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CHAP. judgment by their vote. This was contrary to their own constitutional form of making organic changes in their own State government. Only one State-Louisiana-in the entire South paid its own postage. The annual expense of carrying the mails in those States averaged annually about three and a half million of dollars more than the postage collected. This, however, was not assumed as one of the grounds of secession.

The difficulties of the Kansas question, which had lasted over five years, were at length ended by that TerriJan. tory being admitted into the Union as a free State.

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month later the Territories, Nevada, Colorado, and Dacotah, were organized. Congress by its silence on the subject leaving the question of slavery to be acted upon by the people themselves, when they should apply for admission into the Union.

Though the President elect had designed to journey in as quiet manner as possible from his home in Springfield, Illinois, to Washington, yet by the great anxiety of the people to see him he was induced to travel more slowly and to visit various places on the route. The Legislatures of the States through which he was to pass cordially invited him to visit their assemblies and become their Feb. guest. On the morning of his leaving home his neighbors crowded to the depot to bid him farewell. He made a feeling address, in the course of which he said: "My friends, no one not in my position can appreciate the sadness I feel at this parting. A duty devolves upon me which is, perhaps, greater than that which has devolved upon any other man since the days of Washington. He never would have succeeded except for the aid of Divine Providence upon which at all times he relied. I feel that I can not succeed without the same Divine aid which sustained him. I hope you, my friends, will all pray that I may receive that same Divine assistance, with which success is certain." He traveled slowly by special trains to Washington; at all stations, towns and cities, throngs of

LINCOLN'S JOURNEY-CONFEDERATE CONSTITUTION.

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people welcomed him, showing an intense interest, for at CHAP. no time previous had a Chief Magistrate entered upon his office in circumstances so perilous to the nation.

1861.

4.

18.

Delegates from six of the seceded States assembled in Convention at Montgomery, Alabama, to frame a constitu- Feb. tion for the Confederacy. They copied very closely that of the United States, only introducing articles in respect to slaves and slavery; sanctioning the idea of property in man, which idea Madison and the other fathers of the United States Constitution repudiated. The Constitution of the Confederate States in one article reads; "No bill of attaiuder, or ex-post facto law, or law denying or impairing the right of property in negro slaves, shall be passed.' The convention established a provisional government and elected Jefferson Davis President, and A. H. Stephens, of Georgia, Vice-President. These were duly inaugurated, Davis making an address in which he assumed the right of Feb. the seceding States to take possession of the United States forts and property within their boundaries and settle for them afterward; that "the commercial world had an interest in our exports (meaning cotton) scarcely less than our own;" he suggested the well known resources for retaliation upon the commerce of an enemy."-One of the most remarkable fallacies with which the disunion leaders deceived themselves was that England would aid them materially in order to obtain cotton for her factories. Though the governing classes in that country, with but few exceptions, gave the rebellion their sympathy, yet they were too politic to enter upon war to obtain cotton from these States when it could be had from other sources at a little greater expense. At this result the disappointment of the leaders of the Confederacy was beyond expression. On a par with this want of wisdom were their mistaken views of the character of the people of the free States. They seemed to forget that the industrial activity and energy which they had displayed in their onward progress would now be applied to putting down a rebellion.

66

Mar.

4.

The Inauguration.-Effect of the Inaugural.-Bombardment of Sumter. The President's Call for Volunteers.-The Responses.-Riot in Baltimore.-The Spirit of Loyalty.-Confederate Congress at Richmond.-Feeling in Missouri and Kentucky.-Advance into Virginia.-Col. Ellsworth's Death.-Proclamations of Generals.Instructions to United States Ministers Abroad.-English Neutrality.-Big Bethel Skirmish.-West Virginia's Loyalty-Enemy Driven Out.-Battle of Bull Run.-The Effect.-Missouri-Battle of Wilso's Creek.-Death of General Lyon -Kentucky's Legis lation.-Finances and the Army.-Ball's Bluff Disaster.-Hatteras Expedition.-Mason and Slidell.-Battle of Belmont.-The Invasion of Kentucky.-Battle of Mill Spring.-Davis's Special Message.-Meeting of Congress.-The Union Army.-Edwin M. Stanton.-Capture of Forts Heary and Donelson.-Confederate

Retreat.

