assembled, That the people of the States of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri, be, and are hereby, invited to meet the people of the State of Alabama, by their delegates, in convention, on the 4th day of February, A. D. 1861, at the city of Montgomery, in the State of Alabama, for the purpose of consulting with each other as to the most effectual mode of securing concerted and harmonious action in whatever measures may be deemed most desirable for our common peace and security.

And be it further resolved, That the president of this Convention be, and is hereby, instructed to transmit forthwith a copy of the foregoing preamble, ordinance, and resolutions, to the Governors of the sev

eral States named in said resolutions.

Done by the people of the State of Alabama in Convention assembled, at Montgomery, on this, the 11th day of January, A. D. 1861.

WM. M. BROOKS, President of the Convention. A majority and minority report were presented on the ordinance of secession. Trouble arose in the Convention, because a portion of the members desired that the ordinance should not take effect until the 4th of March. A number refused to sign it for this reason; and as late as the 17th of January, a despatch was sent to the Senators and Representatives of the State in Congress at Washington, to retain their seats until further advised.

A proposition was also made in the Convention to submit their action to the people, for ratification or rejection. This was refused, and an exciting scene ensued.

Nicholas Davis, of Huntsville, declared his belief that the people of North Alabama would never abide the action of that Convention, if denied the right of voting upon it. Mr. Yancey thereupon denounced the people of North Alabama as tories, traitors, and rebels, and said they ought to be coerced into a submission to the decree of the Convention. Mr. Davis replied that they might attempt coercion, but North Alabama would meet them upon the line and decide the issue at the point of the bayonet.

The ordinance was adopted about two o'clock in the afternoon. Subsequently in the afternoon an immense mass meeting was held in front of the Capitol, and many cooperation delegates pledged their constituents to sustain secession. A flag which had been presented by the ladies of the city to the Convention, was then raised over the building, amid the ringing of bells and firing of cannon.

In Mobile the news was received at once, and the day became one of the wildest excitement. The people were at the highest point of enthusiasm until a late hour at night. To add to the excitement, news was received that the State of Florida had passed a secession or

dinance.

Immediately on the receipt of the news, an immense crowd assembled at the "secession pole " at the foot of Government Street, to witness the spreading of the Southern flag, and it was run up amid the shouts of the multitude and thunders of cannon. One hundred and one guns for Alabama and fifteen for Florida were fired, and after remarks from gentlemen, the crowd repaired to the Custom-House, walking in procession with a band of music at the head, playing the warlike notes of the "Southern Marseillaise."

Arrived at the Custom-House, a lone star flag was waved from its walls amid enthusiastic shouts. The balcony of the Battle House, opposite, was thronged with ladies and gentlemen, and the street was crowded with excited citizens. Standing upon the steps of the CustomHouse, brief and stirring addresses were delivered by several speakers.

The military paraded the streets. The Cadets were out in force, bearing a splendid flag which had been presented to them a day previous, and, with the Independent Rifles, marched to the public square, and fired salvos of artillery. The demonstration at night was designed to correspond to the importance attached by the people to the event celebrated. An eye-witness declares the display to have been of the most brilliant description. When night fell, the city emerged from darkness into a blaze of such glory as could only be achieved by the most recklessly extravagant consumption of tar and tallow. The broad boulevard of Government street was an avenue of light, bonfires of tar barrels being kindled at intervals of a square in distance along its length, and many houses were illuminated. Royal Street shone with light, the great front of the buildings presenting a perfect illumination. Rockets blazed, crackers popped, and the people hurrahed and shouted as they never did before. The "Southern Cross was the most favored emblematic design in the illumination, and competed with the oft-repeated 'Lone Star' for admiration and applause from the multitude.".

By previous concert with the Governors of Georgia and Louisiana, "all the positions in these three States which might be made to follow the fashion set by Fort Sumter were seized. The arsenal at Mt. Vernon, forty-five miles above Mobile, was seized at daylight on the morning of January 14th; Fort Morgan was taken on the same day, without opposition. Previously, however, and on the 9th of January, five companies of volunteers, at the request of the Governor of Florida, left Montgomery for Pensacola. They were sent to assist in capturing the forts and other property there belonging to the United States. In order to place the city of Mobile in a better state of defence, the Mayor issued a call to the people for a thousand laborers. These were at once supplied, and also money sufficient to meet all demands. The Common Council of the city passed an ordinance changing the names of

elected delegates of 29. But, upon assembling, by coaxing, bullying, and all other arts, the majority was changed."

