In South Carolina the electors were chosen by the legislature, so that, practically, Lincoln received 1,000,000 less of the popular suffrages than the opposition. He was to be what Stanton predicted, "a minority president," and the South began active preparations to withdraw from the Union.

CHAPTER XV.

A SEETHING CALDRON.

Amid great public excitement and a rapid culmination of startling events, Stanton went to Pittsburg soon after election to try the case of Fox vs. the Hempfield Railway Company in the United States circuit court. While thus engaged, a message from Judge J. S. Black requested him to return at once to Washington, as the President wished to nominate him for attorney-general. It therefore becomes necessary to make a partial examination of the heated and violent surroundings into which he was thus unexpectedly flung.

On the day before election Governor W. H. Gist called the legislature of South Carolina to convene in extraordinary session. on the following day and continue in session until it should be. known whether Lincoln had been elected president; and, "in the event of such election that the services of ten thousand volunteers be immediately accepted," as "the only alternative left, in his judgment, was the secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union." Lincoln was elected and the Stars and Stripes, even on the shipping in Charleston harbor, were everywhere displaced by the Palmetto Flag of South Carolina, and military preparations rushed forward with enthusiasm.

On November 9, Buchanan met his cabinet in a long and excited session. He held that a State possessed the technical right to withdraw from the Union, and on that subject occurred the first serious division in his political household, Lewis Cass, secretary of state, threatening to resign. In this dilemma he appealed to Stanton, then assistant attorney-general, who converted him to the theory that the United States is a nation, and prepared an argument in support of that theory for insertion in the forthcoming annual message to Congress. The argument being accepted and incorporated in the message, Stanton left for Pittsburg, as above stated.

During his absence and two days before the meeting of Con

gress (on December 3) "Buchanan was frightened into expunging from his message the assertion of the power to coerce a State in rebellion, and induced to insert in its place the contrary doctrine,' says Henry L. Dawes, who "obtained his information from Stanton himself."

Secretary Cass appealed to Buchanan to reinforce the forts in Charleston harbor and place the Federal property in the extreme slave States in the best possible condition of defense. Buchanan was unable to comply, having already (on December 9) entered into an agreement, stated in writing, with the congressmen from South Carolina that he would hold everything in check while the South was preparing for disunion.

The resignation of Cass followed on the 12th of December. Black was appointed to be his successor and Stanton, to succeed Black was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday, the 20th. Francis E. Spinner, then a member of Congress, says: "A committee headed by Edwin D. Morgan and myself investigated Mr. Stanton after his nomination. We found him all right-an ardent friend of the Union and ready to defend it at all hazards, with force of arms if necessary."

On the day that Cass resigned, Jacob Thompson of Mississippi, secretary of the interior, told Buchanan that he was going to Raleigh as commissioner from his State to induce North Carolina to secede from the Union, and the President replied that he wished. him to go and hoped that he might succeed." Thompson held a public reception before the State legislature and then returned to his place in the cabinet and to the arms of the President!†

On the 18th Buchanan despatched Caleb Cushing secretly to Governor Pickens, who had succeeded Gist as executive of South Carolina, with a proposition to postpone further open secession operations until after the inauguration of Lincoln, agreeing, if

*Jefferson Davis says ("Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government," page 57) that he "was called from Mississippi to Washington by messages from two of Buchanan's cabinet to supervise and give direction to the President's forthcoming message," and that Buchanan "very kindly accepted all the modifications suggested."

†In "Speeches and Writings of T. L. Clingman," page 26, Mr. Clingman says: "I could not help exclaiming: 'Was there ever before a potentate who sent out his own cabinet ministers to incite an insurrection gainst his own government?'"

Pickens would accede to the request, to send no reinforcements of men or munitions to Charleston and permit no change in the condition of other Southern forts (that would be inimical to secession); but the mission failed.

During the day on which Stanton was sworn in, South Carolina unanimously passed the ordinance of secession and wheeled out of the Union. Thus the force intended to break up and the genius foreordained to save the Union appeared simultaneously in

the arena.

On the same day orders were made by Colonel Henry E. Maynadier, chief of the Ordnance Department, directing the commandant of Allegheny Arsenal, Pittsburg, to ship to the forts at Ship Island and Galveston, Gulf of Mexico, one hundred and thirteen columbiads and eleven 32-pounders for the armament of those fortifications. Major John Symington of Maryland, in charge of the arsenal, began preparations to carry the orders into effect. Six of the larger guns had been dragged to the wharf and four of them hoisted to the deck of the Silver Wave on Friday, December 28, when a great mass-meeting assembled in front of the court-house in Pittsburg to protest. General William Robinson presided, opening with a patriotic address, which was followed by speeches of like tenor from Judge Charles Shaler (Stanton's law partner) and others.

Being advised* of what was transpiring at Pittsburg, Stanton inquired of the Secretary of War concerning it and was met with the statement that there was "no information on file touching the matter." From the War Office he proceeded to Buchanan, “who evinced neither surprise nor concern," merely saying that he had given no "official" sanction to such an order, although Secretary Floyd declared that the President knew the order was to be issued and "advised that it be done in such a manner as not to arouse suspicion !"

On Thursday, January 3, 1861, Stanton telegraphed to the mayor, George Wilson, that the order had been officially rescinded by Secretary Holt, who had just succeeded Floyd, and received a

*Robert T. Hunt of Pittsburg, who was in Shaler, Stanton, and Umbstaetter's office in that city, says: "Judge Shaler telegraphed to Stanton the situation. I wrote the telegram for him and carried it to the telegraph office. I think Stanton acted on that telegram. At any rate he replied, and the shipment of cannon was stopped."

vote of thanks on the following evening from the Pittsburg city council.

In the meantime (December 23), Governor Pickens had sent to W. H. Trescot, who left the post of assistant secretary of state to become the agent of South Carolina in Washington, a telegram stating that R. W. Barnwell, J. E. Adams, and James L. Orr had been "appointed commissioners by the convention to proceed immediately to Washington to present the ordinance of secession and to negotiate in reference to the evacuation of the forts and other matters growing out of the act of secession." Trescot laid this information before the President, thus giving him ample time to consult his cabinet and adopt a course of procedure, which, however, he did not do.

On the 26th the commissioners arrived, and the President, without reservation as to manner or form, agreed to meet them at 1 o'clock of the following day. In fact he could make no reservation. He had agreed on the 9th to keep the military status unchanged until commissioners should be appointed and come to treat with him in reference to breaking up the Union and dividing the Federal debts and property, and they had arrived in accordance with and to carry out the terms of that agreement.

On that day (December 26) Stanton wrote to W. B. Copeland, Pittsburg, a friend of his childhood, in response to a letter of congratulation:

I am deeply penetrated by the kindness manifested by your note, received this morning.

After much hesitation and serious reflection, I resolved to accept the post to which in my absence I was called, in the hope of doing something to save this Government. I AM WILLING TO PERISH IF THEREBY THIS UNION MAY BE SAVED.

We are in God's hands and His almighty arm alone can save us from greater misery than has ever fallen upon a nation. I devoutly pray for His help; all men should pray for succor in this hour. No effort of mine shall be spared.

Early in the morning of the 27th the commissioners learned that Major Robert Anderson had, on the evening of the 26th, abandoned Fort Moultrie, spiking the guns behind him, and occupied Fort Sumter. Their secretary, Mr. Trescot, immediately laid this information before Senators R. M. T, Hunter of Virginia, and