CHAP. THE day of Mr. Lincoln's inauguration drew near; as it LVIII. approached the painful suspense and anxiety of the people 1861. increased. Rumors were afloat of plots to prevent the new President from assuming office, and indeed of threatene injury to his person. The military were called out under the orders of General Scott; the first time in our history thought necessary to protect a Chief Magistrate from banded conspirators. In his inaugural the President announced that he should enforce the laws of the Union in accordance with his oath of office. "The power confided to me will be used to hold, occupy and possess the property and places belonging to the government, and collect the duties. and imposts." Alluding to the secessionists, he says: "The

INFLUENCE OF THE INAUGURAL-THE CABINET.

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government will not assail you; you can have no conflict CHAP. without being yourselves the aggressors.' "" His manner betokened a man cool and determined, but of kindly instincts, and one who fully appreciated the novelty of his situation. The inaugural gave universal satisfaction, except to those who, from their open or secret opposition to the government, would not approve its sentiments of loyalty. It strengthened the Union men of the South and created a very favorable impression in the Border States. But the secessionists proclaimed it was a war measure, and the Confederate government issued orders for the people to prepare for the conflict. The Southern newspapers more fully expressed the views of the disunion leaders. They urged immediate action; in the Border States they expressed opposition to "coercion "-a favorite term of those who wished to gain time for the inauguration of rebellion. Mr. Lincoln's principal cabinet officers were: William H. Seward, of New York, Secretary of State; Salmon P. Chase, of Ohio, Secretary of Treasury; Simon Cameron, of Pennsylvania, Secretary of War; Gideon Welles, of Connecticut, Secretary of Navy.

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The Confederate government endeavored to "coerce" the Border States to join them, by prohibiting the importation of slaves into the Confederacy from the United States, "except by persons emigrating thereto for the purpose of Mar. settlement or residence." This was specially aimed at Virginia, for the sale of surplus negroes from that State to the Cotton States averaged annually nearly ten million dollars. This law would materially affect that portion of the State east of the mountains, where the slaves were numerous, but not the portion west, where there were but few, and where the people were almost universally in favor of preserving the integrity of the Union.

The Confederate authorities desired, by means of commissioners, to treat as an independent nation with the United States government; but as such they were not recognized.

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CHAP. The inaugural gave encouragement to the Union sentiment in the Border States. Kentucky refused to call a State Convention; Tennessee, by a majority of 50,000, resolved to remain in the Union; North Carolina appeared to be more loyal than ever, and even Virginia began to show strong attachment to the old order of things, but her people were not permitted to have a voice in their own. destiny.

From the inauguration onward for some weeks, Fort Sumter was the subject of much anxiety both South and North; the former with hopes it would be evacuated, the latter for the most part that it might be maintained, and its garrison reinforced, and above all that there should be no concessions to men with arms in their hands, setting the authority of the government at defiance. Mr. Lincoln, slow and cautious in judgment, determined that Sumter should not be evacuated but defended, and let the responsi bility rest upon those who should make the attack. The United States Senate, then in session, was also opposed to the withdrawal of the garrison.

A similar scene occured in the harbor of Pensacola. Lieutenant Slemmer evacuated Fort McRae and passed over to Fort Pickens, which, by the almost superhuman exer tions of his men and with aid of marines from the ships of war off the harbor, he fortified and held the enemy at defiance. During the night, boats with muffled oars brought him provisions and munitions and men, landing them safely on the island on which stood the Fort.

The government resolved to send provisions to Sumter; preparations for this purpose were made in the port of New York. At Charleston, General G. T. Beauregard, unmolested by Anderson, had been for weeks fortifying points on the harbor to prevent ships entering, and also to attack Sumter if not surrendered.. President Lincoln sent a messenger to inform Governor Pickens of his intention of sending provisions to the garrison of Fort Sumter. The steward of the Fort had been warned a few days before