This Convention assembled at Milledgeville on the 16th of January. General W. Crawford was elected President. Commissioners Orr, from South Carolina, and Shorter, from Alabama, were invited to seats in that body. On the 18th, a resolution declaring it to be the right and duty of Georgia to secede, and appointing a committee to draft an ordinance of secession, was offered and put to vote. On a division, the vote was-ayes, 165; noes, 130. The ordinance was as follows:

AN ORDINANCE to dissolve the union between the State

Georgia and other States united with her under the compact of Government entitled "The Constitution of the

United States."

We, the people of the State of Georgia, in Convention assembled, do declare and ordain, and it is hereby declared and ordained, that the ordinance adopted by the people of Georgia in Convention in the year 1788, whereby the Constitution of the United States was assented to, ratified, and adopted, and also all acts and parts of acts of the General Assembly ratifying and adopting the amendments to the said Constitution, are hereby repealed, rescinded, and abrogated; and we do further declare and ordain, that the Union now subsisting between the State of Georgia and other States, under the name of the United States of Americo, is hereby dissolved; and that the State of Georgia is in full possession and exercise of all those rights of sovereignty which belong and appertain to a free and independent State.

The vote on its adoption was-ayes, 208; noes, 89.

On the night after its passage, great demonstrations of joy were made at the Capital, including the firing of cannon, torch-light processions, sky-rockets, music, speeches, &c. In Augusta there was an illumination with fireworks, ringing of bells, and firing of cannon.

A substitute was introduced for the ordinance of secession, but was lost. It was also moved to postpone the operation of the ordinance to March 3d. This motion failed. Subsequently a preamble and resolution were adopted, the object of which was to remove the unfavor able impression created by the large vote given in opposition to the ordinance of secession. The preamble was in these words:

Whereas, as a lack of unanimity in this Convention on the passage of the ordinance of secession indicates a difference of opinion amongst the members of the Convention, not so much as to the right which Georgia claims or the wrongs of which she complains, as to a remedy and its application before a resort to other means for redress; and whereas, it is desirable to give expression to that intention which really exists among all the members of the Convention to sustain the State in the course of action which she has pronounced to be proper for the occasion; therefore, &c.

The resolution required every member to sign the ordinance. This was adopted unanimously.

Before the Convention proceeded to sign the ordinance, a resolution was offered, proposing to submit it to a vote of the people, through the proclamation of the Governor, and that the question should be "secession or "no seces

sion" at the ballot-box. If a majority of votes were for secession, then the ordinance was to take effect, and not otherwise. The resolution was rejected by a large majority.

Representatives to the Montgomery Congress were appointed on the 24th. Before voting, an assurance was given to the Convention, that none of the candidates were in favor of forming a Government having in view an immediate or ultimate union with the Northern States. No such idea could be entertained. All were for the establishment of a Southern Confederacy on the basis of the old Constitution, and never, under any circumstances, to Notwithstanding this unanimity in the Conconnect themselves with the Northern States. vention, there was a great reaction in some parts of the State, and the flag of the United States was kept flying without regard to the ordinance of the Convention. This was done also in North Alabama, and in portions of MisFears were expressed sissippi and Louisiana. by former members of Congress from Georgia, that the reaction might be greatly increased in the popular mind in the Gulf States, if a compromise was effected satisfactory to the Border States.

Two regiments were ordered by the Convention to be organized as the army for the Republic of Georgia, over which a number of officers were appointed by the Governor, chiefly those who had resigned from the army of the United States.

In Louisiana the authorities were undoubtedly early enlisted in the plans for the secession of the Southern States from the Union, and ready to use all their efforts to secure success. In November, 1860, Governor Moore issued a proclamation for an extra session of the LegisÎature on the 10th of December. The reason requiring this session was thus stated:

Whereas the election of Abraham Lincoln to the office of President of the United States by a sectional and aggressive anti-slavery party, whose hostility to the people and the institutions of the South has been evinced by repeated and long-continued violations of constitutional obligations and fraternal amity, now consummated by this last insult and outrage perpetrated at and through the ballot-box, does, in my opinion, as well as that of a large number of citizens of all parties and pursuits, furnish an occasion such as is contemplated by the Constitution; and whereas some of our sister States, aggrieved like ours, are preparing measures for their future security, and for the safety of their institutions and their people, and both patriotism and the necessity of self-preservation require us to deliberate upon our own course of action; now, therefore, I, Thomas O. Moore, Governor of the State of Louisiana, do hereby convene the Legislature of this State in extra session, and do appoint Monday, the 10th day of December next.

On the day appointed this body met at Baton Rouge, and caused to be prepared an act providing for a State Convention, to be held on the 23d of January, and for the election of delegates. On the next day the act was passed by the Senate and House. In the Senate it was eloquently opposed by Randall Hunt. In the House a strong effort was made to cause the